cravings

How I Prevented Postpartum Sugar Cravings

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Immediately after Edith was born my sweet tooth went into overdrive. I just couldn’t get enough sweets and found myself binging on sweets all the time. Neil and I got into a terrible habit of making Oh She Glows chocolate chip cookies and we would easily eat the entire batch in less than a day.

After Alder I am honestly having a harder time remembering what my sugar cravings were like but I do remember a few batches of those Oh She Glows cookies making their reapperance.

This time around I have had no sugar cravings. None. It’s been the strangest thing and I’ve actually just been waiting for the craving to hit but rather than craving sugar I feel in control of it. I had a coupon for a free pint of Nadamoo and one bite into the pint and I was over it. Not because Nadamoo isn’t good – it really is delicious but just had no interest in ice cream.

So how did I prevent these cravings?

I truly believe it’s because I changed my eating habits before baby arrived. At my 36 week appointment I was told that my fluids were high and was put on a semi-strict high protein, high veggie, high plant-based fat diet and was told to avoid simple carbs like pasta, crackers, rice, and breads. If you know me you know that my craving for bread and pasta is real so doing this was a huge challenge but I had to do it for baby.

During my last four weeks of pregnancy I avoided my favorite foods (bread and pasta) and stuck to the plan for the most part. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t have a bite of my kids bagel on our weekly coffee shop dates or that I didn’t have some pretty amazing pizza from Virtuous Pie but overall six days a week I followed my no pasta/bread diet. I even had my four year old checking in on me and reminding me anytime I did go for bread or pasta that I can’t have it. She is seriously my little mama.

So now here I am 3 weeks postpartum and no sugar cravings. I honestly haven’t had any major cravings for bread or pasta either, even though I am now “allowed” to return to my normal diet. While I haven’t been craving it I have had pasta and bread since Ingird was born but not in the quantities that I was eating them previously.  I don’t find myself reaching for them as easily as I once did. I also have NO sugar cravings at all.

So my tip? Look at what you are eating during your pregnancy. Are you focused on whole foods or are you reaching for processed carbs and sugary sweets? If you are reaching for the latter than consider making some adjustments so when baby comes and your hormones are all over the place and you’re in new parents survival mode you can continue to gravitate towards those foods that will nourish your body. Also once baby has arrived make sure you (or your friends and family) keep your fridge and pantry stocked with healthier options like fresh fruit, sweet vegetables and treats that are naturally sweetened. Most importantly keep yourself hydrated and give yourself a little grace. Life is about to be turned upside down so don’t stress about a cookie or five just do your best and focus on healing, and feeding and bonding with baby. 

PSST…if you are craving cookies why not build your milk supply while you’re at it and try these cookies. 

Wellness Wednesday…err Thursday

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Deconstructing Cravings

The body is an amazing source of intelligence. It is always there for you, pumping blood, never skipping a heartbeat, digesting whatever food you put in it and maintaining homeostasis. Is this reliable, intelligent bio- computer making a mistake by craving ice cream or a hamburger or chocolate? Are cravings due to lack of will- power or discipline? I’d like to suggest that cravings are not a problem. They are critical pieces of information that tell you what your body needs.

The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to
correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you
need more protein, more exercise, more water or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.

No book or theory can tell you what to eat. Only awareness of your body and its needs can tell you. Of all the
relationships in our lives, the one with our body is the most essential. It takes communication, love and time to
cultivate a relationship with your body. As you learn to decipher and respond to your body’s cravings, you will
create a deep and lasting level of health and balance.

The next time you have a craving, treat it as a loving message from your body instead of a weakness. Try these
tips to respond to your body:

  • Have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes.
  • Eat a healthier version of what you crave. For example, if you crave sweets, try eating more fruit and sweet or root vegetables.
  • What is out of balance in your life? Is there something you need to express, or is something being repressed? What happened in your life just before you had this craving?
  • When you eat the food you are craving, enjoy it, taste it, savor it; notice its effect. Then you will become more aware and free to decide if you really want it next time.

© 2010 Integrative Nutrition 5/10

Sugar Blues

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Like heroin, cocaine and caffeine, sugar is an addictive, destructive drug, yet we consume it daily in everything from cigarettes to bread.

–William Dufty, author of Sugar Blues.

(source)

It is that time of year again (Lent) when many people choose to give something up for 40 days.  This year I have been reading on a number of blogs and hearing from friends that they will be giving up sugar or sweets. I had a friend ask about tips for giving up sugar  here are my top 5 tips:

Tips:

1. Chew More! Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets. Chewing also reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.

2. Eat more grains, beans, vegetables and fruit. Unprocessed, sugar contains a variety of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and proteins. When whole grains are cooked, chewed and digested, the natural carbohydrates break down uniformly into separate glucose molecules. These molecules enter the bloodstream, where they are burned smoothly and evenly, allowing your body to absorb all the good stuff.

3. Be aware of hidden sugars. The recommended daily intake of sugar is 10 teaspoons. There are many “healthy” foods that contain massive amounts of sugar for example a lemon poppy seed Clif Bar has 21 grams of sugar, or 5 teaspoons. The worst part is that  a chocolate-glazed cake donut from Dunkin’ Donuts, has less sugar  at 14 grams/3 teaspoons than its “healthy” counterpart.  Additionally, don’t forget about your morning or afternoon Starbucks run that Grande Frappuccino actually contains 44 grams of sugar, or 10 teaspoons- a full days allowance!

4. Eat balance foods and find balance in your life. If you focus on eating foods that make us feel balanced you can naturally reduce cravings and feel healthier and happier. Balanced Foods include: Brown rice; Whole grains: brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, oats; Vegetables: squash, carrots, parsnips, onions, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.; Dark, leafy greens; Beans and legumes. Along with eating balanced foods you also need to take time to make sure you are finding balance in all other aspects of your life including your relationships, physical activity, spirituality and career.  When you have balance in all of these you will then find that your cravings will start to disappear.

5. DRINK WATER! One of the primary causes of cravings is dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as a mild hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water.  However like everything else you need to find a balance because excess water can also cause cravings; don’t over hydrate.

Acknowledging Cravings

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Acknowledge your cravings and what to avoid:

  • Avoid processed sugars and products made with process sugars. When you crave sweets try eating sweet veggies such as sweet potato, red bell pepper, corn and carrots.  Substitute brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, stevia or agave for processed sugars; and yes that includes brown sugars.  When eating baked goods look for ones made with whole grains and sweetened with fruit juice.
  • Recognize your cravings and try these alternatives:
    • If you’re craving Salt: high-quality sea salt (just a dash on your food)
    • If you’re craving Bitter: Dark leafy greens
    • If you’re craving Pungent: ginger, cayenne, scallions, onions, garlic, pepper
    • If you’re craving Spicy: Cayenne, hot chili oil
    • If you’re craving Creamy: oatmeal, porridge
    • If you’re craving Crunchy: carrot sticks, whole grain pretzels or natural baked chips
    • If you’re craving Liquid: WATER!
    • If you’re craving Crispy & Dry: Rice Cakes or Sesame Sticks