Cravings are frequent, specific, intense desires to eat a particular type of food but they are not necessarily about hunger. The distinction is simple: Hunger is our body’s need for nutritional fuel. In contrast, cravings are our bodies telling us that we want something particular to eat.

The source of cravings can be either external or internal say experts.External cues for cravings can be conditionalized like craving popcorn in a movie theatre or reaching for the ice cream while getting ready to watch your favorite show. Internal cues, such as sadness, can prompt people to crave certain foods as well. During challenging times many people tend to reach for ‘comfort food’ for instant gratification.

Whatever your motivation behind a particular craving may be, some experts say it is best not to completely avoid things that you want. Food is not only good for nutrition, but also enjoyment. The key may be in ‘retraining’ your brain to avoid unhealthy food cravings.Here are some methods to try:

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