Cravings; An Important Message From Your Body

Many people see cravings as a weakness. Do you? For me, it’s my body’s way of trying to tell me something. They are secret signals given from your body that say exactly what you need. The body is a biocomputer. It knows exactly when it should be doing something. It knows when to go to sleep. It knows when it’s time to wake up, when it’s time to eat and even when it’s time to go to the bathroom. Your body maintains a temperature of 98.6 degree Fahrenheit. When you get hurt, your body repairs itself and heals wounds. Your body breaks down food into usable energy. Your body turns food into nutrients and feeds your cells. Your heart never misses a beat, your lungs know exactly when to take a breath and your brain knows to tell you when you’re in danger. These are important messages from your body to guide you in maintaining balance. A craving can signal something is out of balance. Know when to listen to your body; it knows everything about you and is truly amazing.

Cravings are your body’s way of telling you it needs something. Are you listening? When you are craving something, ask yourself, “ Do I need this?” For example, if you just finished working out where you lost a lot of sweat, you might be craving something salty. It’s actually your body’s way of saying, “I need water.” Staying hydrated is a great way to reduce these cravings. Also, it helps you regulate the amount of food you eat. A glass of water before each meal has been shown to reduce the amount of food consumed during that meal. If your feeling stressed, salty foods are common for stress eaters which leads them to eating things like pretzels, or chips. But wait one minute! Put that bag of chips down! Many people who are emotional eaters, try to cope with uncomfortable emotions or difficult situations by seeking balance through food. We’ve all done it. Don’t be so hard on yourself. Be kind and understanding. We think food can provide a form of relief, an escape, especially when your stressed. Here, food is acting as a means to fulfill an area of your life that is not being satisfied. Stress has also been shown to alter hormones which can promote cravings especially during a women’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause. These cravings can happen because of fluctuating estrogen levels.

Sometimes we crave carbohydrates, like pasta, cookies or breads, for a boost of energy. These foods will not keep you full for long, so reconsider consuming them. You may need to take a look at your sleep patterns. Are you getting adequate sleep each night? Your body might be asking for high carb foods because these foods generate some of the hormones that we normally get that regulates your sleep. A good night sleep will help curb some of these cravings. If your craving red meat, your body may be trying to tell you it lacking in certain minerals like iron or zinc. How about chocolate? How many of you desire a piece of chocolate every so often? There are some nutritional benefits to eating dark chocolate. Studies show that people who eat a small amount of dark chocolate (over 72% cocoa) each day, have lower blood pressure. Cocoa is really nutrient dense with magnesium, iron and fiber. As you know, chocolate is a plant-based food so for my friends who follow a plant-based diet, you might be craving chocolate because you are anemic or low in iron.

The body can also crave foods in accordance with the seasons. In the spring time, people crave lighter foods such as leafy greens or citrus fruits. In the summer, more cooling foods, like ice cream or raw foods. In the fall, people crave grounding foods such as squash, onions, nuts and in the winter, cravings are based on heat-producing foods like meat, oil and fats. Cravings can also be related to holidays, such as eggnog during Christmas time, or stuffing during Thanksgiving. This brings me to cravings associated with your childhood. Sometimes we crave things that are familiar to us because we are seeking the feeling of comfort those foods may have provided us when we were younger. And sometimes we crave foods that we have recently eaten because they are fresh in our minds and it may attempt to re-create a positive eating experience.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, certain foods are more yin (cooling) or more yang (warming). This theory suggests certain foods that are too yin or too yang lead to craving the opposite in an attempt to maintain balance. Therefore, eating more neutral foods like whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits can keep cravings at bay. You should also avoid extremes on either end because it can lead to cravings. For example, eating a diet rich in sugar (yin) may cause you to crave meat (yang) or eating too many raw foods (yin) can lead you to crave heavily cooked foods (yang).

I talk about cravings for a number of reasons. Cravings are very real. They are apart of our lifestyle and they are trying to tell a story. Are you willing to listen? Remember, they are secret signals from your body and they are trying to tell you what the body needs. I don’t say you shouldn’t give in to your cravings but listen to your body. It always knows best. Personally, I love my dark chocolate. I allow myself to have it but only if there is room for it in my caloric intake and I savor each bite with a mindfulness of enjoyment. If your body is asking for something you don’t need, take five minutes and do something else. Maybe call a friend, go for a short walk, clean out a closet or simply drink a glass of water. Cravings pass! What you might be needing in that moment is just a stress reliever or a quick boredom fix. If after the five minutes your body is still craving something, then go ahead and have it but usually, you will feel better from exercise or a social break. If we take care of ourselves from day to day, we may be less likely to feel stressed, angry, or sad and therefore less likely to reach for those comfort foods. If that voice inside your head is saying, “Hey you, let’s indulge in junk food,” it may mean you need some nurturing and not actually unhealthy foods. Maybe you just need some support, some play time or some time alone. Treat yourself to a facial, meet a friend for a cup of Joe, read a good book or go get a massage. Life is all about balance! Balance your yin/yang and kick your cravings goodbye.