Food Cravings – What do they mean?

Do you have cravings?

Are they severe?

Do you sometimes have to stop what you’re doing until you give in to them?

I understand. I’ve been there. Fortunately, I’m past that. I solved my cravings decades ago and so can you.

Hey, if you’re craving a piece of fruit, enjoy. But if you’ve GOT to eat a whole box of cookies, a large candy bar, or an entire bag of chips, that’s a different story.

Your body has cravings for a reason

Let’s look at what they are and how to fix them.

The purpose of this blog is three-fold:

1. Find out what your body really needs when it sends you a craving.
2. Utilize a quick health hack to sensibly turn the craving off so you can get back to life.
3. If chronic, learn how to permanently get rid of craving by unearthing its Root Cause.

Do you know what’s really weird? Handling cravings for good should have nothing to do with willpower…

Why do I say that? I used to crave sugar and chocolate. The cravings were intense. I would HAVE to give in to these cravings because it was all I could think about. But once the ACTUAL imbalance was handled, the craving was gone.

I know, that sounds impossible. I wouldn’t have believed it possible either. But it is and I see it with patients every day.

It’s not that I dislike chocolate; but honestly, I could take it or leave it. Desire and craving is completely gone.

How?

Find your craving below and check out the solutions that we have developed.

They work. They’ll work for you.

Contact us at (727) 335-0400 for a consultation and we can talk more about how it works.

Sweets

Health Hack –The craving is typically due to low blood sugar. Eat a date or two (or dried organic fruit. E.g.  mangos, raisins) slowly while taking a 15-minute break from life. Enjoy with tea, water, or while taking a walk. Do nothing BUT this for 15 minutes.

Root Cause Solution – The possible reasons are these:

• restore balance to your gut bacteria,
• identify food sensitivities,
• the presence of malabsorption/maldigestion,
• and/or hormonal imbalance.

Once the correct area(s) is addressed, you absolutely won’t crave sweets anymore.

Chocolate

Health Hack – The craving is often due to magnesium and/or antioxidant deficiency. Make healthy chocolate, a green smoothie with raw cacao powder (include link to a recipe). You can also indulge in 1 square dark chocolate (very dark, 70%+ cacao) with very little sugar or preferably sweetened with stevia.  Suck on it (don’t chew) slowly WHILE taking a 15-minute break from life. Enjoy w/ a cup of tea or water or coffee.

Root Cause Solution – We find out the reason for:

• a magnesium deficiency,
• antioxidant deficiency
• or hormonal imbalance.

The result? You’ll still enjoy the taste of chocolate but you won’t crave it anymore.

Starch / Carbs

Health Hack – Your blood sugar is low. Do this: grab a handful of raw nuts (or nut butter), a bean dip such as hummus, or guacamole would also do the trick. If opting for the nut butter, hummus, or guacamole, eat it with some raw cucumber, carrots, celery, etc. Sit down and do nothing BUT enjoy all your nuts or dip, eating slowly and chewing well. Take a 15-minute break from life.

Root Cause Solution – we need to get to the reason why your blood sugar is volatile.

It can be:

• a food sensitivity,
• poor digestion/absorption,
• the presence of inhospitable organisms in your gut,
• or toxins.

The real reason, once handled, will result in no cravings in the future.

Fatty, oily foods

Health Hack – you want French fries or chips, instead enjoy avocado, or bean dip preferably dipped into some raw green vegetables or atop a salad. Unless you MUST stay away from salt due to high blood pressure, indulge in some. Sit down; do nothing else, and enjoy your healthy fat for at least 15 minutes.

Root Cause Solution – hormones are made from fat and this craving often indicates hormonal imbalance. This could be related to:

• a woman’s menstrual cycle
• menopause or peri-menopause
• imbalanced stress hormones, affecting both sexes.

Re-balancing the hormones naturally address this craving completely.

Salty foods

Health Hack – drink a large glass of water, slowly, don’t chug it. If you’re still craving salt, have some, but in the form of healthy sea salt that you shake onto real food such as a salad, some veggies, or avocado.

Root Cause Solution – If the craving is intense and chronic; are you also suffering from fatigue or exhaustion? If so your adrenal glands should be evaluated for malfunction.

If you’re a processed/fast food lover we’ll work on moving your diet to a more natural, “real” food one to rebalance the cravings.

Lastly, we’ll evaluate your absorption of nutrients to see if you’re low in minerals, not just sodium.

Caffeine

Health Hack – if you’re desperate have a shot (just one) of espresso or better yet a cup of green tea. Do NOT have a soda.

Root Cause Solution – if you’re chronically tired, have insomnia, develop a nasty headache or exhaustion without caffeine, it’s acting as a negative stimulant. Enjoying some caffeine is one thing; needing it to function is quite another.

Possible causes:

• Adrenal fatigue,
• poor absorption
• the presence of infections
• toxicity

Once the real problem is addressed, you won’t need caffeine.

Alcohol

Health Hack – You’re likely dehydrated or your blood sugar is low. Drink 12 ounces of clean filtered water. Don’t chug it; drink it slowly over the course of at least 5 minutes. Next, if the craving is still present eat some nice complex carbohydrates such as fresh vegetables, fruit, or beans/lentils. Make a fresh salad, eat some hummus or other bean dip, a banana, and peanut butter – the fiber in these foods will stabilize your blood sugar. Definitely don’t eat a refined or sugary carbohydrate – it will make matters worse.

Root Cause Solution – if the craving is chronic it’s vital to get to the root cause of why:

• the blood sugar is unstable,
• why the nervous system is inflamed
• why your hormones are imbalanced.

Getting balance and optimal functioning restored will handle these cravings for good.

How’s your health?

If you’re tired, have digestive problems, pain, or weight issues, I’d like to hear from you. If your cravings make it seem impossible to make changes we can help.