Hi, I'm Dr. Ellen Hendrickson, and this is episode 10 of the savvy psychologist.

I'll help you meet life's challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

We'll use the best of psychology to help you be happy, relaxed, and most importantly, yourself.

If chocolate calls you from the cupboard or there's a tractor beam emanating from your cookie jar,

this week's show is for you. I'll give you four tips to

prevent cravings and seven tips to deal with them once they've got you in their

sights. A craving is defined as a powerful desire. Our cravings drive us, whether for love, money, power, fame, or simply those sea salt caramels.

Cravens for things like cabbage or baby carrots are rare, and if you have them, I salute you.

Instead, cravings are usually for foods high in fat, sugar, or carbs, which, when ingested,

trigger the release of natural opioids and give us a sense of pleasure, a chocolate-covered pretzel high.

In fact, areas of the brain associated with drug craving light up when people crave a

specific food and furthermore blocking opiate receptors in the brain cuts

cravings for fat and sugar.

Hormones play a role in cravings too.

Grellin, the hunger hormone, naturally goes up and down before and after a meal.

But evolutionarily, Grellin is still living on the plains from our hunting and gathering days.

It plays a role in our natural preference for sugar, as well as our likelihood of giving in to

cravings for comfort foods.

Grellen may also keep us from stopping at just one serving of chubby hubby.

A 2013 study found that Grellan levels followed a typical rise and fall pattern after

eating a relatively boring meal but rocketed off the charts after

eating a yummy concoction of cake with rum syrup, custard, and Nutella, even after the study

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