Decoding Cravings for Women

Did you know that your cravings have meanings? And no – they do not mean that you lack will power or self control.

Cravings are your body’s way of ASKING for something. And in fact, they often stem from hormone imbalances.

Rather than trying to avoid them and ignore them (only to end up binging on snacks later). Learn exactly what they are telling you and respond to them!

(If you don’t want to read & feel like watching a video – check out my YouTube here !)

Why Cravings Happen

Here’s the truth, if your body is deprived of what it needs for optimal function and to sustain life, it is going to get stressed out. Your body’s primary goal is to keep you alive, and if it is missing something to do that job, it is going to make sure that it gets what it needs.

?? You might notice your cravings at the end of a really long stressful day.

?? Or you will feel their power more if you have been dieting or trying to get ready for summer.

?? Sometimes cravings only rear their ugly head right around your time of the month.

Think of cravings as your body’s alarm system and when your body is missing key nutrients or energy that it needs to function, your alarm sounds! ??

The stress response and craving kick in because your body is screaming “I NEED THIS NOW if you want me to function optimally”.

And if you continue to deprive your body or ignore the need, it makes it more and more intense and it eventually will slow down or halt your results because your body goes into conservation mode.?

Increases in stress can lead to your body creating more body fat and disruptions in blood sugar and insulin function. As body fat increases in the body, so can leptin levels. Leptin is one of your hunger hormones and it sends a signal to your body when you have enough energy so that you feel full.

Over time, your body can become resistant to leptin, meaning you no longer feel full. When this is paired with insulin disruption and intense cravings it can lead to eating a whole bag of chips without even blinking.

Leaving you feeling “guilty” you didn’t have control. When in fact, if you just listened and responded to the cues in the first place, the cravings would cease to exist.

Curb Your Cravings

So the best strategy for both results and long-term hormonal and metabolic health is to LISTEN and respond. Here’s a breakdown of the top cravings and how to support them:

?? The root cause of sugar cravings:

• You are not eating enough total calories
• Your diet is too low in carbs
• High stress leads to blood sugar disruption

? To best support try this:

• Eating complex carbs with each meal
• Eating more carbs in the morning to support cortisol production and stabilization

?? The root cause of salt cravings:

• You are undereating in total energy intake
• You have an electrolyte imbalance
• You are leptin-resistant

? To best support try this:

• Eating more throughout the day (every 3-4 hours to be exact)
• Hydrate, not just with water but with minerals (salt and electrolytes)

?? The root cause of chocolate cravings:

• You are extremely stressed out and have gut disruption impacting serotonin production
• Magnesium deficiency

? To best support try this:

• Eating fermented foods and taking a probiotic daily. I’ve linked my favorite brand here .
• Eat high magnesium food (like dark chocolate and dark leafy greens)
• Supplement with magnesium as there are 7 different types and they are harder to get enough in diet alone. I have also linked my favorite brand here .

Ready to drop inches and ditch symptoms this summer?

Are you ready to feel confident this summer ??, shed inches ??, have energy ?, and not let symptoms hold you back ?? – all without sacrificing your favorite things? ??????

If YES then kickstart your journey with a FREE discovery call ?? to discuss your goals and get tailored strategies to focus on.

Or if you are ready to start your hormone balance journey, enroll in one of my Hormone Balance Coaching Programs for tailored support.

Tasha is an Integrative Clinical Nutritionist, B.S., CPT, Pilates Instructor, and Founder of Happy Hormone Health. She has coached 2000 women in reclaiming their energy, living symptom-free and transforming their health through hormone balance nutrition. Start your hormone balance journey with customized hormone balance coaching. ?