Deconstructing Cravings
As we move out of January, a month focused on resolutions, goals and changes, we now get to step into a fresh new month. Let’s dig in and talk about cravings. Cravings can be a triggering word and concept. It’s often loaded with previous experiences, past stories and negative connotations. Take a moment to think of what feelings & emotions arise for you, when you consider the idea of cravings. Hold onto these stories and ideas, and let me help create a deeper understanding of what cravings actually are, where they come from and their purpose. In short - deconstruct cravings!
To kick things off I’d like to offer a “Pro Tip” to shift our perception of cravings. Here you go…Ignoring cravings only makes them louder! I’m here to remind you that tuning-out is not the answer, instead, shifting your thoughts inward is where change can happen. When you tell yourself things are off limits, say the chocolate cookie you're craving in the afternoon, what happens? The only thing you can think about is the darn chocolate cookie! I love the idea of acknowledging the craving, and having awareness of it, instead of trying to push it away or ignore it all together. Allow yourself space to explore and be curious about your cravings, instead of instantly judging the them.
At the end of the day our cravings aren’t trying to work against us, they’re simply imbalances in our body. Cravings are a symptom or a piece of information, and this symptom that can lead you to the greater cause, if you're able to tune inward and apply mindfulness. Today I’ll share with you two ways to reframe your perception of cravings, so you can focus inward and explore how cravings are working for you, not against you.
Primary Food
Did you check out last month’s blogs focused on explaining the differences between Primary and Secondary foods? In case you didn’t, here’s a link to a crowd favorite, The Key To Health That Lives Off Our Plate - check it out, I promise it’ll leave you wanting to learn more. As a refresher, here’s a quick recap of the difference between the two types of food. Secondary is simple, it’s all the foods we consume to nourish our bodies. Primary food may be a new concept so let me quickly explain. Primary foods are all the intangible ways you feed your body; meaning the relationships you’re a part of, your spiritual practices, career and physical activity. Each of these components has a huge impact on our overall health and wellbeing. While these areas of our life may not be the first to come to mind if we’re thinking of making a change in our overall health, I’m here to suggest they are crucial. Primary food has a huge influence on our ability to live our best life and is especially important to consider when we’re digging into cravings and understanding their purpose.
It’s very common for imbalances in an area of Primary food to trigger a cravings in Secondary food. I’ll share a few personal examples. If I’ve had a stressful day where work, then I ran straight from my office to “mom-mode” and my kids were bickering, tired and generally grumpy little humans, I’m left feeling worn down, stressed and empty. All this is going to send me searching for an afternoon sweet treat. I’m going to head to the pantry to find some dark chocolate, dip it in almond butter and create my own version of a peanut butter cup to make myself feel better.
Here’s another example, when I’m feeling tired at the end of the day, I long for comfort. This will usually look like curling on the couch to read a book, snuggled in a warm blankie, Bella the Frenchie curled by my side and a hot cup of tea in hand. This fills me up and gives me the comfort from a balance of both Primary and Secondary foods, based on what I’m craving inside.
My hope is that these examples show you how cravings show up in our daily lives, and are a symptom of an imbalance in an area of our life. Take a moment to consider how cravings show up for you as a result of imbalances in your secondary food.
Listen To Your Body’s Cravings
If we allow ourselves the time and space to focus inward, our bodies will always show up for us and help guide us to what it needs. This takes time and practice to decipher intuition from all the noise, but with practice I promise you can get there! As always, I encourage you to start small, and dig into one type of craving you see come up frequently. Explore that craving and listen to what other factors may be contributing to the feeling. Food is a common starting place, because it’s the most talked about craving. So if that feels right, start there. Once you spend a bit of time tuning into your body's cravings for nourishment, consider exploring other areas of your life where are cravings showing you an imbalance? Do you find yourself craving time to unwind, move your body, or relax your mind? All areas of your wellbeing share guidance and information thru cravings.
For me I crave time to quiet my mind. My mind runs wild and busy all day, and for this reason I crave waking up when the house is silent and dark, and I can enjoy a mindful moment all to myself. When I don’t give myself this time in the morning, I always feel the impact of it later in the day. My patience is shorter, I’m harder on myself, and in general I just feel “off.” When I feel these thoughts coming up, I try to take a break and reset. Usually this can happen at the end of the day, when my girls are tucked in, and I can have 5 minutes to listen to a guided meditation. It doesn’t take long to reset, but it takes intentionality to focus inward and being open to what my body is telling me it needs most. If I don’t listen, that voice and reminder gets louder.
Now it’s your turn! Try exploring and observing your cravings with a non-judgmental outlook. I know this can be challenging, afterall we've been taught to believe that cravings are bad. But what if we challenge this idea, and instead allow cravings to empower you to listen to your body's own wisdom and guidance? Simply observing and releasing judgement is an amazing first step.
If this blog has left you inspired to learn more about cravings, check out Busting Myths: Cravings Are Bad!
My hope is that this has left you inspired to learn more. If these ideas have sparked curiosity, I highly encourage you to check out the Mindbody Collective, which is my holistic health coaching membership. You can click here to join the waitlist and receive amazing freebies while you wait for doors to reopen!