Informative Cravings

The body is an amazing source of intelligence. It is always there for you, pumping blood, never skipping a heartbeat, digesting whatever food you put in it and maintaining homeostasis. Is this reliable, intelligent bio-computer making a mistake by craving ice cream or a hamburger or chocolate? Are cravings due to lack of will-power or discipline? I’d like to suggest that cravings are not a problem. They are critical pieces of information that tell you what your body needs.  

The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you need more protein, more exercise, more water or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.  

No book or theory can tell you what to eat. Only awareness of your body and its needs can tell you. Of all the relationships in our lives, the one with our body is the most essential. It takes communication, love and time to cultivate a relationship with your body. As you learn to decipher and respond to your body’s cravings, you will create a deep and lasting level of health and balance.   The next time you have a craving, treat it as a loving message from your body instead of a weakness. Try these tips to respond to your body:  

• Have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes.
• Eat a healthier version of what you crave. For example, if you crave sweets, try eating more fruit and sweet or root vegetables.
• What is out of balance in your life? Is there something you need to express, or is something being repressed? What happened in your life just before you had this craving?
• When you eat the food you are craving, enjoy it, taste it, savor it; notice its effect. Then you will become more aware and free to decide if you really want it next time.  

Reflections on Chocolate

Last Monday, as I prepared for the Sugar Cravings talk I was hosting later that day, I reflected on my relationship with sugar.  I find that I love chocolate (who doesn't?) but the better the quality, the less I need to satisfy me. 

I bought some chocolate chips last week, thinking I needed them to make some dairy-free, soy-free chocolate mousse, but instead the recipe called for cocoa powder.  What was I to do with all of these chips?  They are my weakness.  As my grandpa would say, this bag of chips called to me.  I open the bag, and suddenly minutes pass me by while I munch and crunch.... Wait, am I even tasting them??  Am I the only one who can eat chocolate chips by the handfuls without even knowing it?

A better choice is 73% cacao organic chocolate bars.  There's a brand of them made in Boulder, Chocolove, that I do love.  For me, the more cacao and the less sugar the better.  I like that bitter chocolate flavor.  I find I can savor one square -- just one! -- for 5 minutes.  The taste melts in my mouth, so creamy and rich.

So, what have I learned?  That, for me, I would rather eat food that I enjoy tasting and that I notice, rather than a bunch of chocolate chips that have little flavor and are gone without notice!  The former is MINDLESS eating; the latter -- you guessed it -- is MINDFUL eating.

Take some time today with your favorite sweet foods.  Do you savor and enjoy them, as if they are a true treat?  Or do they make their way "from lips to hips" without you realizing it?  By practicing mindful eating, figure out what sweet foods you can truly savor, and you may find you're eating them less but enjoying them more!