NPR - Coping With Cravings, And Other Tips On Eating While Pregnant

In her book "What to Eat When You're Pregnant" Dr. Nicole Avena guides women through the stages of pregnancy with suggestions for nutritious foods that support the baby's development.

In this interview, Dr Avena discusses the principles with NPR's Nicole Beemsterboer.

Eating healthy in this day and age is a challenge. And the pressure is on if you're a pregnant woman given that you're eating for two. But the nausea, exhaustion and mix of unpredictable hormones – not to mention the anxiety of preparing to go through labor and becoming a parent – make balanced nutrition pretty daunting.

Pregnancy food: what you eat can affect your child for life

Research has found that an in-utero diet high in fat or sugar can lead to the child growing up obese.

Amy Fleming's article Pregnancy food: what you eat can affect your child for life takes a seriously funny look at the content of the book "What to Eat When You’re Pregnant" by Dr Nicole Avena, and considers how best to apply the knowledge while cutting through pregnancy cravings.

‘Snack Crack:’ Our Children’s Addiction to Sugar

In the article 'Snack Crack:' Our children's addiction to sugar, the author Chef Ann Cooper looks at the amount of sugar that is available to children in school, and in particular the drinks that are available for purchase, including flavored milk.

She finds that - according to studies undertaken by Dr Nicole Avena, Dr. Robert Lustig and the CDC - sugar behaves a little bit like a drug, harking back to the NYC kids calling it “snack crack.” 

• Over-consumption of sugar has addictive affects on the brain.
• Sugar is one of the few foods that causes dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain, to be released, which can cause addiction.
• It impairs memory and learning skills.
• It may contribute to depression and anxiety.
• It’s also a risk factor for age-related cognitive decline and dementia.

Do food addiction diets work?

Is food addictive? If so, how can you wean yourself off the bad stuff?

There is growing research that says some foods are addictive. In the article Do food addiction diets work? author Nara Schoenberg cites research by Dr. Nicole Avena and her colleagues showing that rats who binge repeatedly on sugar behave much like rats addicted to morphine or alcohol, exhibiting symptoms of bingeing, tolerance and withdrawal.

Kathleen lost 60 pounds on a diet that aims to reduce cravings. (Gretchen Ertl/Photo for the Tribune)Are you a food addict? 

One of the best ways to determine if you have addictive tendencies when it comes to food is to take the Yale Food Addiction Scale survey, said food addiction researcher Avena of the University of Florida. If you want to tackle addictive eating, start slowly, Avena suggests. If you're a heavy soda drinker, maybe you can replace soda with mineral water. Once you get comfortable with that change, you can identify another sugary problem food you want to cut out, perhaps a dessert. You eventually may end up with an eating plan very similar to the 90 percent unrefined plant food-based "Eat to Live," Avena says, but you'll get there in a way that increases your chances of long-term success.

"There have been plenty of studies with learning that have taught us that if you want to make a change, it has to be done in small steps," she says.

Time Magazine for Kids - Cover Story

In the Time for Kids Cover story, Dr. Avena is interviewed by reporter Elizabeth Winchester about how sugar effects the brain,and how kids can make sugar-smart choices to avoid getting too much added sugar in their diet.