Cravings and How to Control Them?
Cravings are said to have underlying messages about our health
and are to be dealt with very carefully. Overindulging can lead to a lot of
problems, and not indulging in them at all may also turn out to be bad
sometimes.
Here is what cravings mean, and how you can control them:
Factors that Cause Craving
There may be many factors that influence why we suddenly
tend to crave something, and here are a few of them.
1) Lack of Proper Sleep
Getting proper sleep is integral
to maintaining your energy levels at the required amount. This leads to several
cravings, where our body is coercing us to eat more so that our energy levels
are maintained properly.
2) Vitamin Deficiency
We should always make sure that
our bodies get the right amount of vitamins, proteins, fiber, fat, magnesium,
and other nutrients, so that our body can function in the best possible way. A
lack of them can result in various cravings.
3) Gut Health
The gut is that which produces
serotonin in our bodies, which is the hormone that is responsible for us
feeling good. If the gut does not get enough nutrients, then it cannot function
the way it is supposed to, leading to a lot of problems, which also includes
cravings.
4) Dehydration
Drinking enough water is highly
essential for maintaining good health, as water helps flush out all the toxins
from our body. Not having enough water is highly dangerous for our bodies and
can result in a lot of side effects.
5) Emotional Stress
It is very common to crave a lot of sweets when you go through some sort of emotional stress. This may be
due to work or anything else, but stress has a lot of side effects on our
overall health, which is why it is always important to fight off stress and
make sure that we are as happy as possible.
How to Overcome Cravings
Each carving has a specific meaning, or so it is believed. Similarly, each craving is to be dealt with differently, and different kinds of foods are to be preferred in order to be healthy while also indulging your craving.
1) Sweet
Low sugar levels in the body lead
to craving something sweet. We tend to indulge in foods like doughnuts or ice
creams, etc. when we feel like eating something sweet. However, this is not
really the best option for us, health-wise. It is always better to eat fruits
whenever you feel like eating something sweet, as fruits have a lot more health
benefits in comparison.
2) Salty
Dehydration or tiredness are the
possible reasons for wanting to eat something salty. This is when we end up
eating chips or crackers or anything else that has a high salt content. As is
already known, excessive salt has disastrous effects on our health. Try to
drink a lot of water the next time you feel like eating something salty.
3) Junk
The lack of proper fiber in your body might make you end up craving junk food like pasta, noodles, garlic
bread, etc. fiber is highly necessary for our wellbeing for a lot of reasons. The next time you
feel like having a lot of junk food, trying having fiber-rich foods like bananas,
apples, spinach, broccoli, and celery.
4) Chocolate
Chocolate craving is mostly
associated with high amounts of stress and mental instability. People who are
depressed tend to crave a lot of chocolate, and this usually indicates low
levels of magnesium. Whenever you feel like eating a lot of chocolate, trying to
prefer to eat dark chocolate, as it has a lot more health benefits than normal
chocolate.
5) Spicy
Spicy food relieves a lot of heat
from your body, which may be the major reason for this craving. However,
congestion and lowered levels of immunity are also said to be the reasons for
this craving. Try having a lot of water whenever you feel like having something
spicy, and eat healthy spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, garlic, turmeric
& pepper. These will not only satisfy your craving but will also do a lot
of good to your health.
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