Cravings can feel like they control your mind – but what’s actually happening inside your body? We discuss the four main causes of cravings: bacterial, nutritional, emotional and physical. Figure out what’s causing your cravings. || Get in touch: theladiesdish@gmail.com
Welcome to the Ladies Dish! IN THIS EPISODE
Updates (0:58): We are almost at 52 episodes AKA: ONE YEAR!! Send in your questions – we’re going to do an ‘Ask Us Anything’ episode!
Shout out to our Spooks & Spice 21DSD group which is rocking the detox!
Interview Game Question (2:35) What is your top food craving?!
The “It” List (5:00) Dana shares one of her current favorite things: her Fabletics jackets. This is the athletic clothing line from Kate Hudson.
LDP's Sponsor - The Nutritional Therapy Association The NTA is an amazing organization that certified all three LDP co-hosts as Nutritional Therapy Consultants. We all highly recommend the NTC course or NTP (Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) course to anyone interested in pursuing an education in holistic health and learning how real, whole foods help heal the body from the inside out.
Visit www.nutritionaltherapy.com for more information and to download a registration packet!
Today’s Topic: Cravings
Listener Question (9:00): “Could you do an episode on cravings? If cravings mean that your body is needing a specific nutrient, what cravings mean that your body needs what nutrients? Say you crave refined carbs or sweets? What is your body really trying to tell you?”
Cravings Resource: The Cravings Whisperer - Alexandra Jamieson You can also check out her podcast at: The Crave Cast
Four Root Causes of Cravings
1. Bacterial (11:38)
• Overgrowth of bacteria or yeast in our microbiome • Our gut microbiome speaks to our brain through the vagus nerve. • Bacteria and yeast feed off of sugar and carbohydrates...so when we feed ourselves sugar and carbs with this overgrowth, they gobble them up and send the message "Give me more, give me more!" Often this leads to this "bottomless pit" feeling. • These cravings must be dealt with by changing the diet.
2. Nutritional (14:06)
• We are OVERfed and UNDERnourished. • Cravings may be your body telling you to EAT because it is missing essential vitamins and minerals. • Your body is asking for good fuel...feeding it with processed food or sugar, you will continue to be hungry and unsatisfied. • Try to get a variety of proteins, carbs, and fats...if you eat the same thing everyday, your body is just constantly getting the same nutrients. Mix it up!
Some examples: CHOCOLATE - Magnesium --->> Raw Cacao, Spinach, pumpkin seeds SUGARY FOODS - Tryptophan, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Chromium, Carbon --->> meat, eggs, spirulina, sweet potato FATTY FOODS - Calcium --->> kale, almonds, broccoli, oranges, sesame seeds CARBONATED DRINKS - Calcium --->> kale, almonds, broccoli, oranges, sesame seeds
Great resource to look up foods with specific nutrients:
World’s Healthiest Foods: whfoods.com Another link: http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/unhealthy-food-cravings-sign-mineral-deficiencies.html
3. Emotional / Habitual (19:05)
• Many diets in our culture fail to acknowledge this aspect of our cravings...we are humans & have human emotions. These can be very tempting to deal with through food. o Sadness, pain, anger, frustration, accomplishment, happiness, stress o Food can calm these feelings. • We also form emotional connections to our habits - like a habit of sitting down with a bowl of popcorn or ice cream at the end of a long day. • These cravings must be handled by consciously making an effort to change habits. o Check out Gretchen Rubin's Better than Before - 4 Habit Tendencies… understanding your tendency may really help here!
4. Physical (21:35)
• As humans, and animals, we NEED movement and activity. • Our current lifestyle does not satisfy our instinct to move, play, and be active. • We need to have fun...if we don't, we find it elsewhere - LIKE FOOD! It likes up the "pleasure" center in our brains whenever we could be doing the same by exercising, or having fun.
Tips for Tackling Cravings (23:46):
o Check in with yourself. Think about what is out of balance in your life. Is there something you need to express, or is something you are trying to ignore? What happened in your life just before you had this craving? o Try to choose a healthier option that will still satisfy that “urge.” o When you eat the food you are craving, slow down and enjoy it, taste it, savor it; notice its effect on your body and on your mood. You will become more aware and free to decide if you really want it next time. o You will crave what you eat most - so if you’re eating sugar all the time, you’ll crave sugar. And people might think this is crazy but if you eat a lot of veggies - your body will start craving those too! o Make sure you are eating enough in general! A lot of people tell me they “did so well all day” and then they cave and eat a lot at night…. But that’s an example of the nutritional craving - your body needs more calories and nutrients!
Thank you for joining us this week for Episode 48. Remember to subscribe in iTunes so you don’t miss a future episode!
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