Studies suggest that food cravings may be linked to hormonal imbalances in the body, or nutrient deficiencies. There may also be a link between craving sweets and having a tendency toward addictive behavior.
- Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318441.php
2. Is it better to eat less or work out more in regard to weight control?
According to the New York Times, "eating less if far more important than exercising more." The article uses the example of an overweight male who must choose between working out 30 minutes per day consistently, or forgoing the consumption of two 16-ounce sodas. The choice is easy in this case.
Now consider the case of a 130 lb female who is at the upper end of her ideal body weight. She is health-conscious, doesn't consume soft drinks or eat much processed foods. For this person it might be difficult to lose weight simply by eliminating bad foods from the diet. A less drastic approach would be a bit of exercise daily and keeping an eye on the caloric intake. Perhaps she could adjust her caloric intake down by just a few calories. For example, she could leave the top off a sandwich or eat a light dinner.
- Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/upshot/to-lose-weight-eating-less-is-far-more-important-than-exercising-more.html
3. Is it wise to periodically fast?
Growing up, I heard a lot about fasting. My parents were really interested in living a healthy lifestyle, and that interest took them in some interesting directions. There were fad phases where they drank special drinks that were supposed to prevent grey hair, went on long walks at four in the morning and avoided everything that might contain salt. Thankfully, these phases weren't prolonged because my parents weren't extremely dedicated when it came to unpleasant dietary plans. I was never made to fast of course, but there were times when my parents thought a good episode of fasting was in order. "I need to give my stomach a break," was the usual explanation.
From my research, it would appear that letting the stomach rest for a day or two is not likely to harm a healthy person, but shouldn't be undertaken by anyone with diabetes as it could be dangerous. It also shouldn't be done for many, many days.
Personally, I could never go a day without eating. I don't have diabetes, that I know of, but if I go longer than 7 hours between meals I get faint feeling and would soon be prostrate on the floor unable to move and feeling very shaky and weak. I do undertake a fast, of sorts, but it's not that long. I will sometimes eat a very light dinner or no dinner if I'm not horribly hungry. Then I go to bed as early as possible so that hunger pangs don't tempt me and wake to a large breakfast.
- Source: https://www.webmd.com/diet/fasting
4. What is Estimated Energy Requirement?
The CDC provides a guide to calculating a person's Estimated Energy Requirement. That is, the amount of calories required daily to maintain balance of weight and metabolic equilibrium. It is "estimated" because metabolic balance is a tricky matter that is usually a bit different from individual to individual and so must be adjusted to fit each person's needs.
- Source: https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/oct/06_0034.htm
5. Is a slower metabolism really a bad thing?
Maybe not. A researcher, Berit Brogaard, suggests that there is evidence pointing to a link between slower metabolism and longer lifespan. However, there is not enough evidence to warrant purposefully slowing down metabolism by eating drastically small quantities of food. It is not advisable to reduce intake by more than 750 calories at a time.
- Source: https://www.livestrong.com/article/397191-what-are-the-benefits-of-a-slow-metabolism/
- Understanding Nutrition, page 277
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