Cravings-why do we have them?

“Cravings are our body’s way of telling us that something is missing or out of balance.

Given the state of our modern food supply it’s no wonder so many of us struggle with cravings…especially for sugar. The key to moving through any craving is to understand it and see it for what it is. Just because you can’t stop thinking about ice cream doesn’t necessarily mean that your body needs it. Consider the other factors at play and most importantly, feed your body nourishing whole foods to keep it healthy and satisfied.”(1)

What we need to know about cravings:

1-Some of us mistake cravings as just being bored with what we are eating now. We want a little more sugar & spice out of life. The thing is we will never stop craving until we address the real cause whether it be emotional or a physical craving.

2-Being exposed to the sights and smells of fast food is enough to trigger cravings in many people. But it turns out that just looking at fast-food-company logos (color) may be enough to affect our attitude and judgment. Fast Food Places are designed to make us crave. A study reported in the March 2010 issue of Psychological Science (2) found that, compared with a control group that spent time viewing unrelated shapes of similar size and the logos of inexpensive sit-down chain restaurants, people who spent time examining leading fast-food logos were more likely to exhibit impatience and haste in executing subsequent tasks, and less likely to defer gratification. The results suggest that our exposure to, and associations with, fast food may carry over into other areas of our lives and consumer behaviors in surprising, unconscious ways. Fast foods can leave us moody, sick, and depressed.

3-Cravings can also be caused by an overly acid condition in your body. Exercise and deep breathing change your pH to a more alkaline state. These no-food techniques are helpful in getting your blood moving and taking your mind off your cravings.

Leaning mindfulness and developing new behaviors are important.

1- Protein and carbohydrate metabolism regulate one another and it’s important to keep them in good balance. When we eat concentrated proteins such as meat & cheese we’ll naturally crave excessive quantities of concentrated sweets. Craving sweets can mean we are craving real whole foods but settle for sugar instead. It can also mean we need emotional comfort.

2- If you are craving salty foods you may be drinking distilled water or you may experience hormonal imbalances. Chowing down on chips and salty nuts actually can shrink our brain. You may need to give body some good salt from real organic foods, such as celery.

In humans, consuming an abundance of sodium can drive the desire to eat even more, thus weight gain!

3- If you are craving junk carbs such as bread, pastas and pizza you may be addicted to the chemicals, sugars, or flavors inside such products. Make the decision to go gluten-free. You can wrap sandwiches with collard leaves instead.

We can move through our cravings.

Like other forms of exercise, walking can improve the goal of cravings, weight loss, bone health and conditions such as obesity, inflammation, and mental stress. You too can make walking part of your daily life. You can slowly build on the amount of activity you do so that it becomes part of your daily routine and not just a phase. You can take small“bite size steps” and walk those cavings out of your life!

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