Curb chocolate cravings with brisk walk

Chocoholics looking to curb their chocolate urges may be able to do so simply by taking a brisk 15-minute walk. Chocolate is likely the most commonly and intensely craved food, and chocolate urges are often triggered by boredom, stress, or the desire to uplift mood or increase alertness. Some studies in the past have shown that short bouts of exercise, such as brisk walking, can also improve alertness and mood, and reduce sugar snack urges. To investigate how short bouts of brisk walking versus being sedentary might alter chocolate urges, researchers from America identified 20 women and 5 men (25 years old on average) who reported eating at least 2 chocolate bars daily and had intense chocolate cravings. They were asked to abstain from eating chocolate for 3 days and also avoid caffeine products and exercise for 2 hours prior to undergoing each of two testing scenarios -- either 15 minutes of brisk walking or sitting quietly for 15 minutes. After each scenario, participants completed a mentally arousing task and handled, but did not eat, a chocolate bar. Post scenario testing showed that being sedentary did nothing to reduce chocolate cravings, whereas doing a 15-minute walk reduced the urge to eat chocolate. Exercise also appeared to lessen participants' increase in urges/cravings to eat chocolate when it became available. The above finings indicate that taking active breaks throughout the day may be valuable in helping to limit the consumption of pleasurable, but unnecessary, calories. Further research is needed to assess whether increases in daily activity, particularly in the workplace, regulates subconscious cravings, especially among women who have higher chocolate cravings than men.

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