Determining What Cravings Are Telling You

When the body goes through different cycles of life, different moments of stress, different environmental and physiological situations it needs certain nourishment to support itself. Only the body itself knows what it really needs for nourishment and when it needs it. 

Web MD says, “When that overwhelming desire for pickles or processed cheese hits, Rebarber says it could be the body asking for more sodium. That aching for a Big Mac and a plate of fries may be your need for more protein, sodium, or potassium. The burning in your belly for a double helping of chocolate double latte ice cream may be signaling a need for more calcium or fat.”

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It takes a lot of nourishment to detoxify the body, to progress through puberty or to handle a stressful job. The body burns up nutrients at this time. If the body needs more of something it presents in the form of a craving or desire for certain food. 

When the body craves sugars or processed food it is usually the case that the body is over hungry and more importantly not getting enough healthy fats.

Natasha Campbell-McBride, medical doctor, neurosurgeon and neurologist who specializes in eradicating disease by healing the gut says, “Cravings for sweet foods are common amongst GAPS people due to unstable blood sugar level(s). It takes time to normalize blood sugar. The most effective way to deal with it is to increase your fat consumption, particularly animal fats. Consume plenty of animal fats with your meals.”

Craving salt is often a sign of adrenal stress. James L. Wilson, DC, ND, PhD says, “A craving for salt in people with adrenal fatigue can be explained by low aldosterone. Aldosterone is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal gland, and is part of the complex mechanism that regulates blood pressure in your body. Levels of aldosterone go up and down in much the same pattern as cortisol (sic) does, and likewise go up as a normal response to stressful situations.”

Adrenals love salt but satisfying this craving can only come from real mineral salt, not processed salt. Any salt with a color contains minerals. This one is popular as is this one. 

Cravings for ice cream, pizza or creamy savory sauces could represent a Tyramine, Choline and L-tryptophan deficiency. Tyramine is bountiful in cheese and works as a stimulant in the body. Choline is found in milk and has a soothing, calming effect on the brain. L-tryptophan in milk can increase serotonin production which creates a happy feeling. Satisfying these cravings is best done with real full fat milk straight from the farm where no hormones or antibiotics are used. Using cream is optimal and used to be a standard and regular cooking ingredient in cookbooks prior to 1950. Those who followed Julia Child can attest to the satisfying fulfillment of cream, eggs and butter. 

Craving chocolate is most often associated with a magnesium deficiency. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine (PEA) which is considered a feel-good chemical. PEA is the main ingredient in Ecstasy. Click here for a healthy birthday cake option.

Nuts, coffee and pickled or sour foods such as sauerkraut, kim- chi, sour cream, cultured vegetables and pickles are high in tyramine and pyrazine, the main ingredients in antidepressants and asthma medicines. Thyrosine is the key player in norepinephrine and epinephrine production. Tyrosine come from phenylalaine, an amino acid. Specific cultured foods such as cottage cheese contain valine, and essential amino acid. Specific situations of depletion often crave textures like crunchy foods or soft and creamy food.

McBride says the best way to feed your body is to really consider what do I want to eat right now. If the thought doesn’t come to you scroll through your mental Rolodex of foods: garlic, fried onions, cayenne pepper, apple, kefir, until you fall on something that sounds good. The body will tell you what it needs if you relax enough to listen. It’s often our overpowering “knowledge” of what we feel is best for us that throws us off course. 

The Telegraph, a UK publication, reported a review of 1,789 vegetarians showed a third of them, when drunk, ate meat. When their inhibitions were down and the body knew what it needed nutritionally their choices were  eye opening. Of the meat eating “vegetarians” 39 percent ate kebab meat, 34 percent at burgers, 19 percent chose chicken and 14 percent chose pork sausage. 

Interestingly enough they said, “But 69 per cent of vegetarians said they did not tell anyone after they had eaten meat.”

If you are craving something unknown or are always hungry McBride recommends eating large amounts of good quality butter, whipped together with honey to taste. Click here to read more. 

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*Nourishing Plot is written by Becky Plotner, ND, traditional naturopath, GAPS who sees clients in Rossville, Georgia. She works as a Certified GAPS Practitioner who sees clients in her office, Skype and phone. Since her son was delivered from the effects of autism (Asperger’s syndrome), ADHD, bipolar disorder/manic depression, hypoglycemia and dyslexia through food she continued her education specializing in Leaky Gut and parasitology through Duke University, finishing with distinction. This is not a news article published by a paper trying to make money. This blog is put out by a mom who sees first hand the effects of nourishing food vs food-ish items. No company pays her for writing these blogs, she considers this a form of missionary work. It is her desire to scream it from the rooftops so that others don’t suffer from the damaging effect of today’s “food”.

“GAPS™ and Gut and Psychology Syndrome™ are the trademark and copyright of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. The right of Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Patent and Designs Act 1988.”  

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