The Reason Why Sweets Lift Your Spirits
There's a reason some of us crave gooey desserts when we're feeling low: They're rooted in happy associations, explains Susan Bowerman, RD, assistant director of UCLA's Center for Human Nutrition. "These kinds of cravings come from long-established patterns," she says, "like memories from when we were kids and were soothed with cookies or rewarded for doing well with ice cream."