Food Cravings Uncovered

I often get asked if I have any food cravings on this raw vegan lifestyle and to be honest – yes and no. But let’s first talk about where cravings can come from. Our body is always talking to us, it sends us certain messages so that we can align our decisions to its changing needs. It is on us to really listen and understand these messages. Cravings are also such a message and there are many different reasons why we get them.

Food cravings for junk food

So if you are craving chocolate now, does that mean your body needs more chocolate? Not exactly, but it might be telling you that it needs more sugar. Eating more fruits instead of candy bars can help with that.

On the other hand, it might also been a message that comes not directly from your wise inner system but from unwanted gut bacteria. They are feeding on processed junk food and scream for more fuel. Some bacteria live from very specific unhealthy foods like candy bars, chocolate, fries or sugary drinks. If we don’t supply a steady intake, these gut bacteria start to die off and send a very urgent hunger message to your system. It then makes you want to go for exactly that food. If we stay diligent and don’t consume this food for a certain time, the bacteria die and we don’t feel the urge to go for that chocolate bar any more.

This happened to me and chocolate. I believed I really need a piece of chocolate every day to feel happy and satisfied. Well, I knew it wasn’t great for my health but still the craving was so strong that it was hard for me to resist. But once I managed to ditch the chocolate completely for two weeks. You know what happened? The craving went away and I was liberated from this uncomfortable habit.

Cravings for high-calorie meals

Another common craving is for very calorie-dense foods like fatty foods or cooked foods in general if you are usually enjoying the lightness of raw meals. I only get such food cravings when I didn’t eat enough that day and my body is running low on fuel and wants to get in calories as fast as possible. Our body is so smart that it remembers those meals from the past that were packed with calories and sends us a message to go for them. Whenever such kind of cravings happen to me, it is usually over quite quickly when nourishing my body with a rich fruit meal or smoothie.

Which brings me to one very important success factor for turning raw food into a sustainable lifestyle – eating enough. 

Always hungry and nothing helps

Another more challenging kind of craving can be the one coming from our body asking for certain nutrients. Some people are hungry a lot and none of their usual meals seems to satisfy their hunger. This can indicate (among other conditions like parasites) a lack of nutrients in our diet. Focusing on nutrient-density instead of calorie intake can help to fill those needs. Incorporating a colourful range of leafy greens, sprouts, herbs, berries, citrus fruits, apples, tomatoes, zucchini, seaweeds and other powerful fruits and veggies can be a great step away from such food cravings.

If you struggle to add those foods to your meals, maybe you are not a big salad lover – freshly pressed juices can be an amazing solution. Juice mixtures like celery, kale, sprouts, apples, cilantro and lemon can add so much nutrition to your day in just one drink.

The Silver lining for food cravings

The more healthy stuff we eat, the more good bacteria we cultivate in our gut. If we incorporate more vibrant foods makes it soon lets our body develop a new very beneficial craving for the foods that let us feel our best. If you could use some more inspiration how to include more raw fruits and veggies into your days, sign up for my weekly newsletter. You get free recipes, practical tips and powerful snippets of knowledge directly to your inbox to help you create a sustainably healthy lifestyle. All without missing out on amazing tastes.

Have a blissful day, everyone!
Anais

Trinity Beach, Australia