All my life I have said that dessert is my main course at every meal, I never (well almost!) take a second helping of food, to compensate for the double helping of dessert. Not the best habit to cultivate. But this is a secret I have to share with all of you, that I have had such a sweet tooth all my life, and my body got used to so much sugar, that if it did not get its handsome quota on a daily basis, I was left feeling low, sad and empty in my stomach.
Raise your hand if you have an addiction or a constant craving for any food!
It’s heart-warming to know that its only human to have these food cravings, it only measures-up differently for each person — sweet, salty, fried, crispy, crunchy, fruity, you name it and we all got one of these food cravings. Blame it on your taste buds, nutritional value or lack of it or emotional roots.
And yes, a food craving can drive you up the wall, find you rummaging through your kitchen pantry and refrigerator looking for something to hit the spot and the oddest of times.
It’s time we start looking at food cravings as insights into our body and emotions rather than something to avoid and resist altogether.
The more you resist something, the more it will haunt you.
 In this article we are going to discover how to navigate food cravings and have a healthy relationship with food.
Understanding cravings — Why food cravings aren’t the enemy?
First things first, it’s important to know the difference between hunger and food cravings.
Hunger is a physiological need for food to survive, get nutrients and fuel to perform daily tasks. Your body lets you know it’s hungry by a growling stomach, lightheadedness and discomfort. Cravings, on the other hand, are emotionally and psychologically driven. They are triggers of stimuli and can occur even when you’re not hungry. Food cravings are intense desires to eat certain foods. This can be when we are hungry or not. It’s a common phenomenon that affects almost everyone due to hormonal changes, emotional stress, boredom, the sight or smell of food or even something as simple as hunger.
Oftentimes food cravings mask deep and repressed feelings, for which food is not the answer. The root of food cravings lies in the subconscious mind. It can be the fear of something—not being lovable, fear of not being worthy or good enough, fear of not being in control, fear of not being perfect, to name a few. To understand the cause and root of your desires it’s important to be curious and listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
If diet culture is considered to be the Gospel truth, we should stamp out cravings and resist them as much as possible.
But is this a sustainable approach?
 There are three things you can do when you have a craving —
- Sit with the craving.
- Explore whether the craving can be met.
- If the desire or craving is still there, then go for it.
- Sit with the craving —
It’s completely normal and natural for cravings to crop up from time to time. Instead of repressing, instantly gratifying or ignoring these cravings, try sitting with the craving for sometime. Listen to the message your body is trying to send you. Is your body hungry? Are you trying to avoid something with the help of food? Use the time you’re sitting with the craving to listen to the cues your body is sending you. The more you practice sitting with cravings, the more you’ll learn about your body and be able to interpret its cues. Food cravings are like tantrums toddlers throw. Your body is basically asking for your attention.
- Explore whether the craving can be met —
These are some of the ways you can see if your craving is temporary and can be met with an alternative solution.
- Drink a glass of water
- Take a nap
- Go for a walk or exercise
- Call a friend
- Hop in the shower or take a relaxing bath
After you try a few ways to satisfy your craving, your craving will either be met or still persist.
- If the desire or craving is still there, then go for it —
Once you’ve taken the time to experience and explore the craving, you can decide whether you want to give into it or opt for something else. This method is not about willpower and deprivation but about exploration and understanding. Its about whether you decide to eat the food you’re craving or not.
What is intuitive eating?
Intuitive eating has been connected to several positive outcomes. It’s a non-diet approach to changing your unhealthy eating habits into healthy ones. Intuitive eating is considered an adaptive mental health strategy that basically refers to your body guiding about what to eat.
So much of our eating is based on routine, social pressures, boredom, anxiety and emotions that what your body really needs gets lost in translation.
The beauty of intuitive eating is simply listening to your body. Food deprivation increases cravings so if your body wants something, give it to yourself, but in moderation.
When you practice intuitive eating, you let go of the rigidity that surrounds food and allow yourself to eat in a way that feels good for your body.
Intuitive eating offers us a few wisdoms-
- It allows us to celebrate your cravings instead of feeling scared of them. Once the fear is out of the way, food doesn’t control you.
- Intuitive eating throws out the taboo surrounding cravings.
You can eat whatever you want (in moderation)and cravings simply disappear.
- You eat in tune with your body.
Your body becomes your guide and allows you to use and burn the fuel (food) you give it efficiently and sustainably.
- You eat slowly with awareness and gratitude.
Every morsel of food that goes into your body does not go unnoticed. You register what you are eating and your food gives you satisfaction.
- You learn to respect, take care of and love your body just the way it is.
 Conclusion —
Diet culture is all about aesthetics. Learning about your body cues is very important to know what it needs and wants rather than what the world is telling you to give it.
Eating a little bit of what you desire from time to time, makes cravings vanish and not seem special anymore.
Enjoy your food, eat when you are hungry and eat what your body wants (unless you are not allowed to eat it for health reasons.)
Tip-1— Instead of restricting yourself and letting the craving desire simmer in your body, intuitive eating and eating in moderation might be your better option.
Tip-2 —Instead of forcing superficial change, like swapping a piece of cake for a fruit, its time to look for the reason for the food craving. Is it a source of comfort? Once you realize the root cause, the power food has over you weakens.
It all starts with recognising that — food will fix anything is a lie.
