Understanding Your Cravings

One of the most common questions I get asked is, “what can I do or take to control my cravings & urges to eat something unhealthy,” so I thought it may be helpful to share with you some tips I have put together on this topic. Before I do this however just a quick word on cravings in general. Most important is to understand the primary causes of cravings and what they mean. Once you understand these basics it will be easier to formulate a plan to reduce and control them once and for all.

Cravings are often associated as a weakness, when in reality they are important signals from your body alerting you that something is off balance. It’s the body’s clever way of telling you that it is lacking a mineral, vitamin, protein, enzymes etc. For example, salty food cravings often indicate a mineral deficiency. Salt originates in the sea and contains over 60 different trace minerals. The table salt we normally eat and the type found at restaurants and added to our food is refined and altered and lacks these minerals. Our body craves the nutrition and minerals that it is not getting. Below is a list of common cravings and what they may mean.

• Bitter Food Craving – Bitter foods enhance digestion, so a craving for bitter may be a craving for nutritious foods that cut through fat and stagnation in the body’s organs and digestive track. Most people satisfy this craving by drinking coffee and dark beers. Healthier alternatives: dark leafy greens such as dandelion greens, kale.
• Heavy/Fatty Food Craving – Your diet may be imbalanced. You may be consuming too many salads and raw cold foods and not enough fat. Our body needs fat in order to absorb and process the nutrients from the healthy foods you are eating. Instead of turning to fried food for this fat try eating Greek yogurt, small amount of cheese, or some salmon which is very high in omega 3, an excellent source of good fat.
• Sweet or Carb Craving – The most common craving, often caused by low blood sugar and/or low serotonin (our basic feel-good hormone). The body signals the brain that it needs a pick-me-up thus causing a sugar or carbohydrate craving. Unfortunately, sugars and simple carbohydrates release a short burst of serotonin — we feel good for a moment, but soon crash and feel even worse after having eaten a sugary food. Instead of grabbing a chocolate bar try healthier alternatives like sweet vegetables – yams, corn, sweet potatoes or a few grapes or low sugar fruits. Also try putting a packet of stevia ( a natural sweetener) into a cup of tea.
• Salty Food Craving – As mentioned in the example above your body may need the minerals it is not getting from table salt and other added salt. Instead of eating junk food and other “bagged” snacks, try eating celery which is high in sodium or sea vegetables like nori which is high in minerals including iodine and many others.
• Spicy Food Craving - Your body/circulation system may need a boost. The American diet is filled with processed food that has been sitting in boxes and cans for such a long time that it becomes bland and tasteless. Poor diet leads to diminished circulation. Spicy foods warm the body and fill the body with a feeling of energy and aliveness. Try using onions, garlic, celery, oregano and jalapeno rather than pepperoni pizza!!

Below are the primary causes of cravings:

• Dehydration – by time you are getting a signal that you are thirsty it is too late! Your body is already dehydrated and depending at what degree, this can occur as a mild feeling of hunger.
• Seasonal – the body craves foods that balance out the elements of the season. For example in winter we crave foods that are grounding and warm. Also food that are higher in fat like oil, nuts and meat. In spring we crave cooling foods like fruit and vegetables and ice-cream.
• Lack of Nutrients – as I mentioned previously a lack of vitamins, minerals and other imbalances in the body.
• Hormones – menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, any type of fluctuation of testosterone or estrogen levels may cause unusual cravings.
• Emotional/Lifestyle – boredom, stress, bad relationships can contribute to eating for entertainment and bring out cravings to fill this void.

Now that you have a better understanding about the “anatomy” of a craving, stay tuned to my next article which will provide you with my 5 favorite tips on controlling these cravings!