What many of us don’t realize is that there is more to our food cravings than meets the eye. Many times, it’s what we are not eating, saying or doing in life that is the real fuel behind our unhealthy benders. Using Ayurveda, you could beat your cravings and learn why they come up on daily basis.
Ayurveda is a complex ancient medical system that works with the individual. There is no quick fix to overall health, but the key is in finding balance – that’s when we are all happiest, healthiest and begin to glow from the inside out.
COMFORT CRAVINGS: The desire for comfort foods – sweets, creamy foods and carbohydrates – is really a desire for something warm, nurturing, calming and grounding, and usually accompanies feelings (conscious or subconscious) of anxiety, insecurity, restlessness, fear, worry or upset. In other words, it is an expression of vata imbalance and calls for vata-pacifying techniques.
To satisfy the craving:
– use a dab of sweet oil and give yourself a massage, you can use our Toning Oil 🙂
– recall a “sweet” memory
– have a loving conversation with a friend
– listen to sweet music
– drink fennel tea
ENERGY CRAVINGS: The desire for quick pick-me-ups – a caffeine rush from a coffee, a cola or a chocolate bar, for example – is really a desire for something warming and stimulating, and usually accompanies feelings of dullness, lethargy, sadness and depression. These are all symptoms of a kapha imbalance and call for kapha-pacifying techniques.
To satisfy the craving:
– use pungent oils such as bergamot, clove or rosemary
– listen to some loud, lively music and DANCE!
– get a vigorous massage
– drink ginger or spice tea with honey
I-HAVE-to-SETTLE-DOWN CRAVINGS: Feelings of extreme excitation, frustration, anger and annoyance – and the craving for fast finger foods like salty chips and nuts – indicate a pitta imbalance.
To satisfy the craving:
– use sweet scents such as jasmine and sandalwood
– take a moonlight walk
– get a calming massage
– look a vibrant scenery of artwork
– drink licorice or cardamom tea
