Most people enjoy ice cream as a symbol of joy and delightful indulgence. The chemistry behind ice cream is a perfect combination of sugar, fat, air, and frozen water, which makes ice cream cravings irresistible.
According to some studies, sugar hits the neurotransmitter dopamine, a naturally occurring chemical in the human body that makes you feel good when you eat something delicious and makes you addicted.
Ice cream is loved by all generations, from young to older ones. Licking an ice cream stick or holding an ice cream box and taking a scoop from it is the most common thing we all have ever seen!
However, eating ice cream in moderation is necessary as it is full of sugar and fat. Turning no to ice cream as the best option and searching for an alternative one is the better one that is fully loaded with nutritional values.
So, this blog will explore why you are craving ice cream and some of its alternatives to stop eating it.
What is a Food Craving?
Food craving comes out naturally. It is a sense of human physiology or the taste of the tongue. The tongue gives a sense of feeling, just like the five sense organs. The tongue has a sense of taste, such as hot, cold, bitter, etc.
Like this, our mind can be one type of sensible transmitter; it urges craving or temptation for some things, and it sends a signal to our brains that “we are craving for foods such as sweets made from ice creams or something else” to satisfy the sense of organs.
9 Possible Reasons Why You're Craving Ice Cream
Your brain's craving for ice cream can give rise to stress, hunger, sensory satisfaction, thirst, or boredom. This ice cream craving tendency identifies that your body needs magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium.
So, in this section, let us explore some nine common factors why you crave ice cream:
1. Sensory Satisfaction
If you are craving ice cream, you may need sensory satisfaction. Many people think ice cream excites your taste buds, and its texture and taste give you more than happiness; they give your sensation the core pleasure.
It is also believed that ice cream makes you active by activating some parts of your brain and offers you pleasure. Your sensory experience of ice cream's taste, smell, texture, and appearance ultimately serves to satisfy you.
2. Emotional Comfort
There is always a deep connection between food and emotions. Have you heard of satisfying your emotional needs with a tub of ice cream? For most people, consuming a tub of ice cream makes them energetic, relaxed, and comfortable and gives them a feeling of solace.
When people are stressed, depressed, lethargic, or anxious, they are tempted to eat ice cream or sweets. So, if you are tempted to eat ice cream, then it is a very good sign; it just gives you a sense of happiness and satisfies your cravings during times of mood swings. This tendency will help you uplift your mood.
3. Stress
Stress is dangerous for our physical and mental well-being. But do you know that ice cream is a way for most people to help reduce stress and promote relaxation?
When we are stressed, our bodies produce cortisol, a hormone that fights back against stress, depression, and other negative effects.
So, certain foods, such as ice cream, can be beneficial in increasing the cortisol hormone amount, which reduces stress and gives relief and relaxation.
4. Nutritional Deficiency
Craving ice cream also means your body is dealing with a nutritional calcium, sugar, or fat deficiency. Ice cream contains nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C.
Hence, this creamy, sweet, and cold dessert is filled with calories, sugar, and fat. So, if your body lacks any of these nutrients, you may be craving ice cream, which can fuel you with a quick energy booster.
However, you can include other healthier options, such as Greek yogurt, to fulfill your nutritional deficiency.
5. Insulin Rise
The next reason can be insulin rise. Due to your daily workload, your glucose levels may moderate from high to low, which causes you to crave more sugar.
A high insulin level can make you feel light, but a low insulin level makes you crave sweet foods such as ice cream. Low insulin means high blood sugar levels. When we eat ice cream, our body will again lack insulin, making us crave ice cream.
6. Cooling Effect
Most people love ice cream as a summer dessert. It provides quick relief from the hot weather and cools the body. So, if you feel heated up in summer or after some outdoor activity, you may crave ice cream.
But the reality is different. Ice cream is not really cooling in nature. During digestion, it heats up the body to break down nutrients, increasing body temperature.
7. Nostalgia
For some people, ice cream is a great way to recall their childhood memories and feelings. So, if you crave ice cream, it can be because you want to enjoy your school or family outings.
This sense of feeling is also called nostalgia (a symbol of childhood). Nostalgia, as per the University of Southampton, evokes belongingness and sociality. It boosts self-esteem and uplifts mood.
8. Diverse Flavors
Various ice cream flavors are available, from classic vanilla to caramel, mocha, orange, chocolate, and many more, making you crave or curious to try them.
Everyone has different tastes, and variety may ignite and encourage you to explore the assortments of different combinations and flavors to make your cravings come alive.
9. Social Connection
Ice cream can be a great way to increase social connections. We have all seen a group of people share an ice cream cone and create a bonding experience at ice cream parlors and cafes, strengthening their bonding.
Also, when you enjoy eating ice cream with your friends, it makes great memories, and you feel happy, craving to spend more time like these at ice cream parlors.
Ice cream is considered a highly processed food that contains a high amount of sugar, fat, and carbohydrates, which can increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
So, it is recommended that you avoid ice cream and instead try some of its alternatives discussed in the section below.
Side Effects of Overeating Ice Cream
Read the below section to know what exactly happens when you do not eat ice cream in moderation:
- Sugar Crash: Eating ice cream in moderation (1/2 cup) is safe. But eating it in large amounts with additional toppings of fruits and syrups may cause your blood sugar levels to rise because of the higher content of carbohydrates and added sugars.
- Disease Risk: Due to the high amount of sugar and fat, ice cream can come with various chronic diseases if not eaten in moderation, such as heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes.
- Develop Cavities: Too much craving for ice cream can affect your oral health. After consuming high-sugar foods, including ice cream, brushing your teeth to avoid the risk of developing cavities is essential.
- Lack of Sleep: According to a study, eating ice cream, a high-saturated and low-fiber dessert at night, can reduce the amount of sleep.
- Weight Gain: If you tend to eat ice cream every day, then there is a higher risk that you can double your weight because it contains refined carbohydrates that directly affect your calories, leading to putting on pounds.
What To Eat When Craving Ice Cream? 3 Healthier Alternatives
There are some other healthier options besides not eating ice cream when it comes to low saturated fat, reduced sugar, and high nutritional value. One can eat the following things rather than eating traditional ice cream:
1. Frozen Yogurt:
If you are health-conscious and looking for less sugar, fat, and no cream, then cold and frozen yogurt is a healthier option. This frozen yogurt is the best for your gut as it includes probiotics and is prepared with cultured milk.
Eating Greek yogurt as your frozen yogurt is very good for boosting the immune system and digestion.
2. Chia seed pudding:
Another healthier option than ice cream is chia seed pudding. When it comes to complete nutrient values, chia seeds are loaded with packed nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
You can add more food value to these chia seeds by adding coconut milk, nuts, or fruits, just making it a cold, sweet custard dessert. You can keep it in the fridge, chill it, and then drink it!
3. Banana Swirl:
As we know, ice cream has a high-calorie rate. If one has a sweet craving, then eating ice cream daily can lead to putting on weight and have other adverse health effects.
So, it is better to skip this ice cream-eating habit out of the freezer. We can eat banana swirls or frozen bananas. It is healthier because it has 100 calories and other nutrients like potassium and fiber. You can also add bananas and chocolate syrup to make it tastier.
Wrapping Up!
As we know, more people like to eat ice cream just for a sweet tendency at night or in the morning. So, satisfying your taste buds is quite good when it is often, but when it becomes a daily habit of craving ice cream, it becomes a bad option as it adversely impacts your body.
So, you better have a choice to satisfy your cold, sweet craving in the alternative form of Greek yogurt or chia seeds, making it custard-filled with fruits and nuts, etc. It not only boosts your overall well-being but can also accelerate your immune system.
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