The Experts Weigh In: Deconstructing Your Cravings

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BY: NIKKI KNUDSEN, CONTRIBUTOR

We all have them - those longings for something sweet, salty, fried (or all of the above!). Cravings come when we least expect them. Even with the best of intentions, we've all found ourselves bee lining for the nearest package of cookies, sour cream and onion chips or fast food.

As a recovering sugar addict and emotional eater myself, I know these feelings ALL too well! Today, I'd like to help you understand the origin of your cravings so that you know exactly how to defeat them. Yes, that's right! You can win the war over your cravings.

So where do they come from?

Your body is smart. If you are not consuming enough of the right things, your body will nudge you to eat the things that will keep you alive - usually fats and high calorie foods - in an effort to replenish stores of nutrients, or at a very basic level, prepare for famine. Unfortunately, if you don't learn what your body is trying to tell you, you run the risk of being overfed (calorie-wise), yet still malnourished (nutrient-wise).

Cravings can signal anything from a lack of nutrients to an emotional imbalance. Cravings often strike because you are tired, stressed or unhappy. You may feel hungry when you are actually thirsty, or cravings may result from eating too much of one type of food while neglecting another. Basically, any sort of imbalance in your diet or lifestyle can signal your body to request nourishment in the form of a craving.

Cravings are not weakness; they are your body's way of telling you that SOMETHING is missing. Our bodies are wonderfully intuitive. Learning to hear what your body is telling you is the biggest step in fulfilling your cravings the healthy way.

Image via rawfoodswitch.com

I need cookies!

Craving sweets can be a sign of dehydration so grab some water and wash your sweet tooth away. I recommend sipping warm water throughout the day because warm water is particularly helpful in flushing out toxins.

You may also be craving something sugary because you are missing something sweet in your life or in your relationships. Sugar releases endorphins, which make you 'feel' happy and comforted. Instead of giving into the craving, try finding a way to treat yourself to something 'sweet' and unrelated to food, like a quick stretch or maybe a massage.

The need for sweets can also be an indication that you are missing certain nutrients - chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur or tryptophan. Here are some foods you can eat to calm your sweet cravings. Broccoli, grapes and beans help to replenish missing chromium. Fresh fruit replenishes carbon and helps fill that need for something sweet. To get more phosphorous, you can consume lean meats, free range eggs, nuts, legumes and whole grains, like quinoa and millet. Sulfur is found in cranberries, kale and cabbage, while tryptophan can be replenished through organ meats, lamb, raisins and sweet potatoes.

Try incorporating more sweet fruits and vegetables into your diet. When you do, you will notice a reduction in your need for processed, sugary treats after just a few days. Also try using a more natural sweetener like barley malt, stevia and maple syrup. You can find stevia under the brand name Kal. They make delicious flavored stevia that is great in coffee, tea and hot breakfast cereals.

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Pass the salt!

Cravings for salt signal that your body is missing the trace minerals found in natural salt. Processed salt (ie. table salt) is stripped of these natural minerals during processing, with magnesium taking the biggest hit. To boost your intake of this important mineral, try incorporating pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax and dark chocolate (good quality dark chocolate... M&M's don't count!) into your diet. 

Cravings for salt can also be a sign of adrenal fatigue. If you suspect that adrenal fatigue is the culprit, try eating foods high in vitamin C like citrus fruits, peppers and broccoli. You can also include foods high in potassium, such as apricots, raisins, figs and bananas.

When buying salt, it is important to purchase a good quality, unrefined mineral or sea salt. A trip to your local health food store may be in order or Amazon.com has a great variety and is only a click away. 

Begin incorporating dried herbs and spices into your cooking to take the place of excessive salt. There are so many to choose from!

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French fries... mmm!

The craving for fatty, fried foods usually results from a lack of just that - fats! But keep in mind that all fats are not created equal. If you find yourself craving fries, fried chicken or anything oily and heavy, try supplementing with healthier fats. Eating avocados and raw nuts like almonds and cashews, while also consuming a serving or two of coconut oil or flaxseed oil, can give your body the fat it needs without exposing you to harmful partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats.

So what's it all mean?

In the end, the most important thing to remember is that your body is perfect in every way. It breathes. It pumps blood. It converts food to fuel. You don't have to think about any of that - it just happens. Learn to listen to your body and trust that it has your best interests in mind when it sends you a request in the form of a craving. 

Love your body, listen to it and use your nutritional choices for good. Cravings will become few and far between once you learn to be more in tune to your nutritional needs.

Cheers to you and your health!

Nikki Knudsen is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor, Reiki Practitioner, Tough Mudder in training, yogi and cautiously optimistic future runner. Recovery and remission from a serious illness led Nikki to her passion of helping others reclaim their vitality, lose weight and learn to love themselves back to good health. You can find Nikki at http://www.nourishwithnikkilee.com/  and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Nourishbodymindsoul.

Decide: Put Your Head Down and Make It Happen!

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BY: SHARON F., CONTRIBUTOR

1 year ago, my 41 year old husband was diagnosed with Stage 3 Small Intestine Cancer.

12 rounds of chemotherapy and 365 days later, my 42 year old husband just completed his very first mini-triathlon.

300 meter swim. 10 mile bike ride. 3.2 mile run. All the way to the finish line.

What a difference one year can make.

Proud is not a big enough word to describe how I feel about him today. His smile at the end of the race was breathtaking, and I will remember that moment forever.

He worked hard for this. No, he didn't join a team. He didn't even follow a training program. He just decided. He decided he was up for the challenge. He believed that he could swim, bike and run.

And he did. It was the same 1 year ago when we faced that terrifying news and the treatment that followed. We just did it. We decided to put our heads down and do it, whatever "it" turned out to be.

Everyday we decided as a family to make changes, to just change one thing at a time. We decided to be intentional with what we put in our mouths and how we spent our time. After learning that sugar is the main ingredient used in PET scans to locate and identify cancer cells, it was the first thing we kicked to the curb. It seemed wrong to supply any lurking cancer cells with more food to feed on, so we starved them instead. No more sodas. No more sugary drinks masquerading as water for the kids. No more foods with sneaky added sugars wearing suspicious names. We knew too much to ignore.

As I watched my husband jump into the pool for his very first 25 meter lap, I couldn't help but catch my breath. It was 1 year ago that I sat in a hospital waiting room as the surgeon handed me a picture of a 6.5 cm tumor - a picture that I blinked and blinked at, trying to make it focus and somehow make sense.

Today I stood outside the pool with the sun on my back, cupping my hands over my eyes, marveling at his long, confident strokes. It was clear he was a lifeguard back in the day. "He so underestimated his time for this," I said out loud to no one in particular as he passed three people in the pool. He put his head down in the water and got it done. 12 laps. 300 meters. Check.

For the past 6 months, I sat with him every 2 weeks as he was injected with a poison that would kill any hidden cancer cells. Just like the swim, he met this challenge head on - quiet and reserved, with an unconventional confidence. We were told that not many people last all 12 rounds, which made him want to go the distance even more. He impressed the nurses with his unassuming, low-maintenance ways. He put his head down and got it done.

Hopping out of the pool, he headed for his first transition. On his way out (on a bike not necessarily suited for this kind of race), he did a wheelie. I "woohooed" and hollered and generally made the video hard to watch later because of my celebratory outbursts.

But this is the perfect symbol for how we lived the past year - doing wheelies. Up and down. From resting and recovering to wrestling and rejuvenating with the kids. When he wasn't feeling tired and fatigued, we were moving. We were playing. We were doing the things that bring us joy. We enjoyed our children and their childhood. We intentionally made time for games. We said 'yes' more. He became the the 'Zen Parent'. We did wheelies, as best we could, throughout all of his treatments.

During one of his transitions, he expressed frustration about his 'not quite right' bike. It was slowing him down. But he quickly reminded himself to just enjoy the experience. It had to be a ride, not just a race. He put his head down, kept pedaling and began noticing. Noticing the beautiful stretching fields of cotton, the lovely houses, the way the wind felt on his face and how the early spring sun warmed his back.

It was the same during his treatments - he didn't talk much. He just showed up. He didn't dwell. He didn't wallow when things were hard. He crowded out the negative and opened himself up to new possibilities. He put his head down and decided to get it done.

As a family, during the past year, we focused on crowding out all of the processed foods in our lives. If it has more than 5 ingredients that we can't pronounce, we don't buy it. If it comes in a box but we can get it fresh, we don't buy it. Instead of processed foods, we bought a Vitamix blender and started making things from scratch. We made green smoothies and shocked our colleagues as we drank neon green juice from mason jars. We invented a new game where we try to do all of our shopping on the perimeter of the grocery store, never stepping foot into the aisles. We visited Farmer's Markets and started learning more about the dangers of GMOs. We got rid of plastics and stopped burning things that may be putting toxins into the air we breathe. We changed the supplies we used to clean our house. We started making 3 hour trips to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in order to find the organic, non-GMO versions of the things we like to eat.

Back at the race, we cheered him on as he hopped off his bike and began the run. He put his head down and put one foot in front of the other. He focused on the remainder of the road, looking ahead towards the finish line.

When he crossed underneath the huge FINISH sign, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of accomplishment. I didn't physically run the race with him, but yet, I was there every step of his journey. That finish line was more significant than anyone around us could have imagined.

Sure, it was only a 300 meter swim, 10 mile bike ride and 5K run, but that finish line marked so much more than that. It marked an ending to some of the scariest times of our lives and the beginning of so many positive changes for our family.

To say things have changed for us over the past year is a bit of an understatement. We were a typical family. Eating and drinking typical things - out of boxes, bottles and bags. Making what we thought were the 'best' worst choices from restaurants and drive thrus. We considered ourselves 'pretty healthy' eaters. We didn't overindulge in the crazy foods, but we didn't always eat our veggies either.

Until that day. That day when the "big scary" happened for us. When the world turned upside down and a new normal was established.

That day we put our heads down and decided. We wouldn't start counting Christmases together. We wouldn't wallow in the overwhelming bad luck and fortune of it all. We wouldn't waste away in the fear of it. Instead, we decided to put our heads down and push forward with intention.

To use our time and energy wisely. Every single day.

To eat well and play more.

So... no matter what your motivation for change, the charge is always to:

Decide. Put your head down and make it happen. Use your challenges to fuel your changes.

With that, I'm off to the pool. We are training together for the next mini-triathlon because this one was all his.

This one was his finish line.

Sharon at MommyVerbs is a working Momma - a newly tattooed, 'just turned 40 year old' who enjoys writing about life with her family T, X and Y, while playing fast and loose with punctuation... engaging each day... one action word at a time. And, she's on a mission. To be intentional. To pay attention to the action of her world. To engage and encourage others to do the same... especially when it comes to health and wellness, what we eat and how we spend our time. Her challenge to you is: Eat Well. And Play More.

Food Rules: The Big Bad Fat Monster!

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Though I was born in the 80's, I am certainly a child of the 90's. One of the biggest things that sticks out in my mind from the 90's (other than the plethora of handsome boy bands to adore) was the huge fat-free/non-fat craze.  My mother, for one, was hooked on Nabisco's SnackWells cookies. Hey, it was a good way to eat sweets within moderation...

...or so we thought. Which leads me to the next guideline from Michael Pollan's book Food Rules...

AVOID FOOD PRODUCTS WITH THE WORDOID "LITE" OR THE TERMS "LOW-FAT" OR "NONFAT" IN THEIR NAMES.

Just because the packaging uses these phrases, doesn't mean the food is healthier OR lower in calories. Allow me to explain.

Fat is what gives food it's consistency. When you remove the fat from food, it obviously has to be replaced with something. In these types of products, the fat is replaced with carbohydrates, sugars, salt and (many times) artificial additives. These ingredients are no better (and sometimes worse) than the fat that was removed to make you think you are eating something good for you. Next time you pick up a box of fat-free anything, scan the label and you'll be surprised at what's inside.

Second, without the fat, your body doesn't get the signal that it's full, causing you to overeat to the point of being stuffed. There's a reason you can eat that whole bag of fat-free chips! It takes a whole bag before you realize you are full. Additionally, studies have suggested that the sugar substitutes used in these products may overstimulate your taste buds, causing you to crave them more and more.

Image courtesy of 100pitches.org

Third, when you're consuming carbohydrates, it's important to allow your body some healthy fats in conjunction with the carbs. When your body breaks down the carbs, sugars are released into your blood stream very quickly. When you eat fat along with the carbs, the fat slows down the release of sugar, keeping your blood sugar from spiking and preventing the inevitable crash that results.

Last, some vitamins that your body requires are fat soluble (ie. vitamin D). Your body uses fat to absorb and store these vitamins. When you purposely cut the healthy fats out of your diet, you are limiting your body's ability to nourish itself.

Fat is a macronutrient for a reason. Macronutrients are needed to survival and basic bodily functions. You need fat for proper hormone function, for normal growth and development, to keep your cell walls strong, to cushion your vital organs, to provide you with energy and to keep you warm. Fat deficiency can cause dry skin, eczema, low energy, impaired kidneys, slow healing time, vision issues, learning problems, depression and even miscarriage. When choosing fats, it's important to pick healthy fats, such as olive or canola oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

Image courtesy of healthyglutton.com

Moral of the story? Fat-free and non-fat products do not necessarily equal healthy nor do they lead to weight loss. Michael Pollan makes it very clear...

"Since the low-fat campaign began in the late 1970s, Americans actually have been eating more than 500 additional calories per day, most of them in the form of refined carbohydrates like sugar. The result: The average male is seventeen pounds heavier and the average female nineteen pounds heavier than in the late 1970s. You're better off eating the real thing in moderation than bingeing on 'lite' food products packed with sugars and salt."

So my friends, think twice as you head down that grocery aisle. Get the good stuff.

Label-Reading 101: Odwalla and Naked Brands

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A few years ago, I worked as a real estate agent on the Upper East Side. I started my day at 9 am and sometimes didn't leave work until 9 pm. Clients would meet me at my office, but by the end of our appointment, I'd find myself halfway across the city in Tribeca, Harlem or the Upper West Side. Having lunch at a specific time each day was just not an option, and I often found myself grabbing food on the fly because 1) I needed to close the deal quickly (NYC real estate is right up there with 'The Amazing Race') or because 2) I was experiencing a major blood sugar crash, leaving me with no energy to bust it to my next appointment and make that money, honey.

Most of my lunches on the fly were an Odwalla Brand protein smoothie or a Naked Brand juice (That's right, I didn't even have time to chew). Yes, they were expensive (as a drink alone), but if you considered them a meal, they were quite affordable. I justified it and chugged those drinks like it was my job, feeling especially proud of myself for choosing something so healthy when I could have easily opted for the fast food option.

I should have saved the self-praise for another day. Odwalla and Naked are not horrible for you in the grand scheme of things, but if you take time to look at the labels, you'll notice a few things...

1) The nutrition label can be deceptive. The label for Naked usually reflects 1 serving size, when there are often 2 servings in the bottle. In essence, you have to double everything listed. This is a Naked issue, more so than Odwalla. Take a look at Naked's Blue Machine label (taken from their website www.nakedjuice.com). If you are drinking this along with a meal (which I can only assume many people are), you're adding 340 calories to your meal (almost enough calories to equal a light meal).

Image courtesy of nakedjuice.com

2) Much of the fiber is lost when processed into the drink form. When you consider how many fruits and vegetables are included in one bottle, you'll be disheartened to see how low the fiber content is in comparison. Fiber plays a major role in making you feel full. So if you're using this as a meal replacement, then you'll probably find yourself hungry shortly thereafter, causing you to consume more calories by having another snack or an additional meal.

3) These drinks are PACKED with sugar. Yes, it is natural sugar derived directly from the fruit itself (vs. the big bad alternative, processed sugar), but that still doesn't make it healthy to consume that much sugar in one sitting. At 40 grams per 12 oz. bottle, Odwalla's C Monster Smoothie packs more sugar than a can of Coke (39 grams per 12 oz. bottle). Granted, it's not processed sugar, but your body won't notice the difference. You'll get the same sugar rush, followed by the same hard crash afterwards. 

Image courtesy of littlemagpie.org

4) If you're not a fan of big corporations, you'll be disappointed to hear that Naked is a subsidiary of Pepsi and Odwalla is a subsidiary of Coke. They put out products that are wrapped in 'good-for-you' labels, but at the same time have no problem producing drinks that are completely lacking in nutritional content and natural ingredients. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good Diet Coke every once in awhile (I am from the company's hometown after all), but even I can recognize that Coke and other soda products are not that good for you - bottom line.

Image courtesy of kulturekritic.com

Before I come off as a raving lunatic, I'd like to point out that I WOULD recommend these drinks in a few specific situations...

1) If you hate vegetables and absolutely refuse to eat your fruit in its natural form, I'd suggest these drinks as a last resort to get the nutrients that your body needs. These drinks provide a decent variety of the vitamins that your system requires to function, and they are an easy, on-the-go option for those who need a fast, non-messy alternative to eating actual fruit and vegetables.

2) If you have a sugar craving after dinner but don't want to indulge in the usual cookies, ice cream or cake, I can support drinking a few sips of Naked or Odwalla. It will appease your sweet tooth in a healthier way, keeping you from the processed ingredients and empty calories of a traditional dessert. 

My point is this: Be aware of what you are consuming and consume with moderation. These drinks are not ALL bad, but they are definitely over-indulgent and should be 'rationed' accordingly.

I'll get off my soapbox now before Coke and Pepsi come looking for me.

Bad News Bears: The Frightening Truth About Salad Dressing

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Let me set the scene: You're at a restaurant. Your friend gets a burger. You're tempted to do the same thing, but you fight the urge and finally settle on a salad. You feel great. You pat yourself on the back. You say 'Great job, Self. I'm proud of you.' Then post-congratulations, you slather that salad with salad dressing and down the drain goes your attempt to eat healthy and consciously.

So what happened? Where did you go wrong? You thought you were doing so good!!

Let me break it down for you... that salad dressing is sometimes worse than the burger you just passed up!

Most store-bought salad dressing contains hydrogenated oils, preservatives and artificial flavors. They're usually packed with sugar and are high in fat to top if off. When you consider that a serving size of salad dressing is usually only 2 tablespoons and the average person (me included) uses much much more, your caloric and fat intake skyrocket.

To burst yet another bubble, choosing a salad at fast-food chains can be the worst idea you've had all day. Now I know most of you NEVER EVER eat at fast food chains (wink wink), but just in case you do, check out these salad stats...

• Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad - 540 calories and 25 grams of fat
• Arby's Chopped Farmhouse Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing - 650 calories and 46 grams of fat
• Chick-fil-A's Chick-n-Strips Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing - 620 calories and 39 grames of fat
• Taco Bell's Chipotle Steak Taco Salad - 900 calories and 57 grams of fat

With that being said, it's extremely easy to make your own salad dressings, meaning YOU control what goes into your body. Your salad suddenly becomes healthy again, and you can pile on the dressing if you so choose!

Click the link below for some healthy and EASY salad dressing recipes...

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/10-delicious-diy-salad-dressings/#axzz20EsYCMcy