Almost everyone experiences cravings
at some time or another. While sometimes our cravings can seem to overtake our
rational thoughts and make us want to eat foods that we know are not good for
us, they are not always a bad thing to be scared of.
More often than not, cravings can be a
way that your body is telling you something.
Maybe you are lacking in a particular nutrient which is why you are
craving a particular food. The best thing you can do is to honor your cravings
by getting to the root cause of them, and finding out what your body really
needs.
1. You
Need an Energy Boost
If you are craving sugar or refined
carbohydrates, then the reason for this could be because your body is looking
for a quick energy fix. The need for extra energy can come when you are feeling
tired, and is the reason we often crave sugary foods in the afternoons towards
the end of our busy days.
You might feel like you must have a
chocolate bar for example. What thebody is really wanting is a quick fix to
help get you through the rest of the day.
The best way to avoid having sugar and
carbo cravings is to make sure you are getting enough sleep each day, and that
you eat after doing exercise when you body’s energy reserves are lowest.
You should also try and eat meals that
provide sustained energy by eating foods that are low in glycemic load. To
create a meal of low GL, whole unprocessed foods such as whole grains,
vegetables, and beans are great choices. They are high in fiber, which is
particularly important because it moderate the speed at which the sugar is
absorbed by the body. Also, make sure you include a moderate amount of good fat
and lean protein to slow down absorption and increase satiety.
2. Maintaining
Balance
Our bodies are remarkable, and are
always trying to maintain a state of equilibrium and balance. However, we
sometimes will make food choices that upset this balance and your body then
tries to compensate for this by sparking a craving for a food that can balance
this out.
For example, when we eat too many Yang
foods – such as red meat, salt and egg- our body will want some Yin foods to
restore balance. Sugar and alcohol are extreme Yin foods that our body would
usually crave when trying to balance out the Yang overload.
Armed with this knowledge, you can
reduce your sugar cravings by eating less extreme yang foods and instead,
choose foods that are more neutral on the spectrum. Examples are whole grains,
fish, sea vegetables, beans, root vegetables, and winter squash.
3. Nutrient
Deficiency
Cravings can be a sign of nutrient
deficiency. For example, inadequate mineral levels produce salt cravings, and
overall inadequate nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritional forms of
energy, like caffeine.
Cravings for different flavor or
texture can translate to a lack of various nutrients. If you are craving
something crunchy, try eating apples, rice cakes, plain popcorn, or nuts and
seeds.
To alleviate sugar cravings, try
eating fresh, whole fruit, have a wheat grass shot or try having baked sweet
vegetables such as carrots or sweet potatoes.
Salty cravings can be alleviated by
eating olives, pickles and
pickled vegetables, tabouli, hummus or edamame with sea salt.
Healthy
creamy cravings can be satisfied by eating avocadoes, rice pudding, coconut
milk or even a pudding made with silken tofu or mashed banana.
4. Hormones
It is common
for women to experience unique cravings at the times they are going through
menstruation, pregnancy or menopause. This is caused by fluctuating
testosterone and estrogen levels and they can be difficult to control.
Preventing hormone disruption and imbalance by getting plenty of sleep, eating a
wholesome diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, and doing regular exercise can
keep your hormones- and the associated cravings- in check.
5. Dehydration
Cravings can be caused by dehydration.
Our body often misinterprets the sensation of thirst and translates that into
hunger. Next time when you feel your cravings coming on, drink a glass of water
and wait 15 minutes, and see if you are still hungry.
The key is to really get in tune with
your body so that you can figure out exactly why your body is craving what it
is, and to then feed your body what it needs to make the cravings go away. The
more mindful you can become of the triggers and signs, the better you will be
able to control your cravings and stop them from coming on again.
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