Comfort Foods Revealed

What comfort foods do you crave?  There can be a number of reasons for desiring a comfort food. First, you may simply just be hungry. The reason most food cravings occur is because a lot of people have waited too long to eat.  When you're hungry, naturally, you think about food. You probably aren't going to think about the foods that you don't like; instead, you'll most likely fantasize about your favorite foods such as a cookie or a cheeseburger!  For the average person, most don't crave a vegetable (although cravings for veggies will come over time after adding them in consistently!).  They like them, but they don't love them the way they do a slice of decadent cake.

Aside from being hungry, you might have an emotional reason for wanting a comfort food. Food cravings are really more psychological, then physiological. It's usually something that someone thinks that they really want, not that their body is telling them they really need.

These emotional triggers can be anything from feeling lonely or upset to being elated. You may link certain foods with making you feel better. Foods high in carbohydrates, such as muffins, or pastries, actually can chemically lift your mood. Carbohydrates, a large component of many comfort foods, raise serotonin levels (the "happy chemicals") producing a feel-good sensation in your brain.

Stressful situations can also cause cravings for comfort foods. If a person is feeling very stressed, they want to reach for something that they think is going to make them feel better.  So naturally, they go to those foods that they really enjoy.

A made-over comfort food of mine: Brown rice pasta tossed in
pastured organic butter, a few minced cloves of garlic, fresh
ground pepper with sea salt and a little brewer's yeast.

The taste and texture of certain foods may have a direct link to why you're craving them, and at certain times.  Crunchy foods create a loud noise while we chew…our mind's way to drown out the endless stream of thoughts.  Creamy foods can be relaxing…a way to ease stress.  Salt cravings can indicate a mineral deficiency.  Sweet cravings can signify a number of different reasons such as dehydration, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalances, lack of energy, or simply stem from a depressed mood.  Sour cravings may signify that your digestion could use a little assistance.  Liquid cravings (of any form) is another cry for hydration. 

Obviously, the best way to stave off cravings is to not get them in the first place. Be sure to eat every 3 to 4 hours and always pack a nutritious snack in between meals just in case plans change and you'll be off your routine or on the go. Resist the temptation to buy these foods while grocery shopping so that they're not in your house.  Keep in mind though; restricting your favorite foods completely can make you think about them even more. Instead make them occasional foods.  Better yet, learn how to prepare those favorite comfort foods in your own kitchen, in a healthier way! 

You can also try diversions or substitutions. Diversions usually include an activity such as taking a walk, calling a friend, practicing arts and crafts, surfing the Internet or reading a book. Sometimes our emotions are behind our comfort cravings.  Emotions are energy in motion so divert that energy somewhere else other than food.  A substitution could be having fresh crunchy carrots in place of chips or making your own pudding instead of chocolate mousse. 

Understanding the common reasons for your comfort food cravings, and diverting those cravings into something other than food can help you to stay in control of your food choices along with handling your emotions and stress in a healthy way.  Try these tips before mindlessly surrendering to your next comfort food craving:

1.     Take 3 deep, slow breaths right before you eat.  Take a good look at the food in front of you.  Notice it’s color, scent, texture. 

2.     Ask yourself honestly; What am I hungry for? Will this food nourish my body, mind and soul right now?

3.     Slowly take your first bite and place your utensil down.  Chew carefully and many times, savoring all that’s happening in this one bite of food.  Take each bite this slow and with much mindfulness.

The Who / What / Where / When & WHY of Comfort Foods

Deconstruct your comfort food cravings so that you can better understand where exactly they’re stemming from.  Answer these questions honestly and think way outside of the box, incorporating every aspect of your being into the equation.  This will provide you with much awareness and with awareness, change can happen!

What.

What are comfort foods?

  

Who.

Who are your comfort foods?

Where.

Where do you crave comfort foods?

When.

When do you desire comfort foods?

WHY?!

Why do you crave these comfort foods?

The 8 Causes of Cravings

I looooooove deconstructing cravings! Whenever someone mentions a craving they're having I immediately start analyzing what their body is trying to tell them.

The body is amazing. It knows when to go to sleep, wake up, go to the bathroom, maintain 98.6 degrees and tighten the eyes when the light gets bright. It knows the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. Your heart never misses a beat. Your lungs are always breathing. The body is a super-computer, and it never makes mistakes.

Look at the foods, deficits and behaviors in your life that are the underlying causes of your cravings. Many people view cravings as weakness, but really they are important messages meant to assist you in maintaining balance. When you experience a craving, deconstruct it. Ask yourself, what does my body want and why?

The 8 primary causes of cravings are:

1. Lack of primary food. Being dissatisfied with a relationship or having an inappropriate exercise routine (too much, too little or the wrong type), being bored, stressed, uninspired by a job, or lacking a spiritual practice may all cause emotional eating. Eating can be used as a substitute for entertainment or to fill the void of primary food.

2. Water. Lack of water can send the message that you are thirsty and on the verge of dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as a mild hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water. Excess water can also cause cravings, so be sure that your water intake is well balanced.

3. Yin/yang imbalance. Certain foods have more yin qualities (expansive) while other foods have more yang qualities (contractive). Eating foods that are either extremely yin or extremely yang causes cravings in order to maintain balance. For example, eating a diet too rich in sugar (yin) may cause a craving for meat (yang). Eating too many raw foods (yin) may cause cravings for extremely cooked (dehydrated) foods or vise versa.

4. Inside coming out. Often times, cravings come from foods that we have recently eaten, foods eaten by our ancestors, or foods from our childhood. A clever way to satisfy these cravings is to eat a healthier version of one’s ancestral or childhood foods.

5. Seasonal. Often the body craves foods that balance the elements of the season. In the spring, people crave detoxifying foods like leafy greens or citrus foods. In the summer, people crave cooling foods like fruit, raw foods and ice cream, and in the fall people crave grounding foods like squash, onions and nuts. During winter, many crave hot and heat-producing foods like meat, oil and fat. Cravings can also be associated with the holidays, for foods like turkey, eggnog or sweets, etc.

6. Lack of nutrients. If the body has inadequate nutrients, it will produce odd cravings. For example, inadequate mineral levels produce salt cravings, and overall inadequate nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritional forms of energy, like caffeine.

7. Hormonal. When women experience menstruation, pregnancy or menopause, fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels may cause unique cravings.

8. De-evolution. When things are going extremely well, sometimes a self-sabotage syndrome happens. We crave foods that throw us off, thus creating more cravings to balance ourselves. This often happens from low blood sugar and may result in strong mood swings.