If you are a middle-aged woman and you find yourself dealing with food cravings, welcome to the club.  Statistics tell us that nearly100% of all women report having regular food cravings.  And unlike men, women may also be experiencing sleep difficulties and seasonal depressions.  Ladies, it’s not just that you have different hormones than men have, but your hormones have a certain agenda and they need attention and management in order for you to get through this stage in your life.  You undoubtedly are craving more starch, more sugar and more chocolate than ever before.  Why is this happening and how do you deal with it?

First, let’s look into just what these cravings are and what causes them.  Women have two types of cravings.  There are emotionally-driven cravings and biological/hormonal-driven cravings.  Emotionally-driven cravings include unmet needs, anger, resentments and loneliness.   There are two chemicals that drive biological cravings.  One is serotonin, a chemical in your brain that is necessary for mood stabilization and is released more after the consumption of carbohydrates.  It helps lift your mood and calm you down.  Many people who suffer from depression are low on this particular chemical.  The second group of chemicals is endorphins.  Endorphins are released from the brain after consuming chocolate or fat.  The “high” you may have experienced after doing an intense workout is similar to the feeling you may have after consuming chocolate. 

When a woman reaches the stage of life in which her estrogen and progesterone levels drop, a normal drop in seratonin sometimes causes her to turn to food in order to feel better.  The foods you will most likely go for will contain sugar and starches, which help raise your seratonin level, fat and chocolate, which help raise your endorphine levels.  Weight control obviously becomes a big challenge when consuming these types of foods in excess.  Those of you who suffer from PMS will crave even more chocolate and junk food during these bouts. These increased cravings are in direct correlation to the fall in seratonin levels.  

We have all heard in recent years about the heart-healthy benefits contained in bitter sweet chocolate.  It contains polyphenols – an antioxidant, as well as flavinoids, both of which help to raise the level of HDL – good cholesterol, and promote blood vessel dilation.  Both of these antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties seem to play important roles in the prevention of cardiovascular disease by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.  But beware of the following statistics before you over-indulge in chocolate.   The average American consumes 11.6 pounds per year of chocolate.  In Japan, the average per-person consumption is 4 pounds.  The percentage of obese women in the United States is 34% and in Japan, it is only 3%. So ladies – do the math before you do the chocolate!

Many women find that if they can be disciplined enough to eat only a few squares of chocolate per day, they can satisfy their craving and at the same time, avoid the adverse effects of eating too much high-calorie, fatty and sugary food. If you are craving a particular food, instead of denying yourself the food, eat a very small portion of it to help you get through the craving.

To find hormonal happiness, make sure that you eat a balanced diet of small regular meals and snacks every day. If your cravings are emotionally or biologically driven, try exercise, yoga and hot baths as alternatives to help you get through this stressful time.  An added benefit… These activities will also raise your seratonin levels without consuming any calories! 

Keeping a handle on your food cravings in middle life is a very important ingredient in helping you “add hours to your day, days to your year and years to your life.”

Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH with over 14 years of professional experience. He is the co-director of the Jerusalem-based weight loss and stress reduction center Lose It! along with Linda Holtz M.Sc. and is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at [email protected] 

Check out the Lose It! website at www.loseit.co.il. US Line: 516-568-5027