Crazy Cravings!

Certain times of the we all cravings, it is hard to ignore at times. Often times satisfying these guilty pleasures can only lead to guilt. According to psychological scientists Eva Kemps and Marika Tiggemann of Flinders University, Australia, review the latest research on food cravings and how they may be controlled in the current issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

"We’ve all experienced hunger (where eating anything will suffice), but what makes food cravings different from hunger is how specific they are. We don’t just want to eat something; instead, we want barbecue potato chips or cookie dough ice cream. Many of us experience food cravings from time to time, but for certain individuals, these cravings can pose serious health risks. For example, food cravings have been shown to elicit binge-eating episodes, which can lead to obesity and eating disorders. In addition, giving in to food cravings can trigger feelings of guilt and shame."

I for one have an extremely hard time ignoring these mental images of cheesy nachos and banana split sundaes. Tonight I had one of those cravings and instead of diving into a pint of Brownie Batter Ben and Jerry ice cream I decided to make instant fat free/sugar free pudding. To some the sound and idea of anything sugar free/fat free mixed with chocolate is unappealing. To be honest it was to me to but these puddings are so well made it is hardly a sacrifice. The cold delicious flavor of the chocolate pudding satisfied my craving and POOF! No guilt! I added a dollop of light whipped cream on top (within my calorie limits) on top to add  to the decadence of this craving substitute. All around the pudding rounded out to 150 calories with the whipped cream on top. Yummmm