BBC Morning Live psychologist shares easy way to stop food cravings

A psychologist has spoken on BBC Morning Live about food cravings and the one thing we can do to tackle them. Speaking to Gethin Jones and Michelle Ackerley, the expert said that there's a myth around food cravings too - and it's one she wants to put to bed.

Kimberley Wilson, Chartered Psychologist, said that at this time of year especially, we are introduced to new foods we don't have at any other time of the year. "So in the same way that we value diamonds, because they are rare and restricted, when you have a restricted food or a limited time offer, suddenly your brain says 'this is really valuable to me'" and as a result you may want that food more.

Seasonal Effective Disorder - aka SAD - can also make us crave food. Whether it's chocolate, pastries or ice cream, "we might crave food to shift our state and make us feel better", she explained. But what are other common triggers for food and what's the one thing that you can try to curb them?

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What are triggers for food cravings?

• link to positive memories

• restricted diet

• boredom

• external cues - such as advert

• stress

• lack of sleep

• hormones

Busting a myth that many people believe, she revealed: "Most of the times your cravings aren't linked to deficiencies. That's a bit of a myth". Instead what's happening is "you're feeling a bit meh and what you want is the sugar which acts on the reward center" to make you feel better. She highlighted that around the time of your period you could be craving chocolate and think it's down to magnesium, but pumpkin seeds has more of the mineral in it, and not many people are craving the seeds, so often it is down to the sugar and the good feeling you get when eating it.

What is urge surfing?

Urge surfing is the name given to ‘riding’ a craving and as the name suggests, involves riding out the feelings of desire to get it under control. Some people notice waves of desire however these can build and then diminish - just like waves going up and down - hence the name. Finding alternative activities can help to pass the time until the craving or urge diminishes. Discovering what works for you will be invaluable."

If we take chocolate for example, "you might wait 10 minutes and see what’s the intensity of that craving", the expert says. You should then think "let me see how I feel in 10 minutes" with the expert sharing that when you do this, "what you usually see is that the intensity rises and then it comes down and then you have your brain back and you can carry on for the rest of the day" and of course, the cravings are gone.

Cautioning people not to do a restrictive diet and using techniques like as distractions like playing a game of watching TV until the urges subsides, she warns: "When you make something really restricted and unavailable, then what you do as you’re telling your brain that it's really valuable and really important and I have to focus all my attention on getting it and also when I get it. So the less restrictive you are, the less power and value that food has and it comes a neutral food like peas and carrots. You don’t have to worry about it, try not to feel guilty. It’s not about being weak or being disciplined, it’s actually the habits you get into and working out what your habits are and if you need to change them then do."

The NHS backs up this method stating that: "Urge surfing is the name sometimes given to ‘riding’ a craving or an urge. This involves riding out the feelings of desire. Some people find it useful to observe the intensity of their craving. If left unsatisfied the craving may intensify at first but with time it diminishes. Some people notice waves of desire; the way urges can build and then diminish has been compared to a wave in the ocean and this is where the name urge surfing comes from. Finding alternative activities can help to pass the time until the craving or urge diminishes. Discovering what works for you will be invaluable."

Possible alternative activities include:

• completing a task

• watching television

• going on the internet

• calling a friend

• going for a walk

• playing a game

• doing a crossword

• reading the paper

• spending time on a hobby

It's wise to have a go-to activity in mind when you get a craving, they suggest. As well as the health service, according to findings by Harvard's The Nutrition Source: "Different areas of the brain make up the reward system, but the key part of the brain related to cravings and regulating appetite is called the hypothalamus. It is a tiny pea-sized area that comprises less than 1% of the weight of the brain. It regulates the secretion of chemicals and hormones related to stress, pleasure, pain, and hunger. A neurotransmitter in the hypothalamus called dopamine, the “feel good” chemical, sends messages to other nerves to signal positive emotions that are associated with rewarding experiences.

"The expectation of receiving a reward, not necessarily the reward itself, stimulates higher dopamine activity. Dopamine release is even larger if the reward is greater than anticipated, which may stimulate a person to seek that experience or substance again and again. Eating certain foods repeatedly that stimulate the reward region is believed by some researchers to lead to addictive food behaviours or emotional overeating."