I know food cravings well. I write about them, advise readers and clients about them, and talk about them on national TV segments. But in no way, shape or form does that mean that I don’t indulge in them myself.
As time has gone on, my self compassion has increased. I used to be so horribly mean to myself! I used to tell myself how gross and fat I was, and how I had no self control. Sheesh! Who would ever talk like that to anyone? Now if I do something less than healthy, as I’m perfectly and consciously aware, I’ll give myself a break, and instead of those mean girl remarks say something kind like, “Yes! You go and enjoy it now. Don’t worry- you’ll get back on track tomorrow.”
Because (because!) I know now, more than ever, that it’s our long-term habits that truly count, not some indulgences here or there or bouncing around one faddish new trend to another (which can overwhelm your poor system!).
I’ve been through a lot in the last few months. It’s been a mind-blowingly intense time of growth for me. I’ve spend more time in hospitals than I ever have before. I feel like my heart has blown open. I’ve been initiated into a whole new phase, redefining life after having survived something that only comes twice in our lives- the loss of a parent.
I know this may sound like a cliché, but in the most powerful sense, everything seems very different. While there are moments of extreme pain and sadness and loss, there is also a new awakening in deeper levels of love. I feel more connected to everyone around, even people I see but don’t even talk to or interact with directly. I have experienced the transitory nature of Life, and I know there is nothing to be taken for granted. Only love is real and lasting! And that in turn has increased my self-love.
So…back to food. In those moments of sadness of late, I’ve been self medicating with creamy foods. Here I quote myself from The Beauty Detox Power:
On the other hand, soft, creamy or smooth foods can provide comfort or reassurance…
I used to most often crave and over-indulge in salty, crunchy pretzels and chips. But now I’m going through a lot of creamy cravings, which you may be very familiar with as well, especially if you’ve gone/are going through a period of stress, big life change or overload in some way.
I want to share with you my favorite ways of indulging in my creamy cravings, which vary from savory to super sweet. These are healthier ways I’ve found to satisfy, but not take me tooo far off track:
1) Coconut ice cream
I’ve become a connoisseur of this stuff. Sometimes I like almond milk ice cream as well, but it tends to be a tad more icy, so when I want creamy creamy- I go for the gold for fattiness, ie the coconut! I love the Coconut Dream Salted Caramel flavor a lot lately (though I switch around). It’s definitely not perfect- they use agave as a sweetener for instance, which you know I am not a fan of and is a huge bummer. I would not use agave in my own recipes.
Buuuut, this is an indulgence, as so I know it’s not the absolute cleanest. But it’s still dairy-free, which is something I won’t budge on for many reasons (including those related to massive bloat, environmental destruction, animal treatment, toxicity, overall health/alkalinity, etc.). A little coconut ice cream goes a long way, so it’s pretty great!
2) My Sri Lankan Dahl recipe (with extra coconut milk!)
This is a dish that I make all the time- it’s so easy and delicious. We traveled to Sri Lanka when I was 11 and 12 weeks pregnant, nauseous at times but hungry when I wasn’t. So I ate a boatload of this Sri Lankan-style dahl, which was rich with coconut milk.
It’s a go-to when I want something lusciously creamy- and I just might put in more coconut milk than what the recipe requires (like 50% more!). Mind you, I like the cartons of concentrated, culinary coconut milk that you can find usually in the Asian section of markets best, but whatever you can source will do the trick!
3) Nut cheese
When it’s done right, it’s soooo good. If you live in LA, the cheese plate at Plant Food & Wine is amazing. We went there for dinner and “shared” the cheese plate with a few friends, but really it was me that gobbled the lion’s share of it up (but between that and the creamy kelp noodles and the raw cheesecake I felt like a nut-filled blob floating all the way home! Remember- you can most certainly- and quite easily overdo the nuts when eating raw food dishes!).
If you live everywhere else in the world, there are some great almond-based cheeses around on the market, including the Kite Hill brand. Or coconut and other based cream cheese products, like from Go Veggie or Daiya. Again, these might contain vegetable oils and less favorable ingredients, but we are talking here about satisfying our cravings!
They are not beauty foods or daily staples per se. And they are still dairy free. I like the non-dairy cream cheeses spread on crunchy celery, or I put a big dollop in a kale leaf and wrap it up like a little burrito for a snack in under 20 seconds. Creamy cravings don’t like delayed gratification!
4) Cacao Truffles
This one of our old school Beauty Detox recipes. Admittedly, my fridge is nearly always stocked with them, but I don’t make or roll them up anymore, since I get them from Glow Bio. I put in my time! I’ve rolled them by the hundreds for events and clients before, so I don’t feel an itty bitty little ounce of guilt about just picking them up now. ☺ If you want to try the creaminess out for yourself, get your own from the shop, or check out my easy recipe! It’s super easy, and a classic. There’s something about the coconut oil spread through with the coconut nectar that makes the perfect fudgy creamy treat. Yum yum yum!
So yes. I have been eating these items quite a bit as of late. They feel like treats and are completely satisfying- not partially good or leaving you feeling nit-picky or that you need to keep foraging around the kitchen or neighborhood.
I think it’s a great idea to have healthy alternatives to have around when we are going through something and craving a certain texture or taste quite a bit. I know the root cause is the big life change. But I’m still going to indulge in cravings to get through while I work on the emotional part…and it’s okay!
Let me know if any of these creamy cravings hit the spot for you too- or if you have others ones! And remember The Beauty Detox Power does have great other recipes and food and emotional ideas for getting you past your cravings.
I’m sending you lots of love and a big virtual hug to get you through the day.
Thanks for being part of the community.
With gratitude and peace and even more love,
Kimberly
You are a true Beauty with your own natural, authentic expression that only YOU have to give the world. ?And every Beauty deserves to be adorned properly :). Satya is one of my fav jewelry companies I’ve been wearing for years – I found their West Village store when I used to live in that hood in NY.
Thank you for these tips….these are great. I try and live by the 95/5 rule. 95% of the time my diet is nutrient dense, clean, organic, dairy & alcohol free. The other 5% I allow myself some indulgences from my prior lifestyle. I really do like the Kite Hill brand of ricotta….I cannot even tell the difference from dairy ricotta. Again thank you for these tips. We are headed to LA in a few months & we’ll definitely be trying out the cheese plate at Plant Food & Wine.
Take care.