Sweet tooth out of control?
Below, “The Paleo Mom” explains WHY we have cravings & provides great tips on how to curb them. It’s important to understand why we have cravings in order to deal with them in the future.
CRAVINGS
“The study of cravings is a very interesting research field. Cravings are complex, sometimes rooted in addiction or neurotransmitter imbalance, sometimes rooted in hormone imbalance, and sometimes rooted in nutrient deficiency. As a general rule, it’s best to resist the craving if the root cause is one of the first two situations, but give into the craving if the foods you’re craving is nutrient-dense and will provide you with something you may be deficient in.
But, it isn’t always clear why you’re craving a specific food. So, for example, you might crave chocolate out of a need for the dopamine boost it gives due to deficiency in dopamine or its receptors or physiologic addiction. Or you might crave chocolate because you’re actually craving sugar due to abnormal insulin or leptin sensitivity. Or you might crave chocolate because you are deficient in magnesium and your body recognizes it as a high magnesium food. So, should you eat that piece of chocolate or not?
In the above example, I would make the suggestion that if a small amount (say an ounce or less) of super dark chocolate (say 90% or darker) satisfies that craving (and you don’t have a food allergy or sensitivity to chocolate), then go ahead and indulge the craving. If you really want sweeter chocolate, or if once you start eating it you just can’t stop, then go for a walk, go take a nap, drink some water, and eat some liver with lots of veggies for supper.
What about other foods? Are you craving steak? Maybe you’re deficient in iron or vitamin B12. Are you craving bread? That might be stress and/or addiction talking.
As a general rule when it comes to cravings, look at the nutrient value of the food you’re craving. If the food in question offers you a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, good fats and essential amino acids with a low or moderate glycemic load, then go for it. If the food in question in nutrient-poor and calorie-rich, it’s time to look at other factors causing those cravings and adjust your lifestyle in response.”
The Paleo Mom
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