Have you been getting any weird pregnancy cravings lately?
Sometimes cravings can actually serve a purpose. Having a deep, instinctual desire for a certain food may be because that food contains specific nutrients that your body needs more of right now. For example, salty cravings (think the classic pickles) may be because they contain electrolytes, which your body needs more of when growing a baby (and while breastfeeding). This is some pretty cool bodily wisdom!
But when your body is craving crap food like doughnuts everyday... yeahhhh not so much.
I'm finishing out my second trimester and while I haven't been getting any cravings that are toooo strange, there is one food I've been wanting like every morning... yep, doughnuts!
I know, I know. They have like zero nutritional value and basically serve no other purpose than as a yummy treat. And while I'm cool with enjoying a doughnut here and there, indulging in them everyday wouldn't make us feel good.
So here is my trick that I've been using lately to get me through!
On days that I wake up and feel like I REALLY want a doughnut, I tell myself that instead I'll indulge in some homemade honey butter toast.
For the record, I'm talkin' grass-fed butter and raw local honey (use pasteurized if that makes you more comfortable during pregnancy) on quality sourdough bread that I buy at farmers market. That's some pretty dank stuff right there that actually offers some nutrients. While there's still sugar in the honey, of course, this is a WAY better option than doughnuts!
And the best part... while the only deal I make with myself is that I'll opt for honey butter toast instead of a doughnut... when I start to get crackin' in my kitchen, I always end up eating some eggs, sprouts, or quality cottage cheese and fruit along with the honey butter toast. It happens every. single. time. Now this is a WAY healthier breakfast than a doughnut and it offers tons of nutrients my body would have missed out on otherwise. And it doesn't feel like deprivation at all, it still feels like indulgence. Mic drop
Pretty cool, huh?
Another way to approach this is to upgrade your treat when you do indulge. For example, try eating a piece of fruit and a scrambled egg with your doughnut (perhaps instead of eating two doughnuts). This gives you some fiber and protein with your treat to lessen the spike in blood sugar (always good to consider and especially important if you experience gestational diabetes). You can read more about my concept of “upgrading” pregnancy cravings here.
Last but not least, we can remember two tricks for curbing sugar cravings altogether.
#1 In general, the more you eat sugar, the more you crave sugar!
Have you ever noticed this before? When you get in the habit of eating sugar (and your taste buds adjust to it) you crave more of it. Sometimes ripping off the sugar bandaid can do the trick.
#2 Our gut health relates to sugar cravings.
Actively supporting healthy gut flora can result in less sugar cravings, and vice versa. One way to do this is to include sauerkraut with one meal a day to support your gut, and the sour flavor helps to lessen sugar cravings as well!
Now, let's apply this to your life!
Have you been getting any repetitive cravings lately? Is there any bodily wisdom there? If not, how can you transform or upgrade these cravings?
Feel free to share your insights by commenting below.
I'm always rooting for you.