THE REASON FOR FOOD CRAVINGS

I now listen to my cravings and what my body needs and staying lean all year round is finally easy 😃

I used to experience all sorts of food cravings. Sweet foods, salty foods, crunchy foods and savoury foods. I finally realised what I actually needed when I took the time to listen to my body. It was telling me all along!!!

I then started to eat what I needed and the cravings stopped. That did not mean kirspy kremes and nutella!!! I used a pro-metabolic nutritional approach, and provided my body with nutritious delicious, natural sugars and good quality starches and saturated fats. I can now stay lean all year round whilst eating a wonderful variety of food.

“Any craving is a good starting point, because there are several biological mechanisms for correcting specific nutritional deficiencies. ” -Dr. Ray Peat, PhD

SUGAR CRAVINGS.
Sugar is the body’s primary energy source. When I do not eat enough sugar via either low carb dieting or just dieting in general, my body starts to crave it. I have found that the best choice to keep me lean and fuel my body is ripe tropical fruits, raw honey, pure orange juice and root vegetables. If I eat simple sugars whilst dieting, I can drop the kilos and get lean without having sugar cravings.

SALT CRAVINGS.
I crave salt when I am stressed. When the stress hormone cortisol is released, sodium is lost. As a direct result, the body wants to consume more salt to compensate. I simply now add extra unrefined white sea-salt to my meals when my stress levels increase.

CRAVING CHOCOLATE.
This is often due to the need for magnesium or copper and often occurs when stress levels increase. If I start to crave chocolate, I use magnesium oil on my skin, take an Epson salt bath or eat clean, good quality chocolate with no additives.

CRAVING LEMONS OR LIME.
If cravings for acidic food occur this could indicate stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) is low. Stomach acid is essential for gut integrity and helps break down food. Without adequate levels of acid, digestive issues can occur, along with allergies, gas, bloating and IBS etc. I consume bone broth and gelatin to keep this in check.

CRAVING RED MEAT.
When low in iron, zinc or amino acids cravings for red meat can occur. On the other hand, if a reverse craving to red meat occurs like a strong aversion to red meat, it could be an indication of too much iron.

CRAVING FAT.
I see too many people eating low fat diets in an attempt to get lean. This often results in a craving for fats. I do not support low fat dieting as a healthy strategy to get lean. Saturated fats have been my friend when dieting. It helps to increase metabolism and keeps me nutritionally and hormonally healthy.

Since eating a Pro-Metabolic diet, I can stay lean all year around. I no longer experience food cravings, yet still eat a delicious varied diet.