We all have cravings from time to time. Cakes, chocolates, ice cream, salty foods, cookies. Cravings can be warnings from your body. The first thing is to understand why you crave the things that you crave. The causes of cravings are very varied, here are the fundamental ones:
What are the true causes of cravings?
The origin of cravings can be closely linked to internal causes of the person who suffers from it, perhaps some unresolved emotional problems that can lead them to fill those emotional voids are the consumption of foods that provide certain nutrients or balance their lack of serotonin. But to make it clearer, let's see point by point what the causes of cravings can be and how we can deal with them in a healthy way.
Emotional emptiness
Being dissatisfied with a personal relationship, having an inappropriate exercise routine (too much, too little, or incorrect), being bored, stressed, in an uninspiring job, or not having a practice that fills your spirit; All of this can contribute to emotional eating. The act of eating can be used as a substitute for entertainment or to fill a void, so now you know, this can be one of the causes of cravings that you did not know about.
Nutritional imbalance
Some foods have more expansive qualities while others have more contractive qualities. Eating foods with characteristics, whether extremely expansive or contractive, can cause cravings in order to restore balance. For example, eating a diet that is very high in sugar (expansive) can cause a craving for meat (contractive).
Remembering what we ate when we were little
Cravings often come from foods we recently tried, foods our ancestors ate, or foods we ate as children. A smart way to satisfy this urge is to eat a healthier version of these foods from our ancestors or our childhood.
Hormonal causes
When women are in periods of menstruation, pregnancy or menopause, where testosterone and estrogen levels fluctuate, they may crave unusual foods, however, try to eat the nutritious version of those cravings that come your way.
Dehydration
When you are on the verge of dehydration, the body sends the message that you are thirsty. Dehydration occurs as a small feeling of hunger, so the first thing to do when you have a craving for food is to drink a full glass of water.
Change of season
Our bodies often need certain foods to balance the elements according to the season. In the spring, people feel like eating foods that detoxify them, such as vegetables or citrus fruits. In the summer, people crave foods that refresh them like fruits, raw foods, and ice cream. In the fall, they look for foods that connect them more to the earth like pumpkins, onions, and nuts.
In the winter, many want hot meals and foods that produce heat like meat, oils, and fats. Other cravings, such as turkey meat, eggnog, or candy, can also be associated with the holiday season.
Nutrient deficiency
When the body is not receiving the necessary nutrients, it will produce cravings that are related to that lack of nutrients. An example of this is: inadequate levels of minerals, they produce cravings for eating salt; of potassium, it produces cravings for foods that contain it, such as bananas. Poor nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritive forms of energy like caffeine. Learn to pay attention to those cravings and why you have them.
Do not go back
When things are going extremely well, a self-sabotage syndrome can sometimes occur, during which food cravings can be felt that put us off balance. Then we will have food cravings that restore balance to us. This often occurs from a drop in blood sugar that can result in sudden mood swings.
Do you have night-time cravings?
The following is a partial list of suggestions that may help you control the "infamous night cravings" that often cause many dieters to go off the rails trying to achieve their goals:
1. Eat large servings of vegetables and moderate servings of lean protein, whole grains, beans, fruits, and nuts.
2. Avoid eating foods that only contain carbohydrates. Instead, mix them in with a little protein and fat, but be careful with the amount.
3. Ditch any temptation in your pantry. Replace them with healthy options. Make it easy for yourself: if you don't have the foods that you crave at home, it will be more difficult for you to consume them (since you would have to make a greater effort to get them).
4. Stay busy so you can distract yourself from thinking about those foods (try doing something with your hands).
5. If you are very "oral" and need to keep your mouth busy, try drinking a hot caffeine-free herbal tea like chamomile. This can also have a stress-reducing effect that can cause you to go to sleep earlier, thus reducing the chances of bingeing.
6. Delay at least 10-15 minutes before eating so that your action is conscious, not impulsive. Most cravings dissipate after 15 minutes. If you still have a craving for a food, determine how important it really is to you to eat that craving versus the impact it will have if you eat it.
You don't want to find yourself even more depressed afterward. This will fuel more guilt, rather than stop it (the common vicious cycle of all stress and depression eaters).
one of the most effective belongings you will do to become healthier is to base your diet on whole, single-ingredient foods. By doing this, you eliminate the overwhelming majority of additional sugar, additional fat and processed food. Most whole foods are naturally terribly filling, creating it lots easier to stay at intervals healthy calorie limits. What is more, intake whole foods conjointly provides your body with the numerous essential nutrients that it has to operate properly. Weight loss usually follows as a natural "side effect" of intake whole foods.