What’s your love-hate craving?
Is it sugar? (that’s mine in case you couldn’t tell by the photo!) Salty snacks? Coffee? Wine?
For many of us cravings feel like a never-ending spin cycle. Our innocent “I’ll just have one bite” turns into a daily indulgence. Before we know it, that sneaky food sinks its claws in us, holding us hostage. Eventually that one little bite turns into a full-blown addiction and starts to take its toll on our health.
Sound familiar?
Cravings are tricky because we want to learn how to listen to, trust and honor our body and its messages. But cravings can be very deceptive.
We may think, “I’m craving a glass of wine so therefore it must be what my body needs.”
Not so fast.
Sadly, it’s often the foods we loooooovvve, crave and feel that we wouldn’t want to live without that cause the most damage in our body.
So how do we know when are cravings are an insightful signal from our body trying to help us get back into balance versus a sabotaging little beast?
Therein lies the fun. We have to be willing to deconstruct our cravings.
When venturing into this endeavor we like to start with the physical body first, and then move into the deeper inquiry where we ask, “what am I really craving?” Ask the question and then be willing to hear the answer. You may be surprised to find that a sugar craving is actually masking a craving for deeper meaning in your life or more spiritual connection.
Cravings get a bad rap, but they’re not all bad. We just have to learn how to work with them. Below are some of my favorite strategies for deconstructing cravings – because the more tools we have in our toolboxes the more likely we are to become our most healthy, vibrant selves.
Check out the tips and then leave me a comment. Are these helpful? What are your cravings trying to tell you?
With sweet love for cravings,
6 Tips for Dealing with Cravings
1. Start with a big glass of water: Sometimes when we’re craving something sweet or salty we’re actually just thirsty. The feeling we get from being dehydrated is actually a very similar feeling to being hungry, so a good place to start is to stop and drink a large glass of purified water.
2. Eat some protein: Before you give in to the craving, ask yourself how much protein you’ve had today and when you last ate it. Try noshing on some homemade trail mix or some sweet chia pudding for a quick protein boost. Protein helps to control blood sugar patterns, which in turn can help diminish our cravings.
3. Increase healthy fats: Healthy fats help keep us satiated longer. Load up on wild-caught salmon, trout,avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds and you won’t find yourself as hungry in between meals.
4. Take magnesium: Chocolate is a common food we hear about when it comes to cravings. This craving can be linked to magnesium – and up to 80% of Americans are deficient in it. No wonder so many people are craving chocolate! Our favorite magnesium supplement is called Natural Calm by Natural Vitality, which gives you 325mg in one dose. You also get a good dose of magnesium each time you take a hot Epsom salt bath.
5. Address your emotional state: Ask yourself the question, “What am I really craving?” Explore what’s happening in your emotional body. Are you sad, anxious, and stressed out? Write about it daily in your journal and let those emotions bubble to the surface. Be loving and kind with yourself. Nurture yourself with a walk in nature, get a pedicure with a girlfriend, treat yourself to a facial and a massage.
6. Do a cleanse: A whole-foods based cleanse is an excellent way to recalibrate your taste buds and tackle all of the above at once – stopping gnarly cravings in their tracks. It also provides you a time to slow down, tune in, and get to the real root of what else you may be craving from your life. Also, eating a diet rich in nutrient-dense foods can be helpful in correcting any nutritional deficiencies that might be contributing to your cravings.
Jo Schaalman and Julie Peláez are co-authors of the book The Conscious Cleanse: Lose Weight, Heal Your Body, and Transform Your Life in 14 Days, a best-selling, step-by-step guide to help you live your most vibrant life. Together they've lead thousands of people through their online supported cleanse through their accessible and light-hearted approach. They've been dubbed “the real deal” by founder and chief creative director Bobbi Brown, of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, beauty editor of the TODAY show.
To learn more about “Jo and Jules” and to download a free e-cookbook for a sampling of the delicious food served up on the Conscious Cleanse, please visit their website.
Conscious Cleanse Detox Flow - Jo Schaalman
Heart Opening Forrest Yoga Flow - Jo Schaalman
Traditional Hot Yoga - Julie Peláez