What Your Cravings Are Trying to Tell You
Do you ever feel like this? You've come home after a busy day, made dinner, got your kids squared away, and then suddenly want to ravage your cupboards for something salty or sweet? Or both? :-)
Perhaps you had a healthy day of eating and you feel like you "deserve a reward!" Boy do I know this feeling, and many of my clients do as well.
The thing is, your body is truly amazing. Your blood pumps, your heart beats, lungs breathe, and digestion occurs -- all without having to think about it!
So why do you crave things that aren't good for you? Do you lack will-power, or is your beautiful, intelligent bio-computer making a mistake with cravings?
It's not that your body is making a mistake, and cravings aren't a problem -- they're just information, signals suggesting what you need in that moment. Maybe you need more protein to stabilize your blood sugar. Perhaps healthy fats are missing. Or, it could be that you're lacking certain minerals. Cravings can be intense and feel urgent, but they aren't abnormal and nothing is "wrong" with you because you have a craving!
Honestly, it's just your body's way of getting your attention. The key is to take a little time and look inward in order to give your body what it needs.
The relationship that you have with your body is essential and it takes curiosity and patience to strengthen. Learning to decipher and respond to your body's cravings creates a deeper level of wellness. So, the next time you have a craving, treat it as a loving message from your body (instead of a weakness) and try one of these suggestions:
Ask yourself, what might be out of balance in your life? Is there something you need to express, or is something being repressed? What happened in your life just before you had this craving?
Have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes.
Eat a healthier version of what you crave. For example, if you crave sweets, try eating fruit or a sweet root vegetable.
If you find that you still want the food you want, then slow down and truly enjoy it. Notice its smell and taste, chew it thoroughly, tuning in to its effect on your body and mood. Slowing down will allow you to become more aware and free to give yourself what you truly want -- and need!
In love and health,
Stephanie