What are your cravings telling you?
Have you ever caught yourself saying or thinking, “I should eat now so I don’t crave something “bad” for me later”? If you said these words, then you may have felt overtaken from a craving or a blood sugar crash recently or in the past. And that feeling when your blood sugar crashes sucks! Can you remember how it affected your social life or when you were in the midst of trying to get something done by a certain deadline? You may have felt so exhausted you just gave into the craving or fast food and felt terrible both physically and emotionally.
If we are eating to prevent a past memory linked to pain or to prevent a fear in the future, we could be congesting our digestion, cells and organs. Most blood sugar crashes are caused from lack of quality nutrients from some of our food choices, STRESS, hormone imbalances and not taking the time to add in self care when you need it the most.
Let’s observe our mental state first by catching some thoughts while we create a deeper connection between your mind and body.
- I am not hungry but I should eat now because I have time.
- I am bored so I might as well eat now.
- I am scared I will want to eat the whole fridge later, so I better eat now.
- I wish I didn’t have to eat and could just get through my day.
Some of these thoughts alone could be causing your body to be in a constant state of distress. The first thing you do is observe and the second thing you do is DO NOT judge the thought or yourself. My favorite statement is, “Isn’t that interesting, I wonder what is really going on?” That is the real work to help you become more intimate with the relationship with yourself. Of course the logistics and reality of life DO matter and while we stay present in reality we want to practice a deeper connection between our conscious and subconscious minds.
Now, let’s observe some of the hidden emotions or beliefs that I have seen in myself and with many of my clients that could be linked to some of these thoughts.
- No one values me.
- I am not supported and I have to do it all on my own.
- I can’t keep up and feel overwhelmed.
- Where do I belong?
- How can I contribute more?
WOAH! Those are some deep feelings. Do you think these unprocessed feelings can trigger a thought then trigger a strong craving or crash? I DO! When your body is not in homeostasis there is a bigger chance for the systems to break down and the organ function to become compromised. If it doesn’t feel right, do not try to take on these emotions in the moment, instead make a note in your journal and circle back later when you have the space or someone to support you.
Now the physical aspect of cravings. When you feel an intense craving arise and haven’t been eating nutrient dense foods, it is time to add in heaps of nourishment and self care.
5 things to do in the moment when a thought, craving or crash is overtaking you.
- BREATHE: The more scientific research I conduct, the more it links back to how we can use our breath to recalibrate our bodies and emotions. Taking 5 deep breaths will help you calm down your parasympathetic nervous system.
- Hydrate: When you are feeling depleted, add in quality hydration. Try alkaline water, water with lemon or lime, herbal tea, kombucha, coconut water, cinnamon with almond milk, vegetable juice or broth to help give your body essential minerals in the moment.
- Nourish: Most health issues can be linked to malnourishment in the body. This is a great time to add in a wonderful snack or meal. My favorite blood sugar balancers are: Veggies and hummus, cucumber and guacamole, sprouted almonds, goji berries and cacao nibs, apple and almond butter and a balanced meal from the Conscious Nutrition Food Tree.
- Supplement helpers: If you have supplements handy and companies you trust, try adding in one of these supplements in the moment of craving and stress. High quality Omega 3’s from either fish or algae, spriulina, chlorophyll, magnesium, vitamin C or vitamin B-12.
- Check out the Cravings book: I wanted to share a new perspective regarding cravings so I wrote a quick guide for a reference. In the Conscious Nutrition Cravings guide, each craving is addressed by what foods to add in that your body may be needing when you have a strong craving occur. It isn’t about suppressing the craving and trying to overcome it, but instead diving a bit deeper to what is really going on in your mind and body. If you can’t shake the craving, align your mind with the food and ENJOY every second of it. If you haven’t downloaded the book yet: Click here and enter FreeCravings to download your guide!
Let us know if you have any questions or any specific cravings that we didn’t address!
With abundant nourishment,
Heather Fleming, C.C.N.
P.S. If you haven’t seen our new 3-Steps to Make ANY Nutrition Plan Work for you, get it here: Get your 3-Steps here!
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