You're sitting in the office. And suddenly, without warning, there it is: a craving for chocolate. You need a bite right now and can't think of anything else. But why is it like that? And what can you do about it?
An irrepressible desire for sweets and a craving for chocolate - does this sound familiar? You could eat a whole bar right now without batting an eye.
But is that normal? Why do you have a craving for chocolate and your colleague leaves chocolate completely cold?
First of all, the good news for you: everyone has the occasional craving for something sweet.
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Especially in autumn and winter we feel like cookies, chocolate and cakes. And regardless of the season in stressful situations.
But what is responsible for the desire for sweets and where do the feelings of happiness after eating come from?
Pssst: Here's how you can kick the candy habit in just a few steps!
Why our ancestors are to blame for chocolate cravings
People have always had a sweet tooth. However, when our ancestors still lived in caves, there was no chocolate. So they ate fruit and honey. This not only satisfied their cravings, but also provided them with plenty of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.
A vitamin or mineral deficiency could therefore hardly occur.
Today we know that depressive moods, for example, are the result of a deficiency.
If we satisfied our sweet cravings properly, we would protect ourselves from depression. Because our bodies are still stuck in the Stone Age.
Do you know the secret to stopping your cravings once and for all?
The desire for certain foods is a signal from our body. It tells us that it is missing something.
So, in principle, craving for chocolate is not bad. It protects us from vitamin deficiencies. If only we would reach for the right foods.
Our body tells us: eat something sweet to prevent a deficiency. And instead of reaching for fruit, we grab chocolate.
In short: cravings for chocolate and sweets have always existed and are actually a good "invention" of our body.
The reasons for cravings for chocolate
The insatiable desire to eat something sweet, you often can not get away with fruit. Even 3 apples don't help.
Good to know: It doesn't matter what's responsible for the fact that you could eat a whole bar of chocolate right now, Bitter substances help to curb this desire.
Mix a little of it into your smoothie or recipes and you won't get cravings later.
Today, we hardly eat any bitter substances. Instead, we eat everything that is sweet. And after that, we get even more of a craving for sweets. With slightly bitter salad, many already pull a face.
Yet bitter substances are so enormously important for the balance of our body. And even more important: they protect against cravings.
If you often suffer from food cravings, you should try the Products from Bitterliebe* try.
Bitterliebe has developed drops made from natural herbs that suppress the desire for sweets.
The drops you just take in between. Take a look at the reviews, they are quite positive :)
Desire for happiness hormones and more power
In many cases, we crave chocolate because our body urgently needs a quick energy boost or a feeling of happiness.
Chocolate is perfect for this, it contains a lot of carbohydrates (sugar). More precisely, it consists of 55% carbohydrates.
The self-experiment: 21 days without sugar!
The energy boost improves our physical performance and also our ability to concentrate and react.
That's why we feel like real superheroes after a serving of pasta and suddenly have a real boost of power.
In addition to carbs, you will also find a lot of fat in chocolate. And fat also has a mood-lifting effect.
Craving for chocolate due to magnesium deficiency
Very often we have cravings for chocolate when we don't consume enough magnesium.
So if you are basically full, but still have a craving for chocolate, you may not have filled up on your daily dose of magnesium. We women should get 300 mg per day.
Of course, this does not have to be exact every day. Our body can bridge a short-term deficiency because it stores the mineral in organs and bones.
These foods put an end to cravings!
The only problem is that the magnesium is then missing right here. By the way: 70% of adults do not consume enough magnesium. That's why many have a deficiency they don't even know about.
Dark chocolate* contains 250 mg of magnesium per 100 grams. It is also a good source of iron, zinc and selenium.
These foods contain the extra portion of magnesium!
What happens when we satisfy cravings for chocolate
Chocolate is not the most magnesium-rich food - Especially if you reach for milk chocolate. But the only one that affects our brain.
The many carbohydrates and fats ensure that our pancreas releases a lot of insulin. Insulin increases the uptake of amino acids into the cells. The amino acid tryptophan migrates through the blood-brain barrier directly into our brain.
Tryptophan is a precursor of the happiness hormone serotonin. The higher serotonin content is responsible for better mood, more relaxed sleep and that we are less tense.
In short, more tryptophan provides feelings of happiness and release directly in the brain.
Constantly hungry? That's what's behind it!
When we feel fear, stress or insecurity , the neural networks in our brain are disturbed. Now the temptation is great that we bring everything back into balance. Our body says: eat carbohydrates and fat and you will feel better. And it actually works.
If you have a craving for chocolate, you can also trick yourself a little. Simply eat a chocolate with at least 80 percent cocoa content.
Our body quickly has enough of it and does not ask for more. Most of the time, it's already over after 2-3 bites. Unlike milk chocolate, of which many can eat a whole bar.
How you can tell if you're eating out of mineral deficiency or frustration
The best thing you can do is to avoid cravings in the first place. You can protect yourself from them with a balanced and healthy diet. That means eating foods that are as natural as possible. Without flavor enhancers and preservatives.
By the way, you can tell if it is mangesium deficiency or frustration eating if you observe yourself.
If you snack out of frustration, you need a large amount of chocolate. You won't feel any better afterwards.
If you have a magnesium deficiency, you will feel better as soon as it is corrected. The cravings then disappear again. So it always comes in phases. Sometimes it is strong for 1 month, then you have 2 months of rest, and so on.
What you can do when you have a craving for chocolate
Try to satisfy the craving with dark chocolate and eat a piece of fruit beforehand.
Even better, if you mash a banana with a fork, add 1 tsp. of dark Cocoa powder* (without sugar) and 1 teaspoon of almond butter. It tastes like chocolate, but is much healthier and contains lots of magnesium.
Whatever works is out of sight out of mind. Store chocolate so that you don't see it. Then you often don't even get the idea that you could use a piece right now.
Try eating more foods with magnesium the next few days and watch if your cravings decrease. In most cases this is the case.
Mega chocolate fan? Try this date-hazelnut spread with cocoa!
Our conclusion
If you have a craving for chocolate, then this is basically nothing bad. Your body is trying to give you a sign. Check your magnesium levels and consciously eat more magnesium-rich foods over the next few days. Observe when you get a craving for chocolate and make a note of it.
Eating chocolate from time to time is not forbidden. Enjoy it and do not exaggerate the amount!
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