What Does Your Craving Mean?

How often do you hear yourself say “I’m really craving…”

Having a craving is basically your body saying “ HEY GIRL, I NEED YOUR HELP” - it’s your body’s signal to tell you it’s struggling and needs nourishment.

First I want to make it clear that cravings are not bad! Your body just wants to protect you and keep you safe.

Second, there are a few main reasons for your cravings:

⫸ You have nutrient deficiencies or imbalances hence why you get very specific cravings for sugar, salt, chocolate, meat etc.. All of these foods have a particular vitamin and mineral profile
⫸ You are restricting calories or food groups and your body is just trying to stay alive
⫸ You are labeling foods “good” or “bad,” it's only our innate nature to want them more when we restrict them
⫸ You are not getting enough good quality sleep at night so your body needs more fuel for energy
⫸ You're drunk and mineral depleted 😂 Alcohol is seen as a stressor on the body, depletes us of minerals and vitamins and also taxes the liver which runs on sugar. It’s no coincidence that you want to go face first into Chinese buffet and follow it up with an ice cream sundae when you’ve had a few drinks

On that note, let's talk about intentionally fulfilling your cravings rather than going at them from a intuitive standpoint. (You all know by now I am not for the concept of intuitive eating)

You could intuitively dive into a box of swiss cake rolls when your body is craving sugar but this is when you really need to ask yourself what and why your body is sending you this signal and eat more intentional sugars/carbs like root veggies, honey, or dare I say- quality ice cream or cheese. You body is never craving junk, it just wants calories.

Since eating in a more pro-metabolic way and no longer restricting foods and food groups I rarely get a craving. My clients can happily say the same. It goes to show once you start nourishing your body appropriately it stops needing to ask you to do so.