Connecting cravings to emotions.

Cravings can be our body's way of telling us that it needs something. Cravings can also be tied to emotions. When you are craving foods, it's important to address the craving by giving your body what it needs or addressing the emotion that's triggering the craving. 

We can all agree that these are some of the hardest times we've experienced in our lifetimes. We are having to stay away from family, friends and even coworkers. Honestly, I would love to hug someone right now. Dealing with this pandemic can cause many cravings triggered by emotions. If you give into a craving that was trigger by an emotion without address the root cause, the satisfaction will only be temporary but by giving in to the craving you now have other issues with staying on track with your lifestyle. 

My carbohydrate cravings are pretty much non-existent at this point but I craved a red pear around the second month of the pandemic. Of all things to crave, a red pear! I haven't had cravings in a long time so it caught me off guard. Immediately I began to analyze the situation to see what my body was trying to tell me. The light bulb went off! I hadn't seen my mother in about a month. Sweet cravings are a sign of emotional disconnect. I missed my mommy. So instead of giving in to the craving and eating the pear, I packed my lawn chairs in the truck, went to my mother's house and talked to her while she sat on the porch. I addressed the emotion that was causing the craving. 

There are research studies that link long term behavior patterns of self medicating with sugar to child hood trauma. Self medicating with sugar is a temporary fix for an issue that needs to be addressed at the emotional level. One may need professional help to address these issues. Emotional health is very important on your journey. 

Salt cravings are influenced by stress, especially chronic stress. If you are constantly craving things like potato chips and salty nuts, you may want to make sure you're taking measures to rid your body of stress. Remember we don't have to be afraid of salt on a ketogenic lifestyle but there should still be a balance. We still have to make sure we are not using salt in excess, especially the synthetic iodized version. Make sure you are also using a quality salt like pink Himalayan, Celtic or Real Salt. Balance without being toxic is the goal. 

Sour cravings are triggered by emotions of rage and depression. This could be especially common right now as we deal with issues surround COVID-19. The liver serves as the organ that is in charge of our emotions. We also know that the liver serves as a filter. One way to help the liver rid itself of the things that increases the emotion is to detox. Instead of eating things like sour candy, use things like apple cider vinegar, lemon or fermented pickles. So the next time you find yourself extremely upset, instead of acting on the emotion, take a shot of apple cider vinegar instead!

Spicy cravings are associated with loss and grief. Our bodies can react to this craving with symptoms that mimic allergies. To help decrease the affects, you can choose foods such as garlic, ginger, onions and peppers. Lung energy is associated with spicy cravings. According to Chinese medicine, these foods are said to aid your lung function. 

As you can see, our bodies are very complex. Our emotions play an intricate role with cravings, health and wellness. Addressing the root cause of issues will not only keep you on track with your ketogenic lifestyle, but allow you to heal on an emotional level as well. 

Thank you for taking the time to read. I pray you find the information useful to help you on your journey. 

Thank you, 
​Kisha