Health was always a word in my vocabulary. I exercised and ate right all through my teens and mostly during my college years (well, we will wipe the slate clean at the freshman 15 that I gained by eating bran muffins and peanut m&m’s and deep dish pizza). When I was in my 30’s and pregnant I couldn’t wait to eat both french fries and ice cream for 9 months. But, once pregnant I didn’t want any of those foods. What I craved were foods that were tart. I wanted lemon tarts. Fearing that I would gain more than the recommended weight that my doctor monitored, I turned to fruit! I loved mouth watering not so sweet pineapple and tart crunchy green apples. I wanted plain foods like a bagel with melted muenster cheese or egg salad. I made this work by opting for whole wheat scooped out bagels with lite cheese and egg salad with low fat mayo. I tried to be smart. I preferred vanilla flavor over strawberry or mint chip ice cream and so I found low fat frozen yogurt that satisfied my craving.
Cravings are curious to me. Why do we have them and what do they mean. The severity and frequency of your food cravings can be affected by a combination of lifestyle factors, such as being dehydrated, lack of sleep and an unbalanced diet. Also, making sure that you get enough healthy fat, protein and complex carbohydrates to satisfy you is important for keeping cravings at bay.
Here is a list of foods that will help satisfy your cravings in a healthy manner.
If you crave SALT it could mean that you are dehydrated (poor sleep or too much alcohol) so I would suggest that you have dried seaweed, tomato juice, salted almonds or broth.
If you crave FATTY foods it could mean that you may need more sleep. I would opt for healthy fats such as avocado, nuts and nut butter, seeds and fish over fried foods.
If you crave SUGAR it might mean you need more balance in your diet. If you really want a sweet (and may kill someone to have it!) allow yourself to have a small portion of it- but only after having eaten a balanced meal first. And if you know you won't be able to stick with a small piece, opt for some fresh fruit or a square of dark chocolate.
The ability to resist cravings is not always about willpower. In fact, foods that are high in sugar and salt — namely, processed foods — have a powerful effect on our brains and keep us wanting more. Ever notice how it’s easy to finish a bag of chips but a bag of carrots is a different story! In order to stop craving foods that are high in sugar and salt, I recommend that you start with a diet of mostly unprocessed, whole foods, get good sleep and daily exercise and over time (remember there is no magic pill), your taste buds should adjust accordingly.