11/06/2022
Cravings - Tell me what you crave. Chocolate? Salt? Carbohydrates? Red meat?
Do you crave chocolate?🍫
Do you suddenly have a hankering for something sweet and creamy? While a chocolate bar does contain sugar and fat, there are actually some nutritional benefits to dark chocolate. Some studies show that people who eat a small amount of dark chocolate every day, as part of their total calories, have lower blood pressure. Cocoa is really nutrient dense with magnesium, iron and fiber.
If you follow a plant-based diet, you might be craving chocolate if you're anemic or low in iron.
Do you crave salt? 🧂
When you're craving salt, you might just be dehydrated. Before you reach for a salty snack, take a big drink of water. Often when we think we're hungry, we're actually just thirsty.
Do you crave Carbohydrates? 🍞🥐🥖
Carbs like pasta, cookies and bread are quick sources of energy, but they won't keep you full for long. If you're craving high-fat, high-carb foods, think about your sleep schedule. Your body might be asking for fats and carbs because they generate some of the hormones that we normally get that regulates your sleep. A full night of recharging can help curb some of those unhealthy cravings.
What to do?
First of all, stop and think, "Do I need this?" You might need salt, for example, if you just finished a heavy workout where you lost a lot of sweat. Or you might have just come off of a bad bug and your salt stores are depleted. If that's the case, your body only needs a very small amount of salt in general.
However, if you're having weird cravings, you shouldn't always give in. If you know your body is asking for something you don't need, take five minutes and do something else. Take a quick walk or talk to a friend. Cravings pass – they really do. What you might be wanting is stress relief or a quick boredom fix. If you're still truly craving the same thing after your five-minute break, then go ahead and have that food. But usually, you'll feel better from the exercise or social break.
If you feel the same or worse after you indulge the craving, it's not the food you're needing. You probably need stress relief, rest or hydration.
Hugs,
ZIA
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Jeppe Reil • Summer Energy