Have you ever had the experience of eating a filling meal, knowing intellectually that you’ve had enough food, but nonetheless you can’t stop thinking about ice cream, or your favorite cookie, or that bag of chips in the pantry? You fight it for as long as you can, but you finally give in and eat the whole pint of ice cream, all the cookies, or the whole bag of chips?
Cravings. We all have them at one time or another. So where do they come from and how do we gain control before they wreak havoc on our lives and bodies?
The first thing to accept when talking about cravings is that your body knows best. Does that mean that a bag of chocolate chip cookies in one sitting is okay? Well, not exactly. The problem isn’t the craving itself; it’s your interpretation of the craving.
Most of us are not in the habit of truly listening to our bodies. In order to deconstruct your cravings and find out what your body is actually hungry for, it’s crucial to learn how to decipher what your body really wants. Everyone is different and will need to do their own detective work. For some tips on how to hear your body’s signals, you can read my previous blog post on intrinsic motivation: https://healthyjaime.com/willpower-vs-intrinsic-motivation/
But in the meantime, try this:
When you have cravings for food, take a moment to ask your body what it’s really hungry for? Take a deep breath, perhaps close your eyes, and listen to what your body really needs. You can use the below list of three major cravings to help you decipher your body’s response.
DEHYDRATION: Thirst manifests itself first as hunger. By the time you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. When a craving for food strikes, try drinking a large glass of water and waiting ten minutes. You may find that your body was actually asking you for water.
PRIMARY FOOD: This concept was created by Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of my nutrition school and author of Integrative Nutrition. Your primary food consists of those things in your life that nourish you, but doesn’t come on a plate, i.e. relationships, career, exercise, spirituality, etc. If your primary food is in balance, what you eat becomes secondary. But if your primary foods are out of balance, it directly impacts what you eat, how much you eat, and what you crave. One of the main causes of cravings is an imbalance in your primary foods. For instance, if you crave coffee or sugar early in the morning, (non-nutrient forms of energy), your body is likely signaling that you need more sleep. If you often crave sweets, which are ‘expanding’ and relaxing foods on the yin/yang spectrum, your body might be asking for some stress relief. Since sugar elevates your mood and relieves tension, if you constantly crave sugar, ask yourself when was the last time you took a deep breath or went for a walk? Did yoga? Got a massage? Took a break from the mile-long to-do list? If you crave crunchy snacks in large quantities, such as an endless bowl of popcorn or an entire bag of corn chips, where might you feel unfulfilled, dissatisfied or bored in your life?
MINERAL AND NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY: Sometimes our bodies are actually craving food. The best example of this is someone who, despite eating fried food, pizza, and dessert, still feels starving. Why? Probably because they are; if you eat a highly refined or fast food diet, you might literally be starved for nutrients. Your body in that instance will signal to you that it’s not getting what it needs. Unfortunately, eating more fast food or another piece of pizza isn’t going to make the hunger go away. Your body needs nutrient-dense foods like whole grains, legumes and vegetables. Another example is an intense craving for salty snacks. This might signal a mineral deficiency. Your body might be asking you for green vegetables which contain an array of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, or your body might benefit from unrefined salt such as sea salt (table salt is stripped of most minerals), especially if you exercise a lot and lose electrolytes. If you eat a mostly fat-free diet and are consumed by fast food cravings, your body might be crying out for some healthy fats like avocado, nuts or olive oil.
These are just a few possibilities to help get you started. Deconstructing your cravings will help you address the real issue underneath. But sometimes even if you know where the craving is coming from, it might be so strong that you still want the treat. In that case, if you do choose to eat what you’re craving, try to find the healthiest version possible when you can; a frozen banana in a blender for ice cream (tip: add a little peanut butter and vanilla extract, plus cacao powder for chocolate ice cream), or try Cosmic Bliss vegan and alternatively sweetened ice cream. Or make your own chocolate chip cookies from this simple recipe: https://detoxinista.com/cashew-butter-cookies-paleo-vegan/ (for the chocolate chips, use Hu Gems or Guittard coconut palm sugar sweetened chocolate chips). Or slice sweet potatoes or red skinned potatoes and stick them in an air fryer instead of eating potato chips. Or else do your best to address the real cause of your craving when you can.
Viewing our bodies as the expert might take a shift in consciousness, since we’re so used to fighting our cravings with sheer will power. Our bodies will always try to get what it needs for balance, and in the end, our bodies will usually win, because we’re wired for survival. So instead of feeling defeated by cravings that seem to derail our best intentions for weight and health, try to think of cravings as precious messages from our bodies. If you listen hard enough, you might just discover what you’re really hungry for.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
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