Kids on the coast

An excuse for indulgence?

by Maxine Arthur

Intense food cravings can derail the best dietary intentions and, as many women know, they can be particularly strong during pregnancy. We are not talking real hunger here but the ‘I need a packet of Tim Tams now or no-one is safe’ kind of craving. A longing so powerful that even ‘film star whippet thin two weeks after giving birth’ photos won’t stop you from indulging.

We all know that chips, pizza, biscuits and chocolate contain empty calories. We know that once we get our hands on that block of chocolate we won’t stop at two squares. Choose a healthy snack? Chocolate’s choosing me! Eat in moderation? You’re kidding!

I can’t get it out of my head

Food cravings of the mid-afternoon munchies variety can hit at any time but for many women the most intense and bizarre cravings are associated with pregnancy. Studies have shown that more than 60% of women report food cravings during pregnancy. The most popular cravings include sweet, salty, spicy or fatty foods. Chocolate tops the list – no surprises there – with milk, ice-cream, fruit, hot chips, pickles, doughnuts, biscuits, pizza and cheese making the Constant Cravings top ten.

Brisbane mum, Marsha, gave birth to her first child, Coco, last December. In the first trimester Marsha craved nutritious food. “I felt that I needed lots of fresh vegetables to give me energy as I was feeling quite lethargic. Later on I developed a really strong craving for carrot cake.” Marsha indulged her carrot cake fixation but kept it to an every other day treat. Just as well she was living in New York at the time where a 2am delivery of carrot cake was readily available!

A round- table discussion with a group of Sunshine Coast women proved several things. Mums of all ages can remember exactly what their cravings or aversions were down to the last detail. Each woman’s food cravings were different and ranged from the healthy to the not-so-healthy. Cravings varied from one pregnancy to the next and included foods not eaten before or since. Most obviously, these were not merely food choices. More available or more sensible substitutes would not do. These foods were ‘had to haves’, just the way I like it, as soon as possible.

Jules developed a passion for Cherry Ripes but they had to be melted in the sun. Cream matches (pastries with a filling of jam and cream) were irresistible. Carly ate roast pumpkin every day and golden syrup crumpets every morning. Tamara went on a steady diet of hot chips and gravy in a sandwich, topped with ‘plastic cheese’ along with ‘anything chocolate and lots of milk’. “I couldn’t get enough of eggs and lamb. I didn’t eat either before my pregnancy,” Tamara said.

Brenda remembered cooking hot chips every day for lunch and smothering them in tomato sauce. “They couldn’t be bought chips. I had to make them myself from fresh potatoes. I went from a size 10 to a 16,” Brenda laughed. With her second pregnancy the chips were replaced by a craving for big bacon and egg burgers from the local milk bar, accompanied by caramel malted milkshakes. “I also had to have avocadoes which I hadn’t eaten before.” Brenda’s daughter Amanda, pregnant with her first child, couldn’t even stand to be in the same room with chicken, let alone eat it.

How can the craving for, or aversion to, a particular food be so overwhelming that common sense and willpower desert us?

Is my body trying to tell me something?

Cravings often start round the end of the first trimester, once morning sickness fades. They are occasionally linked to nutritional deficiency – a vegetarian may crave red meat because she is lacking in protein or iron. An overpowering need for milk and cheese may be satisfying the body’s need for more calcium. Very rarely a woman may crave non-food items such as chalk, gravel, dirt, toothpaste, cleaning products and other unusual substances - a condition known as ‘pica’. This may indicate a need for iron or zinc supplements. Don’t indulge extreme, possibly dangerous, cravings – talk to your doctor.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to argue a case for vanilla slices and soft drinks as nutritious foods. Most of us aren’t reaching for broccoli or high-quality protein to fill a pregnancy craving, are we? What we crave and what our bodies need may be entirely different things. Recent research indicates that a complex combination of hormonal changes, emotional factors and fluctuations in blood sugar levels drive intense food cravings.

Hormonal havoc

Clinical Director of IVF Sunshine Coast, obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr James Moir explained how hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy may affect food choices.“In early pregnancy HCG levels (human chorionic gonadotropin) produced by the placenta rise quickly, stimulating the ovaries to produce higher levels of oestrogen and progesterone. By the ninth or tenth week the placenta is self-sustaining and HCG levels drop.”

High hormone levels can alter a woman’s sense of smell and taste dramatically but Dr Moir hears more about the flip-side of cravings – the food aversions brought on by nausea. Foods that were once enjoyable turn into foods a woman can’t stand the smell, taste, texture or even the sight of for several months. Dr Moir recalled one lady who was so overcome with nausea that she survived on a diet of water and macadamia nuts for the first trimester.

In addition to the hormonal rollercoaster, Dr Moir suggested another reason for powerful food cravings at odd times. “Basal sugar levels in pregnancy are lower on average so between meals and at night, sugar cravings might hit. If cravings for a particular food are strong, have a small amount but be aware that a diet high in sugar may cause problems, particularly for women with diabetic tendencies.”

Craving comfort through food

Director of Sunshine Coast Dietetics, dietician Sally-Anne Livock believes that some cravings may be psychological. Beliefs about food and our emotional associations with food can stimulate cravings.

“Certain foods may be associated with certain situations, for example, buying takeaways on a Friday night, eating popcorn at the movies, snacking while watching television or having a glass of wine every evening.” These associations become habitual. You start to associate certain emotions with certain foods such as chicken soup when you are sick, cake and coffee to cheer yourself up, chocolate at the end of the day as a reward, Sally-Anne says.

So if you believe that ‘eating ice cream at night is the norm for pregnant women, or even that this is what made your mother feel great when she was pregnant’ you may need a hug more than the ice cream. Pregnancy is a time of major changes to your body, your lifestyle and your relationships. Stress, depression and boredom can lead to comfort eating. Of course there is nothing wrong with seeking comfort and if a little ice cream lifts your mood, choose good quality ice cream and savour every mouthful.

“Most cravings are not harmful and as long as the mother is still following a balanced diet and meeting all her nutritional requirements there is no harm at all in a little indulgence - just don’t let it get out of hand. The old ‘I’m now eating for two’ is a total misconception. You really only need around 200 calories extra per day in the second trimester and around 300calories extra in the third trimester-easily achieved by increasing a dairy serve per day to meet increased calcium needs,” Sally-Anne says.

The sugar trap

Low blood sugar can cause major food cravings. Trying to follow a very low calorie diet and going for long periods without food can serve to intensify cravings.

Sally-Anne advises against following a restrictive eating plan whether pregnant or not. “Eliminating or reducing food groups often leads to cravings and the foods craved are usually far less nutritious than those restricted. Limiting your intake of carbohydrates will usually lead to sweet cravings. The chocolate or confectionery you crave are a far less healthy choice and higher in calories than the carbohydrates would have been.”

Missing meals, especially breakfast, will only fuel the sugar cravings. “The energy supplied by a meal or snack is usually utilised in 1-2 hours. Having long breaks in between meals and snacks can lead to food cravings for something sweet to help top up the blood sugar levels. Aim for a light meal or snack every three hours. Low fat dairy foods, fresh fruits and raw nuts are great snack options,” Sally-Anne suggests.

Tempting as it may be to justify over-indulgence as part and parcel of pregnancy, a sensible approach (well, most of the time) is best for mum and baby.

Healthier alternatives

Ice cream – non-fat frozen yogurt, sorbet or sherbet

Soft drinks – mineral water or tap water with fruit juice or lime

Pastries/doughnuts – whole-grain muffin with no added sugar jam

Cake – low-fat banana bread

Pizza takeaway – try a homemade pizza on flatbread using lots of vegetables

Potato chips – popcorn

Chocolate – chocolate flavoured milkshake made with low-fat milk

Controlling cravings

Enjoy a little of what you crave occasionally without guilt

Learn to distinguish between hunger and emotional eating

Treat yourself with something other than food

Take some regular exercise

Further reading:

How To Reduce Food Cravings By Anne Collins.
Visit: www.annecollins.com/weight-loss/food-cravings.htm