There are times that we crave certain food items and those are signs that our bodies are giving us….for example, you may crave peanuts… your body is probably needing more protein.
Being a vegetarian, it is difficult to get all the daily requirements so when my body is craving a certain food product I try to listen… now I won’t go to the extreme and eat a chocolate bar with peanuts or chocolate peanut butter ice cream as tempting as that may be at the time. A slice of wheat bread with peanut butter and honey is quite delicious and will satisfy the craving and won’t make me feel guilty afterward. You can also substitute cravings with raw vegetables or raw fruits mixed into delicious smoothies.
If you crave lots of sweets, you may be lacking carbohydrates in your diet. Carbohydrates turn into glucose (sugar) in our system, so eating pasta, like whole wheat pasta or baked potatoes may satisfy your cravings and not harm your waistline as much.
It is very important to drink lots of fluids as well, and sorry but soft drinks don’t count.
Our body is 98% water so in order to keep it working properly we must replace all the water that we eliminate on a daily basis. Water is the best to drink, but you can also replace that with many other popular drinks on the market such as green tea, to replenish our bodies.
Remember, the more we drink the more we will eliminate so it is a cycle that must continue. Our bodies are like ‘big sponges’ that need water to function. We eliminate toxins from our bodies and the liquid will keep our bodies cleansed and our skin looking younger.
So, cravings are not bad unless you give into the temptations of ‘bad’ food choices. If you eat the appropriate foods you will likely not have as many cravings; but if you do have them, make wise decisions and ones that you will not regret in the morning.
We must take care of our bodies, they are the only ones we have. Unfortunately we can not trade them in as we can with our automobiles, so love your bodies. Exercise, drink lots of fluids and eat appropriately and your body will love you for it.
Until next time,
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the info Dr Mommy! I recently gave up soda for these very reasons. Now I know what to do if I’m craving sugar!
–Jenn
That’s really interesting. I never knew that cravings actually meant your body needed something. When I was pregnant this last time with the twins, I would eat 4 oranges at a time. And not the little ones either! Was I needing vitamins and didn’t realize it?
Thanks for a good, quick, informative read!
~Renae
Interesting point I just came across about drinking diet soda … there are studies that show the sweetness signal our brain receives from artificial sweeteners causes us to eat more to get the carbs the body was expecting to come along with the sweet.
This causes me to think that following all cravings is not good, as it can throw our responses out of kilter if the input is not in the balance our body needs. In essence, because we are omnivorous beings, we are not in tune as much when we focus on one style of eating, such as vegetarianism.
Most of my in-laws are vegetarian, and they are the sickliest bunch of people I have ever seen. It is bad enough that my father-in-law, a lifelong vegetarian was ordered to eat meat by his doctor because of the nutrients he was missing.
Cravings are a signal, but the signal needs to be fully understood.