Health Tip: Cut the Cravings

There are reasons we crave and it’s a natural defense mechanism designed for our survival. The body is naturally trying to tell us that we’re missing something… it could be diet, stress or emotionally related. Cravings tell the brain to keep craving until we get the missing item into the body. Here are some easy tips on interpreting the cravings without derailing your daily diet.

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Craving Sweets? Try drinking water first

It’s 3 pm and you catch yourself saying, “I need something sweet!” This common craving we interpret as a need for sweets; the kind of craving that drives us right up to the donut drive-thru may not be for sweets at all. In fact, more times than not it’s thirst. We mistake the signal because the body is designed for survival. Survival means sending out a signal for high-calorie food to ensure we can exist. Unfortunately, there’s only one signal left up to us to interpret.  Try drinking filtered water and wait an hour.  Most times people report feeling refreshed and revived, and it’s better than downing a sugary coffee. Survival also means craving water, minerals, and fat.

Check your mineral intake

Unfortunately, we can’t plug into a computer and diagnose when the check engine light comes on. Cravings are like the check engine light. One common reason we don’t always think about is an imbalance or depletion of minerals.  Whether you eat a standard American diet or eat clean, mineral depletion is common. Modern harvesting has stripped the grounds of the minerals we need. Also, we need the proper gut function to assimilate the minerals and absorb them properly. Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and Magnesium are the most common and can be supplemented fairly easily. Enjoy an Epsom salt bath or supplement nightly with effervescent powders or drops to get in your essential minerals.

Try adding healthy fats

Cravings can be persistent and pretty soon they start making decisions for us. If you constantly have cravings, you may not be getting enough fat in your diet.  Common complaints include brain fog, wired but tired, snappy mood or anxious. Try these easy places to start adding fat.

• Add a fat to your morning coffee. For example, try replacing high-sugar creamers for coconut oil, milk or butter, ghee, MCT Oil, or make bulletproof coffee. By starting off your day with fat; you’ll boost your fat metabolism and settle the brain right away.
• Use real butter. One reason is it gets you to eat more veggies because they taste good! Also, because we need the fat to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins and minerals we get from the veggies.  Make sure you are using real, grass-fed butter only.
• Combat that afternoon crash by having a teaspoon or two of nut butter.  Hint: Peanut butter isn’t a nut butter and a lot of people may be sensitive to it without knowing it…try using cashew, almond, sunflower or pumpkin seed, or blends. The afternoon fat will help you feel satiated and help you eat less at dinner.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/health-tip-cut-the-cravings/