Why you crave sweet?
I am not ready to throw the sweet craving under the bus. Every where you turn you see how to ‘beat’ your sugar cravings. Our ancestors used the flavor of sweet to discover nourishing foods, such as berries, squashes, root vegetables, dates, and honey.
In Chinese Medicine, the sign of craving sweet can notify that your body is needing support to calm nerves and build tissue. So instead of judging this craving, utilize it for information. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, every food has an energy. Yin food is cool and expanding; Yang food is warm and contracting. Think of a shell of iceberg lettuce (Yin), and now a chunk of beef steak (Yang), this will help you decipher the difference.
Your body is always striving for balance. Your food, exercise choices, career demands, work style, environment, relationships, living arrangements and lack of joy can upset your internal balance. You can feel out of balance. If you are too yin, you may feel scattered and spacey, and the tendency for craving salty flavors. If you are too yang you may feel uptight and stressed with the tendency of craving sweet.
So before you wonder why you beat yourself up over your sugar craving, try to add in more balance into your life. Fighting sugar is not the goal, balance is.
Try adding in:
- Brussels Sprouts cooked in coconut oil or ghee
- Cooked pumpkin with cinnamon and raw, organic honey
- Add dates into your almond milk and protein shake
- Roast root vegetables along with sautéed greens.
- Smile and eat an amazing bite of dark chocolate.
If you are craving sugar on a regular basis your natural circadian rhythm is being challenged. Give yourself a few days to sort it out, lovingly. If you are experiencing a compulsive or addicted behavior around sugar this is a sign your nervous system is under fight or flight. Work with a practitioner to support the underlying emotions along with the physical stress.
Stay sweet,
Heather Fleming, C.C.N
Check out our FREE Conscious Cravings Book for more information on the reasons you crave.