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Craving for chocolate especially when you are hungry

Chocolate has a distinct taste and its smell is definitely appetizing thus stimulates your senses too easily;

Chocolate has a low melting point that definitely contributes to the pleasure of eating it because it becomes soft in your mouth immediately and the fat content in chocolate also helps enhance its texture.

If you are going to indulge in more that a small square of chocolate - than ask yourself this - Are you hungry, or did you skip a meal? Is it dark chocolate as it has more cacao percentage than regular chocolate and hence healthier. What are the healthy foods that you ate today? Are you stressed? The few seconds you spend pondering will help change the level of your craving. Research suggests that processed foods high in fat, sugar and salt are addictive.

Craving for chocolate and blood sugar levels

Chocolate cravings may be due to low blood sugar levels as chocolate provides a quick energy boost plus helps fight fatigue or an irritable mood caused by low blood sugar;

It is wise to note that the sugar in chocolate tends to increase your blood sugar levels immediately so opt for smaller portions as well as the healthy dark chocolate as it is low on the glycemic index, so it can help stabilize blood sugar levels to a certain extent.

Craving for chocolate and Serotonin levels

It is a fact that eating chocolate makes you feel good as it helps increase levels of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of well-being and enhanced mood.

You could get a similar boost in your Serotonin levels by eating a handful of Nuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Whole grain crackers, Popcorn, or a healthy sandwich...

Or opt for tryptophan rich fruits and vegetables as serotonin is synthesized in the body from tryptophan. Fruits that contain tryptophan are pineapple, bananas, kiwi fruit, plums, tomatoes, avocados, dates, cantaloupe... Vegetables that contain tryptophan, include leafy greens, mushrooms, broccoli, and peas.

Studies indicate that cravings are directly connected to low Serotonin levels. - Read the below article to understand more:

5 Physiological Reasons you have food cravings...
Source: Dr. Shawna Darou
Excerpt: Food cravings associated with low serotonin levels are carbohydrates in general, sweets and especially chocolate.

Craving for chocolate during periods

Cravings during periods is real and the reasons for the same may be predominantly psychological or physiological.

Many suffer from mood swings due to fluctuating hormone levels during their periods and consuming chocolate does help improve mood. Opt for dark chocolate as it increases endorphins a natural chemical that helps feel good.

It is common for many women to suffer from menstrual cramps and the psychological good feel effects of a piece of chocolate is considered effective in taking attention away from menstrual pain.

Experts also suggest that women may experience lower serotonin levels around their menstrual periods and this is why premenstrual women often have powerful cravings for chocolate. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that is responsible for feelings of well-being and enhanced mood.

What does Detox Diet mean?

Detox is a shortened word for 'detoxification' which was originally used in context with removal of accumulated toxins in the body due to prolong Alcohol and Drug abuse – thus -  'detoxification program' from an intoxicating and addictive substance/s.

Detox in context with a diet - means - a specific diet program - that includes eating specific foods and drinks + to stop eating unhealthy foods + to stop drinking alcohol +/ smoking +/ drugs... for a fixed period of time. 

A well crafted advertisement of 'detox diet' usually states 'it is a well-designed program put together by medical experts - which includes fasting and procedures that help purge your liver, kidneys and colon of toxins leading to clear skin a boost of energy or weight loss etc...

I strongly urge you to discuss any sudden change in your diet (detox diets are drastic) be it for a day or more with your healthcare professional.

Should you get into a detox diet program?

Detoxification (detox) diets are popular, but there is no research evidence that they eliminate toxins from your body. Detox diet has gained popularity as most people think it is a quick fix to many problems - be it weekend binging on junk food, alcohol, drugs - and most also believe it is seemingly a healthy way to lose weight.

It is impossible to live on liquids or specific fruits and vegetables or give yourself colon cleanses regularly - thus it cannot be a healthy long-term solution. And your kidneys and liver are quite effective at filtering and excreting most ingested toxins without you going through so much effort.

If you would still like to consider it take a commonsensical approach to it - Review your detox diet program with a medical expert - typical period, foods or liquids allowed, are they raw or cooked, do they include using herbs and supplements or colon cleansing including enemas and massage with steam and sauna.

Understand colon cleanse

Colon cleansing is also known colonic hydrotherapy and involves flushing the colon or your large intestine with liters of fluid through a tube into the rectum to expel waste and toxins that are removed through a different tube. Did you know that Colon cleansing is normally used in the hospitals as a preparation for medical procedures such as a colonoscopy!

What you eat and drink after your colon cleanse is very important as it may lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and bacterial imbalance and infection or a tear or perforation in the rectum.

So is colon cleansing helpful or harmful - Claims of colon cleansing delivering weight loss, better digestion, increased energy is till date unproven and lacks scientific evidence. This question is best answered by your doctor as every individual needs to be evaluated uniquely.

Detox Diets, do they work? Family or friends claim they felt energized after detoxification?

Any diet that eliminates processed foods, foods with high fat, salt, sugar content, or high calorie foods for a few days will definitely result in feeling better. And you can feel energized by simply avoiding all junk and processed foods and eating healthy - you don't need a juice or a liquid diet or colon cleanse or give yourself enemas to detoxify your body.

Note - no study has corroborated that detox diets actually remove toxins from the body.

Is detox diet a good way to lose weight?

Most Detox diets starve the body and cause temporary weight loss, but this is usually due to water loss rather than actual weight loss. Note when you start eating regularly the weight will promptly return back. 

The main purpose of detox diet is to cleanse the body from the inside by eating nutritious and unprocessed foods. Since you started eating healthy whilst being on a detox diet, you should continue the healthier food choices going forward too - like a healthy diet based on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of protein and healthy fats.

Who should avoid a detox diet?

Detox diets mostly limit food intake and should be avoided by children, pregnant, nursing mothers, diabetics, cancer patients and people with diseases and conditions.

How are toxins eliminated by the body?

Body has many natural detoxification systems...

The liver functions as the body's principal filter and helps cleansing the blood - liver cels produce substances that help neutralize dietary toxins, environmental toxins and inhaled toxins by breaking down toxins and converting them in to waste products and removing them from the blood stream. 

The kidneys are efficient in filtering out waste substances as well as toxins by flushing them out of the body.

The intestines — The stool helps excrete toxins and waste substances thus protecting the body from toxic accumulation. The lymph nodes in the small intestine help spot parasites and foreign substances so they can be removed before nutrients are absorbed into the blood from the colon. 

The lymphatic system, part of your immune system, has many functions and an important one of the important one is it helps remove cellular waste.

The skin is the body's largest organ - its main function is to provide a barrier against harmful substances, be it chemical toxins, heavy metals or from bacteria, viruses.

Fine hairs inside the nose trap dirt especially large particles inhaled the smaller particles are removed by lungs via mucus.