Got Cravings? Get inside scoop on what your body is trying to say!

Our bodies are so amazing!  I don’t know about you, but I am amazed by mine more and more each day!  A few years ago I went through a period where I disliked my body!  I hated the way it made me feel, the way it looked, and the messages it was trying to give me!  I felt like it wasn’t me or even a part of me.  A dear friend of mine helped me to realize that my body was not this separate piece of me…it was part of me.  It took me a while to ponder that and really come to terms with it, but when I did I was able to look at and respect it in a whole new way.  Since then I have been able to tune into to its messages (the bloating, stomach pain, back pain, extra weight, and food cravings) and use them as a tool to know what I need.  Today I want to share with you some of the messages behind cravings!  My hope is that these messages and exercises can help you to connect a little more with your body and open up some space in your heart for self love!

I am sure you have all experienced some type of craving at one time or another. Cravings are simply your body’s way of asking for nutrients.  To achieve health and wellness we need three types of nutrients: 
* Physical nutrients from foods (aka vitamins and minerals)
* Emotional nutrients (support, love, self love)
* Spiritual nutrients (things that feed the essence of who we are and make us feel alive <3)

When we are running low on nutrients or our cup is half way full, it is common for the body to give us messages through (pain, digestive issues, weight gain, etc) or begin to crave things like sugar, chocolate, salty foods or caffeine. 
 
How do you nourish your body and stop the cravings?
The first step is to identify what you are craving: 
 
Physical Cravings:
What foods are most appealing to you?  
What do you feel like eating after a long day or when you are stressed?

Food Craving List      Nutrients needed (what your body maybe lacking)
Sweets                       Chromium
Chocolate                   Magnesium
Caffeine                     B vitamins or Iodine 
Dairy Products            Alfalfa
Salty foods                 Minerals

 
Emotional Cravings:
Often when we have an “emotional” craving we feel like we are depleted (tired, run down, lonely, or sad. If you are not feeling your emotions this can come across as emotional eating or eating because you are bored.  I find it helpful to try to tune into the emotion.  You can ask yourself a few times a day “How do I feel or what am I feeling?”.  Journaling can be very helpful you can start by asking the question and
then just start writing.   If nothing comes up don’t give up on yourself it takes time and practice.
 

Spiritual Cravings:
In today’s busy world is it so easy to forget to nourish the spirit.  When the spirit is depleted usually people seem to lose motivation. Some questions that may help you to identify if your spirit is depleted:

Do you lose motivation easily?
Do you know what you want but have no motivation to get it or just feel like it is too far out of reach?
Do you feel really overwhelmed, maybe even by simple things?
Do you find it hard to be around people because you feel like you can’t fully be yourself?

An exercise to nourish your spirit:
Make a list of the things that you love or love to do and the things that make you feel alive? 
Then make an effort each day to take at least 20 minutes to do something that nourishes your spirit.  You will notice that your cups starts to feel more full and passion/ motivation start to come back into your life :0)


Taking time to get to know your body and what it is really asking for can help you feel more satisfied, more in control of your hunger/ cravings, more energized, and more at peace with your body :0)

Remember to be compassionate with yourself!  It takes practice and time.

Much love and gratitude to you!  If you have questions or comments please post them below on the blog!


P.S.  If you need help, I would love to help you!  Helping people connect to their bodies (their self) is what I love doing… it makes my spirit come alive!