Cravings.

They can be incredibly frustrating at times. Why does my body have to pester me until I finally succumb to the incessant cravings for chocolate or ice cream or potato chips. Stupid, body! Why don’t you know what’s good for me??

Think again…

Millions of years of evolution have shaped the inner-workings of our bodies. Natural selection and pressure carved out our physiological processes to survive in this world. To think any bodily function, even a food craving, is purposeless underestimates this extensive refining.

So, let’s re-frame this idea of a food craving.

What if instead of approaching a craving with frustration, we approached it with curiosity? Listen close. What is your body trying to tell you? Here are a few possibilities for the causes behind some common cravings…

1. Chocolate: Cacao contains compounds that release feel-good chemicals to lift our mood and energy.

2. Sweets: Sugar is the quickest form of energy our body can break down and use. To thank us for keeping the body alive, our body stimulates the reward pathways when eating sugar to reinforce this life-sustaining behavior.

3. Salty snacks: Salt is an essential compound for our body’s function. It keeps our heart pumping and makes communication between cells possible in the body, among other functions.

The body knows much, much more than we ever will. We might crave chocolate because we had a hard day, sugar because we’re tired or salt because we’re depleted. With our conscious minds, we have the amazing ability to tune in and listen to the callings of our incredibly complex bodies.

Next time you are feeling frustrated about a craving you are experiencing, play a game with yourself. Ask “what is my body thinking right now?” Come up with a fun and creative answer.

Honor what your body asks of you. It’s calling for a reason.