The study of cravings is a very interesting research field. Cravings are complex, sometimes rooted in addiction or neurotransmitter imbalance, sometimes rooted in hormone imbalance, and sometimes rooted in nutrient deficiency. As a general rule, its best to resist the craving if the root cause is one of the first two situations, but give into the craving if the food youre craving is nutrient-dense and will provide you with something you may be deficient in. But, it isnt always clear why youre craving a specific food. So, for example, you might crave chocolate out of a need for the dopamine boost it gives, maybe because youre deficiency in dopamine or its receptors or have a physiologic addiction. Or you might crave chocolate because youre actually craving sugar due to abnormal insulin or leptin sensitivity. Or you might crave chocolate because you are deficient in magnesium and your body recognizes it as a high magnesium food. So, should you eat that piece of chocolate or not? In the above example, I would make the suggestion that if a small amount (say an ounce or less) of super dark chocolate (say 90% or darker) satisfies that craving (and you dont have a food allergy or sensitivity to chocolate), then go ahead and indulge the craving. If you really want sweeter chocolate, or if once you start eating it you just cant stop, then go for a walk, go take a nap, drink some water, and eat some liver with lots of veggies for supper. What about other foods? Are you craving steak? Maybe youre deficient in iron or vitamin B12. Are you craving bread? That might be stress and/or addiction talking. As a general rule when it comes to cravings, look at the nutrient value of the food youre craving. If the food in question offers you a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, good fats and essential amino acids with a low or moderate glycemic load, then go for it. If the food in question in nutrient-poor and calorie-rich, its time to look at other factors causing those cravings and adjust your lifestyle in response.
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 16:34:55 +0000
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