Are You Starving?

Do you ever have days when your cravings seem totally out of control?

Let’s say you’ve been gluten-free for awhile now, and you have no trouble sticking with that. You also try to steer clear of processed foods, and grains – either whole or refined – as much as possible.

Truth be told, you’re really proud of yourself for doing such an amazing job keeping your diet really ‘clean’!

But you’ve found there’s a catch.

If you decide to have a piece of gluten-free cake, you aren’t able to stop at just one slice.

If you buy potato chips, or bake cookies, you devour the entire bag (or batch) without skipping a beat. Chances are, you’re also REALLY hard on yourself afterwards, for caving to your cravings.

What’s going on?

In a nutshell, you could be starving!

It sounds odd, doesn’t it? Especially if you know that you’re eating a nutritious, whole foods diet 90% of the time.

But here’s the thing.

Even if your diet more closely resembles the Standard American Diet (aka SAD, which is heavy on carbs and sugar and can lead to leaky gut) – you could also be starving!

Here are the top 7 reasons WHY your cravings might be getting the better of you:

 

Your digestion is flawed

If you’re a perfectionist, it’s probably not what you want to hear.

Yet even if your diet is stellar, when your digestion isn’t running smoothly – the nutrients you take in won’t be assimilated and absorbed into your body.

In other words, you could literally be eating the BEST food possible, but if your body isn’t able to properly digest what you’re eating, it won’t do you much good until you’ve taken the proper steps to heal your digestion.

 

You eat under stressful circumstances

No matter how nutritious your food, eating under while stressed can actually turn it into something a lot more toxic.

If that surprise you, here’s how it works:

Going through your day at high speed means you’re always ‘on’. And because you’re unable to relax, it unwittingly sets up your body’s chemistry to backfire. When this happens, the pleasure response and satisfaction you’d normally get from your food will be nil, leading you to want more and more. (i.e. cravings)

In other words, you might think that eating an avocado, would be nothing but good for your body – but eating that avocado while under stress, means that rather than digesting and absorbing all its goodness, your body will turn it into a toxic substance, instead.

Of course, if you’re allergic to avocados, that’s also a form of stress – no matter how nutritious or beneficial that food might be.

 

Your diet is less than stellar to begin with

This brings the conversation back to the Standard American Diet, otherwise known as SAD (the name says it all).

It’s is a diet that is high in sugar and refined carbohydrates – the very foods that can derail your blood sugar and lead to intense cravings.

In this case – regardless of the state of your digestive tract (although if your diet is flawed, chances are your digestion has also taken a hit) – your body won’t be getting the nutrients it so desperately needs.

 

You’ve fallen prey to nutritional myths

Marc David, CEO of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, refers to these as ‘toxic nutritional beliefs’.

This encompasses everything from believing that eating fat will make you fat (it won’t), and sticking to a low fat diet, which can actually lead to MORE cravings as your body tries to make up for what’s missing. Then there’s the outdated belief that carbohydrates are an essential part of a heart healthy diet.

In truth, the so-called healthy fats are a critical part of an optimal diet. And there’s no such thing as an “essential carb”.

Essential fats, yes. Essential carbs? No. (you could actually survive a very long time without them.)

 

You’re dieting to lose weight

If you’re trying to lose weight according to conventional methods, you’re likely restricting calories and starving yourself in order to reach your ideal weight.

This causes added stress to your body, followed by intense cravings that can lead to binges.

Guess what else?

The whole ’calories in equals calories out’ conversation is broken, and has been for awhile – since 100 calories of good fats are digested and absorbed by your body very differently from 100 calories of refined carbohydrates. (eg. from a slice of bread).

It’s another common myth that I expand on here.

 

You’re not getting a good night’s sleep

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that depriving your body of much needed sleep, can lead to intense food cravings.

So it should come as no surprise that your diet, your digestion and your sleep habits go hand in hand.

If that sounds like a catch-22, it really is!

Of course the best way to reverse those cravings, is to:

• get enough sleep
• make sure you’re getting the right nutrients from your diet
• your digestion is functioning optimally

 

You’re unfulfilled

A lack of calories, consuming the wrong foods and having impaired digestion can all leave you hungry and ‘starving’ for more.

Yet you could also be emotionally starved – if you’re lacking love and affection in your life, or unsure of your life’s purpose.

The end result will be the same, leading to intense food cravings to help fill the void.

 

Which brings us full circle to that ever-present question – which diet is the right one for YOU?

Contrary to your belief that there must be something wrong with you (or you’d get a handle on those cravings, for goodness sake) – the REAL problem is likely your less-than ideal diet*, leading to digestive issues, and an inability to absorb the nutrients you’re taking in.

Your body is literally screaming “I’m HUNGRY”!

Ready to create your optimal diet? Click here to schedule your complementary 30-Minute Consult TODAY!

*Meaning ideal for YOU!