Sugar — that’s right sugar — sugar or for that matter, anything sweet seemed to be calling my name every single day. My “sugar” of choice was raw cookie dough with peanut butter and chocolate chips. Cooked cookies worked too. Emotionally, creating cookies connected me to my grandmother. Initially, I baked the cookies and sent them to work with my hubby. Eventually, I started eating the dough and then the cookies. Soon I was “craving” cookies. Reality check, it was the sugar that I was craving. When I couldn’t stop, I thought I was just weak and lacked willpower. But it wasn’t about willpower or being weak. My body was talking to me — loudly, I might add — but I wasn’t listening.
When I finally sought out a naturopath, I discovered that I had candidiasis. Candidiasis is an overpopulation of some seemingly bad guys in my intestinal tract. Now we all should have a certain level of candida in our bodies. However, when they surpass the good guys, they want to be fed. Their food is sugar. The very thing I was craving. My body was talking to me, but I was ignoring it. I didn’t listen until I was suffering from fatigue, brain fog, asthma-like symptoms, food sensitivities and headaches. I thought my symptoms were related to getting older. Wrong.
Removing all reactive foods, limiting my sugar intake to low glycemic-load foods and balancing my blood sugar allowed my body to start healing. It is a long process. My sugar cravings, though, disappeared with the adjustments within days. Now I know when I begin to wheeze or I crave sugars that my intestinal good guys are being overrun by the not-so-good guys like candida. I cut my sugars down — not hard, because I don’t use many and eat only one fruit each day. When I am rebalanced, the symptoms disappear.
Cravings can be a way that your body is telling you something. Honour your cravings by getting to the root cause of it, and find out what your body really needs. Here are some possible nutrient deficiencies associated with different kinds of food cravings, and healthy food choices that will provide the nutrients that may be lacking, helping you curb your cravings.
- Bread/toast – Nitrogen – try high protein foods such as fish, meat, nuts, and beans.
- Oily snacks, fatty foods – Calcium – try mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, and cheese.
- Coffee or tea – Sulphur – try egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables.
- Burned foods – Carbon – try fresh fruits.
- Soda and other carbonated drinks – Calcium – try mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, and cheese.
- Salty foods – Chloride – try raw goat’s milk, fish, and unrefined sea salt.
- Acid foods – Magnesium – try raw nuts and seeds, legumes, and fruits.
- Cool drinks – Manganese – try walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, and blueberries.
- Cravings related to PMS – Zinc – try red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, and root vegetables.
For a more extensive list , checking out this link ==> http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php
Another great resource is Alexandra Jamieson’s new book, Women, Food and Desire: Embrace Your Cravings, Make Peace with Food, Reclaim Your Body.
Have you ever thought that your cravings could be linked to nutrient deficiencies or other symptoms? I certainly didn’t, but I know differently now.
Are you experiencing cravings? What symptoms is your body using to talk to you? Take a moment to share your experiences and observations in the comment box below. You may be just what someone else needs to know that she is not alone.