The Energy Behind Food Cravings

In Ayurveda and other traditional healing systems, food is life and eating a meal is a sacred practice equipped with specific traditions like chanting, prayer, and lighting of candles. Even the preparation of the meal is a sacred act. Our modern day lives have changed our eating patterns and the sacredness of food itself.

How often do we grab food in a hurry? How often do we eat out? How often do eat emotionally and not think about what our body is really craving? It’s not the sugar we are craving, but the comfort of sharing a meal with our family, friends, and loved ones. Dr. Vasant Lad says, “Food becomes consciousness at a cellular level.” The food we eat, how we eat, and what we eat has a lot to do with how we are feeling. Eating is emotional, and the foods we eat change our consciousness.

Think about it: if you eat a McDonald's meal every day, how would you feel? What about chocolate chip cookies and other sweets? What if you ate a plate of steamed vegetables grown in your own garden with a locally raised organic roast chicken, and sat down with your family or friends and honored the food in community? How would you feel? I know that if I ate McDonald's and sweets everyday I would be very depressed and sick. This is the case of most Americans who eat this way. The energy of the food matters, as does the company with whom we eat.

When you crave something it’s a desire for what is known in Ayurveda as graha - a grasping. We all crave specific foods, but what are we really grasping for? If food is emotional, the food that you crave says something about what you are energetically craving. Craving sugar? Maybe you need more nourishment in your life, or something is missing. Craving coffee and caffeine? Maybe it’s sleep you’re missing. Craving comfort foods like baked goods, stews, and other nourishing foods? Maybe you are feeling imbalanced.

The question to ask yourself when you feel a craving arise is: why am I craving this food? What am I missing? Am I missing the nutrients, or am I really craving something else? What am I feeling when I eat that food? We need to bring the love of food and preparing a meal back into our daily lives. I encourage you to take time to honor your food through preparation, healthy ingredients, and sharing a meal so that eating becomes a sacred act. Through this practice, your cravings will become less as you feed yourself with love.

By Elizabeth Farrell

 

UnityMedicine #FedUpChallenge

UnityMedicine is gearing up to participate in the #FedUpChallenge, and to go sugar free for 10 Days! Starting on June 9th Dr. Grasser and his staff will be cutting out added sugar from their diets. We are asking you to take charge of your health and your sugar cravings by participating with us. Dr. Grasser will be blogging, and posting updates on Facebook and Twitter. We also encourage you to see the movie Fed Up so you can learn more about the food industry and sugar. Dr. Grasser is also just back from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual International Conference on Food and Nutrition. On Facebook and Twitter you can see his tidbits from this wonderful conference.

We are promoting the #FedUpChallenge because sugar is one of the major causes of chronic disease from diabetes and obesity to premature aging. We want you to be healthy, and one way that you can live a healthier life is by cutting out added sugar from your diet. 

Do you think you are able to cut out added sugar from your diet for 10-Days?

If so, here's how it works:

1. Cut out all added sugar from the foods you eat. This includes soda, fruit juice, and beverages with added sugar as well as any food with added sugar. A list is provided for you to follow.

2. Cut out all refined grains, go for whole grains and whole foods.

3. Read the labels of the food that you buy. Sugar or some form of sugar is added to 80% of all food products on the market.

4. You can eat the sugar that is naturally found in fruit, grains, vegetables, and milk.

5. Check out the website for the #FedUpChallenge for more information or you can check out our website for more information.

Here are the 56 names of sugar that are added to food and beverages to avoid during the challenge.

We are looking forward to sharing our sugar-free experience with you.

The UnityMedicine Team