by
Paul
BenhaimCraving
Most people have cravings from time to time, and more often
when we change the foods we eat. Have you ever felt the need for
cheese one day or a particular type of fruit the next? It is often not
the cheese or fruit we actually crave, but one or more of the
nutrients contained within the food. An example is the craving for
cheese. When we eat cheese after a craving for it, we are bound
to enjoy the taste. What is happening is a domino effect, a split-
second chain reaction. Our body requires a certain nutrient. We
eat but do not fulfill the body’s need for this nutrient so the
organ(s) that lack this nutrient send a signal to HQ, the brain, to
alert it to the need for calcium, a particular vitamin or mineral, fat,
protein, carbohydrate, enzyme or liquid. The brain is a clever
being that translates the need into something the mind recognizes.
In our example the brain tells the mind to look for some cheese as
it knows it contains some calcium. We will not stop the craving for
cheese until we either eat cheese or something else that contains
the nutrient needed.
Many times I have been asked what to do about such
cravings, why do we feel like eggs or burgers or chips, when we
are aware that these foods are not suitable for an ideal diet. The
solution is not simple, however there is a basic understanding that
can be applied whenever you get an unhealthy craving. The
reason for the craving either due to a nutritional or emotional
deficiency.
Firstly, let’s look at the emotional deficiency, the use of
foods for comfort. Look at the comfort food. Is it the texture, the
warmth, the memories associated with it? It could be any or all of
these, or something entirely different. But try and work out what it
is, and then think why you need comforting? Whatever the reason,
give it to yourself. If you want a sandwich, instead of bread use
lettuce as they do in southeast Asia or Nori swaweed as they do in
Japan.