Shall we call it the diet buster? After all, that is what the ?sinful craving? manages to do ? bust the healthy diet that you had been so eagerly following to get back in shape. The good news is that you are not alone on the battleground. There is a lot of commonality in food cravings among people, says a report published in Science Daily last week.

In a Comprehensive Assessment of the Long-term Effects of Restricting Intake of Energy, researchers at Tufts University in the US have found a commonality in food cravings among people. The ?types of foods people crave are individual, but in general, cravings are common and are for foods high in calories, not for foods specifically high in carbohydrates or fats.?

Controlling the frequency of giving in to cravings, rather than suppressing them is the key according to the study.

Emotional eating vs hunger

Is it hunger or is it emotional eating? The moment you are able to distinguish between the two, it?s half the battle won. The other half is all about eating only when you are hungry. It?s your mood at work here. What you have on your plate reflects what?s going on in your mind. ?It?s like if you have cracked the IAS exam, you tend to indulge in a liberated treat. And if there has been a death in the family, people tend not to eat for days together,? explains lifestyle management consultant at Malar hospital in Chennai, Dr Kousalya Nathan. Stress plays a big role here. ?It can be familial stress, emotional stress, peer pressure?.people tend to turn to food for comfort. The real problem is eating foods high in starch, carbohydrates and sugar,? she further adds.

According to a MayoClinic research, if you?re stressed, eating comfort foods may distract you. But the distraction is only temporary. While you?re eating, your thoughts focus on the pleasant taste of your comfort food. Unfortunately, when you?re done overeating, your attention returns to your worries, and you may now bear the additional burden of guilt about overeating. So, it is more important to understand why you get those cravings in the first place. ?If you don?t eat for hours together, your blood sugar level falls and triggers cravings. So, stick religiously to the breakfast-lunch-dinner routine and also snack in between,? cautions Dr Satya Sinha, MD, F Chisel, a Delhi-based fitness spa and salon. That also explains why dieters are more prone to have cravings. There?s a simple way to figure out the thin line between hunger and emotional eating ? when really hungry, you will eat anything that you can lay your hands on and not keep yearning for a particular thing. Makes sense, does it not?

Blame the ingredients?

Ever wondered why it is so difficult to stop until you have binged on a full bag of chips? Dr Nathan has the answer. ?Most of these chips have an ingredient called monosodium glutamate or ajinomoto which is addictive in nature.? Now we know why.

What about chocolates? No, don?t blame magnesium deficiency here. If you were low on magnesium, you?d be craving for a large bowl of fresh green salad. Chocolates too have magnesium as an active ingredient, but aren?t as rich in minerals as fresh greens. Brain chemistry is the culprit here. High on fat and sugar, it triggers the production of feelgood hormone serotonin in the brain. If you are a chocoholic, ?you should go for dark chocolates instead of the white ones. It is healthier and a little of it will satiate your craving,? says restaurant consultant Manav Sharma. Well, that?s only if you must choose between the devil and the deep sea. The healthiest option would be ?to pop a ball of nuts and jaggery. The nuts will make you feel full and the jaggery will satisfy your craving. Suck it, instead of gobbling it up hungrily,? says Dr Nathan. Genetics and gender too have their roles to play. ?The hormonal imbalance at the time of menstruation and pregnancy explains the deep craving for ice creams, tamarind and chocolates,? says Dr Sinha. Further, while women are known to crave more for chocolates, men have a weakness for fried foods.

Fight back

Kalpana Kartik, a 20-year-old law student at NALSAR in Hyderabad, knows what it is like to crave for a blueberry cheesecake. ?I just have to have it. At that point in time, I don?t care if my diet goes for a toss,? she says. So, she compensates by sweating it out in the gym.

Nutritionist Sharon Arora, GM Modi Hospital, highlights the psychological aspect of it. ?The craving needs only two minutes to subside. Just control it for that long. Count, divert your attention ? go for a walk, exercise, sleep over it, talk to your best friend. Do anything that you think might help take your mind off it. And don?t ever use indulgence as an excuse. At times people tell themselves, ?I am depressed, so I can binge to feel good about life,?? she says.

Or else, just fight back by playing a little mindgame. Thank the Flinders University study, published last month, to tell you how. The study shows ?that visual and olfactory distractions were more effective than auditory ones in reducing people?s food cravings. Simply put, rather than just trying not to think about ice cream, try actively thinking of, watching or smelling something else.?

Hopefully, by now you have run out of excuses to binge already!

Easy ways to handle your cravings

* If you feel stressed, it is a better idea to go for a walk instead of reaching out for that chocolate bar in the refrigerator. 15 minutes of walk (even if it?s an aimless stroll at about 3km/hr) will burn nearly 100 calories. And the 100 gm chocolate bar (that you may gobble up in less than five minutes) will give you no less than 200 calories. Take your pick.

* Be a smart shopper. If you know you ought not to eat chocolates, why buy them in the first place? You save on money as well as calories.

* What if your friend just gifted you a box of your favourite swiss chocs? Well, either pass them on to another friend or just dump them in the bin. Ouch!

* There are times when you just ?have to have? something. Say, an ice cream for instance. If the craving is actually that bad, just go ahead and have it. But at least try and make it healthier. Take just one scoop and top it with plenty of fruits and wafers. You will end up satiating your craving for far lesser calories.

* Eat what your mother always wanted you to as a child ? the balanced meal will help you feel fuller for longer.

* Snack healthy. Get popcorn instead of the chips.

* Indulge occasionally.

* Want to avoid the post-dinner pudding? Brush your teeth right away. Not many people want to spoil the fresh taste.