Should I give in to them…?

We all get cravings.  Pregnant women are famous for them.  In fact, I knew I was pregnant with my son when I was on my fourth vine-ripened tomato… for dinner.  The prior test said I wasn’t pregnant, but plowing through those tomatoes–I was sure.  And I was right!  Something about pregnancy always made me crave vine-ripened tomatoes.

But I crave different things at different times… oysters, red meat, Dairy Queen… What do they mean??

We’re often told that our body craves what we need, but it’s hard to believe someone really NEEDS a waffle bowl sundae with vanilla soft serve, hot fudge AND strawberry toppings with whipped cream.  I mean, really.  But you know what–it’s true: at that time, I “needed” it.  You see, there is more to your health than the simple math of fats/proteins/carbs.  Your mental state plays into it health as well, and there is new research constantly showing this to be valid.  As such, your body might crave something that “comforts” you when under a great deal of stress.  Crunchy food is often associated with people who are angry or extremely tense.

There are other reasons for cravings, too.  Sometimes, your body really DOES need some nutrient in the food you’re craving.  I get horrible cravings for protein sometimes–red meat (and it can’t be ground beef) or oysters.  I found out many years after seeing this happen a lot that I had both an insulin regulating problem, but also a family trait of dopamine deficiency.  Both of these can cause serious protein cravings.  My body is trying to get what it needs.

Sometimes, the bacteria balance in our digestive tract is out of balance and those little buggers will drive our cravings, too.  In fact, some of the research on how much control these organisms have is reminiscent of an “Alien” scene.  This is most noticeable in children who will only eat chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese.  And it can be changed, but it takes some time.

Truly, there’s no problem in satisfying a craving.  But if you’re having constant cravings for one thing or another, you should definitely dig into the source because your body is trying to say “Hey!  Wake up!!  Something’s out of whack here!”  If you need help with that, please–let’s spend some time going over your current state of affairs.  Book some time to go over your health and your concerns to see what might be going on and how to proceed.  It’s free!