GET YOUR GLOW CHALLENGE Cravings and Addictions

Transcription

1 GET YOUR GLOW CHALLENGE Cravings and Addictions WHERE DO CRAVINGS COME FROM? According to Dr. Anne Marie Colbin, PhD, author of Food and Healing addictions manifest in three different ways I. Addiction/Allergy Discharge Imbalance of Systems Addiction/Allergy The way to tell that you are craving a food or drink due to an addiction is if you feel withdrawal symptoms when the food or drink is not consumed. These symptoms may include: Drowsiness Headache Digestive Disorder Tension Indigestion Fatigue If your craving is due to an allergy, it will have the opposite effect the symptoms will arise when the food is consumed. Addictions are more difficult to distinguish because sometimes we eat things instinctively not realizing we are addicted to it. In particular white sugar and coffee. Many think, this is just how I am I just like coffee or, the classic I m just a sweet tooth. As we venture for another cup of coffee or cookie. To rid yourself of an addiction it rarely goes longer than 3-5 days where one may feel withdrawal symptoms, especially when it comes to sugar. Moodiness, irritability, severe cravings and general fatigue are some to be expected. Many experts say that sugar especially can be the same as a drug addiction. This one takes some will power and substitutions such as baked yams, squash, apples, dates, or when looking at the expansive/contractive model eating less meat, salt and dairy products can lessen your cravings for sugar. An allergy to a specific food or drink will manifest in the form of, for example a headache or digestive distress after a bagel is consumed Inner Glow Nutrition ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

2 perhaps an allergy to wheat. Or skin problems such as eczema may be due to dairy or wheat consumption. II. Discharge Discharge cravings arise when cleansing occurs. This is when your are eating much healthier, making all sorts of positive changes and feeling great and all of a sudden you get a craving for macaroni and cheese. Or cheese whiz on celery, or a hot dog. Some random childhood memory craving. A craving so strong you can almost taste the food like you have just consumed it. Grandma s famous huckleberry pie, homemade buns, or a big juicy steak. This occurs because quite literally you have stored toxins from these foods in your cells that are now being released and metabolized. The blood stream picks them up to be processed through our detoxification organs, but also gets passed through the hypothalamus in your brain which triggers that memory. The way to recognize these cravings is to wait a few hours to see if it goes away. If it is still there, a recommended means of ridding your body of these types of cravings is to feed them in small amounts. Take a small bite of that steak and sit with that for a while. This typically gives yourself the satisfaction it needs to move forward with no longer craving these foods. III. Imbalance of Systems This is a very important model to consider as you start listening to your body and it s cravings. Because in many cases there is an imbalance of systems. And by that it could mean one of the following: Nutrient Proportions: Proteins, Fats and Carbohydrates, Vitamins, Minerals: This typically happens when some people go vegetarian they can start craving sugars and fats, including more sweets, bread, juices and peanut butter because they are deficient in fat and protein rich foods (beans, eggs, fish, chicken for example) This is not to say they need to go back to animal products, but be conscious of getting enough good fats from avocado, coconut oil and olives as well as proteins from sources such as hemp seeds, beans, spirulina and chia seeds. This is very important.

3 Acid Alkaline Balance: These cravings don t typically last as something very strong, but sometimes too much alkaline forming foods can lead to binges on the acidic side. So for example, a very common one in the yogic community can be eating too many salads, fruits, etc. which can lead to binges on sugar, or the need for something more acid forming. Baked goods, whole grains, beans and acid forming meat, fish, fowel or eggs can help remediate those cravings. Expansive Contractive Model This model is highly regarded by the late George Ohsawa, founder of macrobiotics diet, meaning macro (long) and bios, biot- (life). Full Expansive Contractive model shown on next page. According to this model, when foods are highly consumed on one end of the spectrum, such as the contractive side, it can stimulate cravings for foods on the other side of the spectrum, the expansive side. Not only in the foods but in our lifestyles. A perfect example of using this model would be after getting a headache after consuming an expansive food or drink like ice cream by consuming something on the contractive side that could be something salty. So, What makes things contractive or expansive? Category Expansive Contractive Flavor Spicy and Sweet Bitter Salty Direction of Growth Upward (leafy vegetables) Downward (Root vegetables, squash) Climate of Origin Hot Cold Moisture Content Moist Dry Cooking Method Boiling, Steaming Baking, Pickling Activity Level Hyperactive, Passive, Quiet Overactive, Busy Motion Flexible, Loose Rigid, Immobile Mental State Confused, Spacey Mentally Rigid, Arrogant When you think of expansive contractive you can also think of it in terms of food as well as in your life. So for example, a contractive lifestyle can be thought of as a high stress lifestyle. After a week of being in a cooped up office, suit and tie very contractive it is not uncommon to crave alcohol at the end of a workday or week to

4 expand. Getting exercise or drinking fresh vegetable juice are also means of expanding. *The Five Phase Dynamics (beyond scope of what we will discuss here) Chinese Medicine

5 CLOSING So, What s the moral of the story? Ongoing and ever changing balance. Understanding your own body and it s cravings is key. This is why I want you to even think of a meal plan as just a guide. Listen to your own body s needs. If you feel like something sweet bake some apples with cinnamon and gluten free oats. Add some coconut oil for some fat. Think of your protein consumption throughout the day. If you are having a craving for junk food what is it about that craving that is addressable? Think about satisfying your urges for something crunchy, salty, and sweet in a new way. Think about how you are feeling. Are you being too busy, a little spacey and need some grounding, contractive foods? Or are you too rigid in your thoughts and need some more expansive foods and even lifestyle? Go out dancing! Dancing is very expansive and a great tool to expand! Think variety and balance. Be sure to try different beans and grains and fruits and vegetables every day to maintain a full spectrum of nutrition in your diet. And rethink some of your cravings as the addictions they might be and work through ridding your body of them especially sugar.