HOW TO BEAT FOOD CRAVINGS NATURALLY
Food cravings are defined as a strong desire to eat something. Often food cravings are not related to nutrient deficiencies but to a sensation of deprivation, an addiction or other underlying issues such as food allergies, adrenal gland stress, candida or hypoglycaemia.
Causes of Food Cravings
What You Think About Expands
 Some people who are trying to restrict their intake of fats, fried foods, salt, sugar or chocolate may desire these foods more. This could be due to the common principle that what you think about expands. Knowing you cannot have it fixes your mind on having it. Cement in your mind that you are someone in control that can eat one chocolate or one small piece of cake. Rather then thinking about what you cannot have, treat yourself to a normal portion and savour it. Do not beat yourself up over eating taboo foods. If you eat 21 meals per week and you mess one up, you are normal! It is what you do the majority of the time that counts. It is actually good to treat yourself on occasion than to completely deny yourself. It is only food, not a criminal act!
Food Sensitivities
Some people actually crave the foods that they are sensitive to. People may feel well temporarily when they eat the food they are sensitive to. They get a slight rush afterwards. Then they feel worse again and would like another hit of it. Food sensitivities cause other symptoms such as headaches, joint pains, irritability, hives, acne and bloating.
Candida Albicans
If you have candida albicans, hypoglycemia or diabetes you may tend to crave sugars and carbohydrates more than other people. Candida is a microbe that is naturally occurring in the body. It is found in the skin, respiratory, digestive and genitourinary tract. It will overgrow if given the right conditions, such as a highly acid environment, eating high amounts of carbohydrates, sweets and after antibiotic use. When candida dies off it makes toxic by-products and people tend to feel sluggish and crave sweets. Eating them keeps the yeast growing. However, these bad feeling are transient and pass after one week or less. By avoiding yeast, sugar, mould and refined carbohydrates, you can keep these bad bacteria in check.
Hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is a condition where the blood sugar drops too low. This is a precursor to diabetes. If you have hypoglycemia, eat a protein with each meal. Also eat low glycemic foods that contain high fibre. High fibre foods and proteins take longer to break down and keep the blood sugar constant and stable. If you eat sweets to balance your blood sugar, it will raise it and then drop it. It becomes an up and down cycle. Low blood sugar signals to your brain to eat foods that will supply a quick rush of glucose. This can be prevented by adding in protein, fibre and eating healthy snacks in between meals.
The supplement chromium is helpful to balance the blood sugar. It is an essential trace element and balances the blood sugar. Typical dosage is 200 to 400mgs per day with meals.
Diabetes
Diabetics have high blood sugar and are insulin resistant. This means insulin is not absorbed in the cells. Your cells do not absorb the glucose they need and they signal your brain that you need more carbohydrates and sugar. Most diabetics do very well by eating low glycemic foods. Be sure to have a lean protein with each meal. Eat healthy snacks between meals, such as nuts, yogurt, low fat cheese or fresh cut vegetables. This keeps cravings away because when the blood sugar is stable, you don’t need to have sugar or carbohydrates to boost your energy and feed your brain.
Supplements for Diabetes:
Keep an eye on your blood sugar when you take any of these remedies with insulin because they may decrease your need for it. Seek professional help if you have concerns regarding your medications and these remedies. There are many useful supplements for diabetics. However, mainly chromium, vanadium, fish oil and glycaemia act to stabilize blood sugar and indirectly help with cravings.
Lack of Sleep
A lack of sleep may make you pack on the pounds. For some interesting studies on sleep and other natural remedies, go to the Life Extension Foundation online at www.lef.org. This group is manned with many medical doctors who research natural supplements and disease. They have many studies and commentary on a wide variety of disorders. LEF wrote an interesting article on sleep and obesity. Sleep and insulin interact between leptin, which tells the brain there's no need for food, and ghrelin, which tells the brain it's time to eat. According to researchers, these two hormones start to misfire with reduced sleep. In a study, test subjects slept only four hours a night. After only two nights, the hormones malfunctioned and leptin production decreased by 18 percent and ghrelin production increased by 28 percent. Studies found that participants, healthy male college students, started to eat much more. They reported craving more high calorie, high density and carbohydrate foods. They had a 24 percent increase in appetite for candy, cookies, chips, nuts and starchy foods such as bread and pasta. After just one week into the experiment, blood tests showed a poor insulin response that mimicked diabetes. A lack of sleep also increased the production of cortisol, a hormone associated with increased belly fat. The researchers concluded that sleep deprivation boosted appetite. Increased appetite caused overeating. This in turn caused weight gain.
Some supplements that help with relaxing are those such as passionflower, hops, valerian, magnesium, GABA or melatonin. Take these as directed on the label.
Adrenal Fatigue
The adrenal glands are small glands which sit on top of our kidneys. They excrete hormones that help with stress, sleep, sex hormones, blood pressure, cholesterol and menstrual cycles. They are small glands with a mighty job. Certain diets, lifestyle and situations may leave the adrenal glands sluggish.
What causes adrenal fatigue?
- Drugs such as cortisone, prednisone, steroids and inhalers
- Foods such as coffee and tea
- Overwork
- Poor sleeping habits
- Stress that is prolonged and even self induced
What are signs of adrenal fatigue?
- Cravings for salt, sugar, coffee, tea and/or carbohydrates
- Low energy especially in the morning or right after lunch
- Vertigo or light headedness
- Excessive sweating
- Recurrent infections
- Heart palpitations
- Night sweats
- Low blood sugar
- A desire for snacking needed around 11:00 a.m. or 2:00 p.m.
- Increased irritability or emotions that is not typical
- Significant event that you have never felt well since
How do I fix my adrenal fatigue?
- Skip the caffeinated beverages. They suck the energy out of the adrenal glands and deplete the body of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. They also can keep people awake.
- Diet: Eat foods that are low glycemic. Have a healthy snack between meals to keep your blood sugar stable. These foods are whole grains, lean protein and fish, fruits and vegetables.
- Reduce emotional stress by working on your lifestyle. Reduce your workload. Work on your family and relationships in a positive and loving way. Find ways to reduce your financial worries by taking steps for debt repayment.
- Get a good night’s sleep. The most restorative sleep happens when you fall asleep around 10:00 p.m. If you have sleep troubles try some relaxing supplements such as passionflower, hops, valerian, magnesium, GABA or melatonin.
- Get some exercise and have some fun! Many of us forget that we are meant to move our bodies. If you are stuck in the office for an extra long day, you can feel very cooped up. Exercise is a very good way to keep healthy both psychologically and emotionally.
- Take a good quality multi vitamin and extra vitamin C. Take an adrenal gland extract, this helps to support your adrenal. It is not suited to those with Addison’s disease or high blood pressure. The B vitamin, pantothenic acid or B5 is very good for adrenal gland stress. Typical dosage is 50 to 250mgs per day. It works well when taking a regular B Complex 50mgs per day as well. If you take the B Vitamins, take them in the morning. Licorice extract is said to be nourishing for the adrenal glands, however it is not suitable for those with high blood pressure.
Depression
Many people turn to food in times of stress. Usually the foods include chips, breads, pastries, sugar or chocolate. If depression is longstanding, carbohydrate cravings are a sign of decreased serotonin levels. Serotonin is believed to be instrumental in the regulation of mood such as anger, anxiety, depression and sleep. Many people learn to eat carbohydrates in order to control mood, sleep and pain. However, the by-product of such eating is weight gain and further cravings. These types tend to get obese during times of stress. People who suffer with Seasonal Affective Disorder may also crave carbohydrates to naturally increase serotonin.
Supplements for Depression and Food Cravings:
- Exercise daily because it increases the feel good hormones.
- Get outdoors during the daylight. Natural sunlight exposure stimulates your pineal gland which controls your sleep and waking cycles, seasonal affective disorder (the winter blues) and improves your mood.
- Seek the support of a trusted friend, counsellor or your church.
- Take 5HTP or 5-hydroxytryptophan. This is a precursor to serotonin and helps mood and carbohydrate cravings. This is not suitable for those taking antidepressants.
- B Complex helps with stress, mood and the nervous system. Typical dosage is 50mgs per day. You can increase B6 by 100mgs per day. It is useful for mood, sleep, immune system and hormone balance. Take these supplements with breakfast because they can increase your energy and keep you awake at night.
- St. John’s Wort is a good remedy for mild cases of depression. If you take this then you would not also use 5-HTP. This is not suited to those taking antidepressants.
- Fish oil is a good mood support. Take 1,000 to 3,000 mgs per day with meals. DHA in fish oil is good brain food. It is useful for depression, ADHD, nervous conditions and schizophrenia.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Some people think that food cravings are related to nutrient deficiencies. Most often it is not the case but more of a hormonal problem such as blood sugar instability or emotional stress. The simplest way to combat food cravings is to eat a well balanced diet and use a good quality multiple vitamin.
Some Food Cravings and Their Suspected Cause:
- Chocolate = magnesium deficiency, depression, desiring feel good hormones
- Alcohol = hypoglycemia, depression
- Baked goods = depression, wheat allergies, candida
- Red Meat = iron
- Acid foods = low stomach acid, candida
- Caffeine = adrenal exhaustion, addiction
- Chalk or plaster = calcium
- Salt = sodium deficiency, adrenal gland exhaustion
How To Control Cravings
See your specific cause of food cravings for individualized advice on what action to take. Always eat a healthy diet. This would involve eating a wide variety of colors of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and fish, legume and whole grains. Eating foods that are low glycemic are the best insurance for health. Be sure to eat at regular intervals. It is okay to have a snack in between meals. Make sure it is a healthy choice, like nuts, yogurt or fresh cut vegetables. Exercising is a good way to boost your feel good hormones and prevents stress eating. Be sure to get a good night’s sleep because it will increase your food cravings if you don’t.
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Freedom and Choice in Health Care!
Since I have become a homeopath, nine years ago, there have been many wonderful changes in the profession. I honestly never thought I would see them in my lifetime!
The government has decided to regulate homeopathy,
which means all homeopaths will be required to have a minimum standard
of education and pass an entry exam to practice.
No one can call themselves a homeopath who haven’t been through this process. The Ontario Homeopathic Association has been instrumental in getting these changes in place. I am grateful that they have such high standards for us to adhere by. It gives our people the highest quality care, which is our number one priority. For more information on the OHA go to www.ontariohomeopath.com
Given these great changes, I believe we can now change how you pay for your homeopathic visits. If we all educate our insurance companies and employee benefit co-ordinators on the choice and advantages of homeopathic health care, we can bring change. This change benefits you, your fellow man and your pocket book!
Many of my clients have asked about insurance coverage. Some have coverage but many do not. They usually claim their visits on their income tax. However, the more people that ask their employers and insurance providers, the more change we will see. You could contact your insurance provider directly and ask them if they have the option to cover homeopathy. Your employer may have a benefit co-ordinator you could speak to about getting coverage. The results you get may depend on who you speak with. If they need more information about homeopathy, they can go to the OHA website or contact them for further information:
ONTARIO HOMEOPATHIC ASSOCIATION
1043 Bloor Street West, Suite 205
Toronto, Ontario, M6H 1M4
Telephone: 416-516-6109
www.ontariohomeopath.com
If the insurance company offers homeopathic coverage and your employer doesn’t choose it, it is because they don’t recognize that people want this service covered. Fifteen years ago many people didn’t have coverage for massage therapy. Now most people have that service covered.
You deserve the treatment you want for your healthcare. Perfect health without side effects is your right! Speak up and we will make the change!
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