4 ms·
Cravings can be an incredibly helpful indicator that you have an unmet need. I haven’t had a sweet tooth most of my adult life, but recently started picking up
by eyelidlessness 4y ago
Cravings can be an incredibly helpful indicator that you have an unmet need.
I haven’t had a sweet tooth most of my adult life, but recently started picking up cake or ice cream on grocery runs. I was baffled by this fairly abrupt change in taste. Until I stepped on a scale. Even eating what I thought was voraciously, I'd lost more weight than I wanted. I needed more calories in my diet to maintain body mass, and I craved sugary foods to compensate. Now I know if I crave sugars I don’t have a particular taste for, it’s a good sign I’m not eating enough.
Other people have similar experiences with other cravings, eg red meat when they’re anemic. Pets also eat unusual things when something is missing, or wrong in their digestion.
All of which confirms your point as much as it challenges it. But I’m more inclined to be sympathetic to people whose food cravings indicate negative health circumstances, than to judge them.
- steve_adams_86 4y agoThe reality is that an increasing number of people can’t trust their impulses with food, as evidenced by climbing rates of disease related to poor nutrition (including too much food). Our ability to regulate is hijacked by all kinds of things. Without that influence I think people can trust their cravings, but in the real world day to day it seems to be risky to encourage people to trust their urges. What you were doing makes sense. I’m just not sure the majority of people should eat cake when they want it.
- fullsend 4y agoA good point but you were quite literally the opposite of what most people mean when they talk about food cravings. You were starved!
- eyelidlessness 4y agoMy food cravings when I’m not eating enough are very similar to the ones I have when I’m eating too much.
- angrais 4y agoHow do you know that's why you craved sweet foods? It could have been a number of other reasons and you're attributing it to the wrong one.