I wanted to discuss the topic of cravings, which is something I discuss at length in my third book, The Beauty Detox Power. There’s a whole section breaking down the top 8 food cravings (it’s not helpful to lump them all together!).
I discuss in detail the root causes of each craving, as well as the most effective tips and tools for getting past your food cravings long-term.
I also supply you with some awesome, healthy new food solutions to satisfy your cravings while you deal with the root cause.
There are over 60 brand new recipes in The Beauty Detox Power, and they are organized into sections by craving and way to feel better, rather than by entree, dessert, etc.
I think that most all of us, let’s be real, have dealt with food cravings. I know that I certainly have, and I’m sure that you know what I’m talking about, whether it’s that intense feeling around ice cream or chips or cupcakes, whatever it is.
We all know that urge of just wanting that immediate satisfaction from a particular food, and feeling an overwhelmingly strong “need” for a particular food.
I’ve been doing a lot of research about this for the last few years, and it’s also something that I’ve had to deal with in my work with my clients. I find it really fascinating.
I think food cravings in the media has been oversimplified and lumped into one big umbrella. But there are actually specific tips, tools and root causes for each type of craving, and understanding why it’s different to crave ice cream versus French fries is empowering and help give you back control over your diet and life.
Cravings largely stem from psychological reasons, and different foods satisfy different emotional and mental needs.
Fat provides a grounding, stabilizing effect in your stomach (which is comforting when outer things you can’t control are whirling out of control), versus something really sweet, which instantly helps shift your mood and makes you feel euphoric (at least for a hot moment!).
Beyond all the research, this information is something that I’ve seen experienced personally around me with my clients and in my work, not to mention myself, and so I’m really excited to be sharing it with you.
A common myth that has persisted in the past few decades is that cravings are somehow tied to a nutritional gap or nutritional deficiency of some sort.
But now this whole concept has been largely dis-proven. For instance, we may have heard that chocolate cravings are tied to being low in magnesium, but certain foods, such as some nuts, have very similar magnesium levels.
So if the magnesium theory were true, then we would crave nuts in a similar way that we crave chocolate. And I think chocolate lovers (including myself!) simply know that is really not the case.
Also, we’ve been told that chocolate is hormonally driven, and may be tied to our menstrual cycles. But research, and in particular, a study out of the University of Pennsylvania, has shown that postmenopausal women don’t have the type of significant drop in chocolate cravings after menopause that one would expect if the chocolate cravings were truly hormonally induced.
There’s so much amazing research and insight in The Beauty Detox Power! Again, there’s differences in why you may crave M&M’s versus a burrito, versus pretzels, the latter being something I personally craved for many, many years.
Understanding the unique psychology behind the combination of your cravings is one of the keys to freedom.
There’s also a lot of personal stories in The Beauty Detox Power. This book is definitely the most personal of all my books. I share the most with you more about my life and about my personal journey with food and my struggles with weight, and how I was able to get to a place of balance, which is part of the reason I’m so passionate about sharing it with you.
I really want you to have the same freedom in your life and to move past feeling that you have to be obsessed with food and your weight, and having to deal with consistent worry and frustration.
Once you get that under control, you can focus more of your precious and sacred energy on your professional and personal goals.
I’ll be discussing some more about cravings in the future, and I am so excited for you to be reading the cravings section in The Beauty Detox Power.
BUT…there are many other sections that delve into a new way of looking the overall role of food in wellness, so I can’t wait for you to read the whole book! I know that you’ll get a lot of benefit out of it.
Take care and be well.
Love,
Kimberly
Many fitness and health experts also say that cravings are just a bad habit developed by people. And it is the biggest enemy of a healthy lifestyle as well.