Cravings: Good or Evil?

Cravings.  We all have them.  Some of us may be more prone to food cravings then others.  However, unless you lose your sense of smell or taste, you are always going to have them.

We can all relate to the pregnant woman who craves pickles and ice cream.  Okay- maybe that’s just in TV shows, but admit it-- us women probably had some kind of craving during pregnancy.  For me, I craved hamburgers, pretzels and cheese.  Do you ever stop to think about exactly where cravings come from? 

There are a few different reasons for cravings.

1.  We have become conditioned to craving a certain food, based on our child hood.  Say, whenever you were sick your mom made you chicken noodle soup, so now when you get sick,that is what you crave.  Or maybe you had cookies every day after school, and now you are wondering why you are eating sweets every afternoon.  Maybe you grew up eating pretzels all the time like me.  So my pretzel craving is more out of habit. 

2.  There is an emotional component. We crave creamy foods when we are depressed. Ice cream is a typical go-to comfort food.  Carbohydrates (especially baked goods) also aide us in depression, as eating it actually increases our feel good hormone, serotonin.   Craving crunchy, salty foods may mean we have some anger to deal with. The act of crunching is our subconscious way of soothing our anger.

 3. There is a physical reason.  Did you know that a major salt craving could be due to lack of mineral, specifically magnesium?  If salt is your weakness, try taking a magnesium supplement and see what happens.  Craving sweets or carbs could be due to a lack of serotonin.  (the feel good hormone I mentioned)

Now that you know that there are real reasons for cravings, how would you feel if somebody told you that your cravings are bad?  Being made to feel less-than for having a craving is like telling someone that they are a bad person for breathing.  Cravings are as natural as breathing. 

So what do we do?  We fall into the trap of thinking that we need to suppress our appetite with pills.  We think if only I didn’t crave a certain food in the first place, my life would be wonderful.  Sure, maybe losing your appetite for a certain food will help you to not eat as much and even lose weight, but what happens when your favorite tool gets taken away? 

I am all for trying things that don’t seem like punishment.  I admit to have not tried this but some people swear by a tongue cleaner.  They are not just for dental purposes-- they can actually help with cravings by removing some of the left over food from before.  However, what if your cravings are due to a mineral deficiency?  You are not getting to the root of the problem. 

Look, I get it.  I have both starved myself, and binged on food.  My craving has always been for chips and pretzels.  However, I have learned to stop and ask myself before hand if it’s something I really need.  If I feel that it’s okay to eat at the time, I am mindful of my food and I put it on a plate and eat it slowly. I savor every bite so that i feel satisfied when I am done eating.  I enjoy the food because pretzels are not evil.  (maybe not a health food, but I practice the 80/20 rule... strive for mostly “clean” foods) 

The mind is a powerful thing and I feel that before we try to suppress our cravings, we need to learn tools for handling them, as well as figure out if there is a deeper reason, weather it be physical or emotional. 

By the way, I focus a lot on Mindful Eating with my clients, and this is a lot of what we talk about.   I am so excited to have my friend from Your Photo Solutions  helping me make a “Mindful Eating Journal” for YOU.... stay tuned for more details! :)

Kellie McGarry
Certified Health Coach
www.nourishedandnew.com

Does Dieting Advice Confuse You?

Atkins diet, Raw foods Diet, Macrobiotic Diet, Green Smoothies Diet, Plant-based diet, South Beach Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet.... what do all of these "diets" have in common?  

Each comes complete with a resident Expert... usually a Doctor or Nutritionist who claims that he/she has the answer to weight loss.  Sometimes the "expert" is just an ordinary person who found "the answer" based on her own experience.

Have you tried a diet and failed?  If you did, what did you tell yourself?   Did you say, "I'm worthless. Why even bother.  I can't do one thing right.  I can't even stick to one diet." 

When I attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Certified Health Coach, I had the opportunity to study over 100 different dietary theories....they joked saying their mission was to confuse us.

I think after each class, I told myself, "That's it!  I"m going ALL raw."  Or... "maybe I should cut out all meat."  (by the way, I am *mostly* vegan now)... or maybe I should go Macrobiotic (lots of cooked foods such as soups and grains).

The reality is though, that we are all different and what works for one person may not work for another.  This concept is called Bio-individuality.  Joshua Rosenthal, the founder of the school likes to say "One person's food is another person's poison."

There is NO ONE DIET THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.  Lots of factors are involved.  Are you sensitive to certain foods (without even realizing it) ?   You may be gluten intolerant like I am.  Or, can your body not handle meat very well?  (for the record, I do disagree with the Atkins diet... but I think that fad has faded out anyway).   What about Green Smoothies?  Surely, drinking fruits and vegetables would help me lose weight, right?  Well, not for everyone!  Some people may not be able to handle consuming  "cooling foods" all day (such as raw fruits and vegetables)  Or they may be hypothyroid (again, sometimes without realizing it) and may need to cut back on raw greens such as spinach and kale. 

In fact, even though the word diet, in and of itself is not a bad word (we are ALL on some kind of diet),  in the media sense of the word, let's just THROW OUT the word "Diet".   As a health coach, I am not here to put you on a Diet. 

My goal is to empower you to ENJOY food WITHOUT  restriction.  (Granted, based on sensitivities, there may be foods you need to eliminate, such as some grains)  .  When we restrict food without good cause, we are punishing ourselves. 

Why do we tend to punish ourselves? We don't love ourselves at a soul level.  We have become our own worst enemy and we use food as a tool for punishment. 

So let's throw away the notion that we must find a certain "Diet" to make us happy.  And know that you are NOT a failure if you tried a diet and it backfired. 

Together, we can figure out what works best for YOUR unique body so you can find true, lasting healing! 

Have an awesome weekend!!

Kellie McGarry
www.nourishedandnew.com
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Free Fitness and Nutrition Classes! Come join other ladies throughout Phoenix for an hour of Fun that will get your heart beating and your spirit Empowered!
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Love Your Body!

If I have seemed a bit quiet lately, it's probably because I have been focusing my energies on two things:  one is my Ladies HEALTHY Happy Hour program.... free fitness and nutrition classes throughout the valley (click Here for more info).... as well as my talk at my old college... AZ Christian University (used to be called Southwestern College which is what i will always call it!). 

This talk is very important to me because I will be sharing with the girls about how I had an eating disorder during college, as well as my victory, and talking about how we see ourselves and how we need to focus on our True Worth. 

The talk is called Love Your Body-- Nourish Your Soul.

Body image issues isn't just a problem for young girls and college students.  In fact, studies show that about 80% of women hate how they look and have been involved in some kind of disordered eating because of it. 

Here is a definition of disordered eating:
"To me, disordered eating means having an unhealthy relationship with food and/or your body, one that diminishes the quality of your life and affects your overall health – physical, mental, and/or emotional."
(quote from here: http://www.healthforthewholeself.com/2010/10/what-i-mean-by-disordered-eating/)

So the good news is that you are not alone!  Most women have some kind of negative image about their body.

However, to me, that is not an excuse.  I love my friends and clients enough to not allow them to stay in that rut!  Dare to stand out and be different!  I know we will never 100% fully accept ourselves because we live in a fallen world.  However, there are steps we can take to start loving ourselves, no matter what size or shape. 

1. Post Affirmations around your house.  Get index cards and write things such as "I am beautiful just the way I am."  or " I am confident in my skin and I radiate that to others." 

2.  Practice Gratitude every. single.day.  Be grateful for the so-called "little things" (which are really big) such as your toes, legs and hands.  For the ability to think with reason.  For your stomach that tells you when you are hungry or full.  For the capacity to love.

3.  I know I've said this before but I will say it again.  THROW AWAY YOUR SCALE!  Some of us may need a deadline... so how about you do this by Feb. 14th?   Instead of worrying about your weight on Valentines Day.... focus on how you can show love to others. 

I know many, many women want to lose weight, and that is partly why I am a health coach.  Losing weight does have positive health implications..... but losing weight is not the end result.  You are not going to lose weight and all have a sudden have a wonderfully, perfect life.  You may not even feel the confidence that you were longing for.  You may start to hate other things about yourself once you lose weight.

Being healthy and enjoying life is not about your body!  It's about accepting yourself for WHO YOU ARE.  We must be willing to dig deep and do the dirty work before we are ready to lose weight. 

Remember, I am here for you!! 

Who is ready to take on the challenge with me?  I love to help other moms form a new relationship with food and with their bodies. 

Visit my website at www.nourishedandnew.com for more information. :)

Kellie McGarry