Are you always trying to make the best choices when it comes to food, but you feel angry because you deal with unhealthy cravings? Stop feeling weak. Our cravings are signals that our body sends in order to restore its balance. Instead of feeling bad about it, ask yourself this “What does my body want and why? ”
Day after day, you will realize that your craving for salty foods, has nothing to do with a BigMac, but everything to do with the nutrients you are missing. By helping my clients get rid of their food addictions, I have found out the 3 not-so-obvious reasons why you might be having cravings.
Food You Grew Up With
Depending on where you come from, you might experience different kinds of cravings. For example, I was born in Romania, where the food mainly consisted of breads, potatoes and meat. Therefore, it is harder to be vegetarian and gluten-free – very different from what my mind and body are telling me to eat now. What you can do is:
- Discover your childhood food: What types of dishes did you mostly eat?
- Substitute those foods with healthier versions.
In my case, I make my own gluten-free bread, made with polenta or different types of seeds. And instead of french fries, I make parsnip fries. And when I really crave meat, I indulge in organic, farm-raised pork or chicken.
Quick Parsnip Fries Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 lb of parsnip
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Salt
- Pepper
Preparation Method
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Peal the parsnips and cut them into small pieces
- Chop the rosemary
- Peel and mince your garlic
- Mix all ingredients together and add salt and pepper.
- Add 4-5 table spoons of olive oil and lay them on baking sheets
- Bake for 30-35 minutes If you do not have an oven, you can deep fry them in coconut oil. (I do that, since it’s faster)
*Parsnips are sweet, so you can add more salt to counter the sweetness.
Seasonal Foods
We cannot eat the same kinds of foods all year round, especially if we live in temperate climates. We are influenced by temperature, light, colours, smells, and all other cosmic changes. Because of this, we might crave specific foods during each season.
How To Stay Healthy And Eat According To The Season?
- You accept the reason why you are craving different types of foods at different times
- You substitute it with healthier versions.
I love lentil soups, veggie stews, yellow peas soup, meat stews or anything that is spicy and hot. It is also normal this time of the year, to gain a few pounds. This is just our body’s way to store fat to produce energy and keep our body heated.
Yellow Peas Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb yellow split peas
- 1 parsnip
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- A few potatoes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Hot paprika
- Bay leaves
- 1 gallon of water
Preparation Method
- Wash the yellow split peas and soak them in water for a few hours.
- After they double their size, wash them again and soak them. Now they are ready for boiling.
- Boil a few bay leaves.
- When the water is boiling with the bay leaves, add the yellow split peas and all the veggies.
- Let them boil for 30-45 minutes, until the peas have a creamy constancy. Your soup must look like a cream soup. That’s an indicator that your peas are done.
- Add the seasoning: salt, pepper, hot paprika.
Self Sabotage
You know those voices that keep on repeating “You know you want a burger! Why don’t you get one? You have not had one in months.”
Well, they are the self-sabotage voices. We all have them – the only difference is how loud we hear them. I have personally experienced that when things go amazingly great, I want to treat myself with something “really bad” – its almost like I have to earn it.
Is this type of behavior a problem? It can be, if you do not know when to stop. I believe life must be lived, so if you have an “unhealthy” ice-cream once a month it does not mean you will get fat, but if you do it every few days, you bet you will gain a pound in a few weeks.
What Do You Do When You Hear These Voices?
- You stop and ask yourself “Is this what I really want?” Most of the time the answer will be NO.
- This is when you will know that those voices are not yours and therefore should not be taken into consideration.
- You accept the fact that it is okay to answer YES to the above question and do what your body, not your mind, wants you to do.
- Cheating from time to time is less frustrating and liberating.
- As long as you are eating the right foods most of the time, you understand why you are having the cravings instead of suppressing them.
