7 Causes Of
Food Cravings
Your body is
amazing. Your lungs are always breathing, your heart keeps beating. It is an
incredible super computer that knows when to sleep and when to wake. It even
speaks to us, telling us what it needs, if only we learn how to listen.
Cravings are our bodies way of speaking its needs, although not always in the
most obvious ways. Let's take a look at some of the most common causes of food
cravings.
Primary Food Deficiency
This is one I always recommend to my
clients to explore. Sometimes our food cravings have nothing to do with food.
We have just learned to associate food with that feeling or situation. Are
you reaching for that bag of chips because you are bored? Does chocolate sound
good because you just had a fight with husband? Do you really need that midnight snack- or is eating
just something to do because you are awake and can't sleep?
Not Enough Water
Your tummy is rumbling so you must be
hungry right? Not necessarily. Thirst and hunger signals can manifest in
similar ways sometimes. Before that rumbling turns into a craving for something
unhealthy, try drinking a full glass of water, wait 10 minutes and see if the
craving subsides.
Dietary Imbalances
When we are not meeting our
nutritional needs, our body will send messages to restore balance. However,
your mind doesn't know how know the flavor of iron and magnesium, so it will
create a craving based on memory associated with a certain food. For example,
if you find yourself craving meat, you could be low in iron or zinc- try leafy
greens or root vegetables. If you are craving chocolate, you could actually be
needing a dose of magnesium- try a handful of raw nuts instead.
Memory Or Tradition Driven
Sometimes our food cravings are as
simple as a manifestation from a childhood memory or a traditional holiday
meal. A signal sent by habit or behavior and not due to a nutritional need at
all. Maybe your mom made macaroni and hotdogs when you were a child and you are
missing your mom, so you make a bowl to be
closer to the memory. Holiday meals are traditionally created by society
and family. Thanksgiving would not be complete without sweet potato casserole
and pumpkin pie! Is it a craving? Or is it because you have been looking
forward to a slice of Aunt Sally's pumpkin pie all year?
Seasonally Driven
Do you ever find yourself craving
more carbs and fats in the winter and more salads in the summer? Sometimes our
bodies will crave foods that have helped us historically create balance with
the elements of the season. The winter months can be brutal and craving hot
foods or foods that will produce fat on our bodies to help keep us warmer can
just be a natural part of our way of surviving the cold temperatures. It can
also just be that we crave these foods for comfort. In the summer heat, our
appetites tend to decrease and we crave cooling foods such as fruit and ice
cream.
Hormonal Imbalance
We women are all too familiar with
cravings during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause- those times in life
when hormones are out of balance! Fluctuations in estrogen and testosterone can
create some crazy and persistent cravings! Men can experience food cravings
too, but typically it is due to a dietary imbalance or a craving for comfort
found in a home-cooked meal from mom.
Self Sabotaging Rewards
When you have been on a restrictive
diet and have not seen the results as quickly as you like, you throw your hands
up and say "What's the use?" and dig into the office candy stash. Or
maybe you have been "good" all week in walking past the donuts in the
break room, so you deserve to have pancakes for breakfast on Sunday, right? In
both cases the choice is not the healthiest. If you are going to have a food
that is off your plan, make a conscious choice to do so in moderation and take
full ownership of that choice.
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