We often dismiss cravings as an annoying feeling that drives us to make poor food choices. Maybe we are weak?
Maybe we just have a random craving for no reason?
Or maybe we are hormonal and really craving certain foods.. Chocolate anyone?
Are cravings something that JUST happens to us?
Do you give in to a craving and feel bad afterwards because you “don’t have will power”?
What if cravings was our body’s way of speaking to us. Maybe our body knows exactly what it needs and it’s not that cheese pizza.
Let’s explore what our cravings may be telling us:
Craving SALT
Nothing hits a salt craving like a bag of chips am I right. Hey, I may be a nutritionist, but I am human first and I know how a bag of chips can really hit the spot when you’re craving something salty. of course the key is to try and choose a HEALTHIER option than that old bag of chips eg: air popped popcorn is a great alternative.
But, why are we craving salt? It could be that when we’re stressed, our adrenals (our stress glands) are pushed into overdrive and they can get tired eventually. When our adrenals get tired some people can find themselves cravings salty foods.
Tip: Look upstream and work on supporting stress levels and adrenal health as numero uno priority. Following that, choose high quality salt options eg. pink himalayan sea salt or celtic sea salt. Add that to your organic popcorn and you’ll be sitting pretty!
Craving SWEETS
The types of sweets may vary eg. a donut and baked goods compared to jelly belly candies… but craving sugar is a tough one.
Sugar is incredibly addictive and has been found to be more addictive than cocaine on the receptors in the brain (wow!) So, don’t beat yourself up, sugar isn’t something our body is used to processing in large quantities (we haven’t evolved that quickly from the caveman era).
We used to only eat sweet foods such as wild berries and honey occasionally. These days sugar is found in EVERYTHING and hidden in tons of processed foods. It’s crazy addictive and so you’ll find yourself craving it.
Speaking of craving sweets: I’ve got a FREE 7 Day Ditch the Sugar – Beat Burnout challenge coming up soon! – details below 😉
A few reasons you may crave sugar:
- It’s addictive (that’s why a sugar detox is important!)
- If your gut health is out of balance eg. Candida, dysbiosis you may find yourself craving more sugary treats (that’s where a gut rebalancing plan is important!)
- Low moods and low serotonin can leave you wanting a boost and can increase the cravings for sugar
- Low blood sugar: If your blood sugar is going up and down like a rollercoaster, you can bet your bottom dollar, that you are setting yourself up for sugar cravings.
- Stress – A stressed body and mind can leave you craving not only salty foods, but sugary foods as well
TIPS: Again work your way upstream with a professional, rebalance your gut health, ditch processed sugars, balance your meals and choose healthy treat options. Check out the recipe below 😉
Sugar is a tough one, the less of it you can eat the better off you’ll be.
Craving CHOCOLATE
Chocolate, how amazing is it! I love chocolate too. I love me some milk chocolate!
When clients tell me that they crave chocolate I often think of Magnesium. Most people are deficient in Magnesium (found plentiful in leafy greens). So, if you have constipation, sore muscles, restless legs, twitchy eyes, muscles or cramps; up your intake of leafy greens and eat more magnesium.
Chocolate is quite a rich source of magnesium so it makes sense that many of us crave it.
TIP: Eat more leafy greens, take a magnesium supplement if needed and choose high quality choices of chocolate. Eat more cacao! NOTE: Cacao vs Cocoa (Cacao is the unrefined version of cacoa and is extremely rich in magnesium, iron, and antioxidants and it’s dairy free)
If you’ve got a craving for chocolate, try out my chocolate elixir!
And if you’d like to try a healthy treat, check out my recipe below!
RECIPE:
Recipe (Dairy-free): Chocolate Ice “Cream”
Serves 2
- 3 bananas, sliced and frozen
- 2 tsp cacao powder, unsweetened
- 1 tbsp almond butter
Instructions
Place frozen bananas in food processor and blend until smooth (a few minutes). You may have to stop a few times to scrape the sides.
Add cacao powder and almond butter and blend until mixed well.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: You can make this in advance and freeze in an airtight container.
I hope you enjoyed today’s blog.
Remember to listen to the cues your body is telling you. Let’s explore why you may be having cravings!
PS: I’ve got an awesome FREE 7 Day Challenge coming up soon! Do you want to ditch sugar and beat burnout? Join the FREE challenge! We start on Wednesday May 23rd, so be sure to save your SPOT! Learn more HERE.
Keeping it healthy,
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2013/10/16/research-shows-cocaine-and-heroin-are-less-addictive-than-oreos/#773486582427
