Many of us eat not only for nutrition but for taste and texture. Food cravings, which can be defined as an obsessive desire for a certain food, often can be linked to your childhood. For example, when you were sick your mother use to feed you homemade white bread with peanut butter to make you feel better. Later in life, you still crave white bread with peanut butter which on an emotional level means your craving your mothers love not the homemade white bread. Get in tune with your food cravings and try to link them to an emotion or feeling. 

Another example is people who crave chocolate. Milk chocolate contains at least 2 kinds of sugars : sucrose ( refined white sugar ) and lactose (naturally occurring milk sugar ). This sugar rush spikes insulin levels and produces an almost high like feeling. When you crave chocolate, you crave the energy provided by the sugar rush. This energy high lasts only temporarily and then the users feels down and depressed and craves chocolate again and repeat the cycle.

Food Texture cravings can be linked on an emotional level to :

1. Crunchy foods : hard emotions, outward directed anger, bitterness, frustration, resentment and stress

2. Soft and Creamy Foods : safe emotions, inward directed, fear, shame, longing for comfort and love

3. Chewy foods : combination emotional eater, jealousy, self loathing, anger, fear and stress

When you're having an uncontrolable food craving try to take your mind off of it.  Why not go for a walk, read a book, brush your teeth or do the dishes? Remember cravings are only tempory and do pass. If your cravings won't seem to pass look at the chart below and work on the emptional connection. 

The 9 Most Commonly Craved Foods

1.Chocolate : brownies, cakes, bars, ice-cream, frosting, milkshakes and puddings. People who crave chocolate are hungry for love, passion and excitement.

2.Dairy Products : full fat cheese, butter, ice cream, high fat dips and dressings, cream sauces. People who crave dairy products are usually suffering from depression.

3.Nuts and Crunchy Snack Foods : chips, crackers, trail mix, croutons, peanut butter. People who crave nuts and snack food crave fun and entertainment.

4.Liquid Carbohydrates : alcoholic drinks, coffee, regular and diet colas, fruit drinks. People who crave liquid drinks are needing more contentment and control in life. 

5.High Fat foods : all fried fast food, pizza, burgers, Chinese food People who crave high fat foods feel empty inside and not inspired.

6.Spicy or Highly Seasoned Foods : ethnic foods, pickles, smoked meat/seafoods. People who crave spicy foods crave drive and excitement in life

7.Breads and Starches : homemade white bread, granola bars, biscuits, potatoes.  People who crave breads need comfort and contentment in life and are never satisfied. 

8.Baked goods : cookies, cakes, pies, squares, cheesecake, brownies. People who crave baked goods need more hugs, love, pleasure and reassurance.

9. Candy : all non-chocolate based candies, gum drops, peppermints, suckers, gummy candy. People who crave candy are filling in emptiness and lack good moral support.

We often forget the real reason we eat food. It is not ment to be purchased only on taste or price. Food supplies your body with nutrients that break down to give you energy. SO wether you eat too much sugar, or over indulge in spicy foods; get to the bottom of your food craving. Eat to live, don't live to eat.