If your body is screaming for crisps specifically, dehydration can also be the culprit, says nutritional therapist Lucy Miller. The fluids in your body carry vital minerals and electrolytes, including sodium (found in salt). These can become imbalanced due to dehydration. “When this happens, we can find ourselves craving salty foods.” What to do?

Reducing the amount of caffeine you drink may help, as drinking a lot of caffeine, like coffee, tea and cola drinks, may increase your blood pressure. Being under stress can raise blood pressure. Using relaxation techniques such as meditation can help reduce blood pressure. Very high doses of iron can be fatal, particularly if taken by children, so always keep iron supplements out of the reach of children. What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise? Diluting a small amount of squash with water can make it seem quite harmless, but in actual fact a squash or cordial made with sugar comes with around 3 teaspoons of sugar per glass.If you regularly find yourself gripped by an unconquerable urge to reach into the cookie jar, then take comfort. Researchers from the German University of Tuebingen have uncovered the science behind a phenomenon familiar to women across the globe: cravings for junk food are simply unconquerable at certain times of the month.

Research is ongoing, but we think that our gut microbiome composition can impact the food choices we make, as the microbes themselves send chemical messages to encourage us to eat more of the food that benefits them. Cravings for foods can be a manifestation of that.” Some microbes love blueberries, but others – unfortunately for our waistlines – thrive off junk. What to do? A can of regular cola contains seven teaspoons of sugar (35g), so if you drink this regularly, it’s bad news for your waistline and your teeth. Choose a sugar-free cola instead, or even better, switch to water or unsweetened tea or coffee. While the Volumetrics diet may be effective for health benefits and weight loss, it requires a good understanding of Volumetrics, which involves learning about the calorie levels of foods in relation to portion sizes and nutrient levels.Your body naturally produces these molecules for cellular processes, such as digestion. However, alcohol, tobacco smoke, a low nutrient diet, and exposure to pollutants can produce excessive free radicals ( 33). This is a really impressive medication,” said Dr Alex Miras, a consultant in endocrinology at Imperial College London. “What makes it unique is that it combines synthetic analogues of two hormones – GLP-1 and GIP – which stimulates insulin secretion.”