What Do You Think Cravings Mean?

Hope I can explain this in a way that makes sense, here it goes...
I think for the most part cravings are a part of us that is not related to modern life. Kind of like the appendix.
Once upon a time in, say caveman days, fats, salts, and sweets were very hard to come by, but contained nutrients that we needed none the less to survive. So humans developed cravings that caused them to seek these things out and eat as much of them as they could get their hands on when presented with the opportunity.
Those impulses are still part of us, but now those foods are in abundance and we can have them any time we want. I think it is what causes many of us to be overweight.

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Well, I didn't start eating lobster or crab until I became an adult, but boy do I crave it sometimes...so IMO it can't be linked to childhood.

Maybe things like PICA cravings are linked to a deficiency like iron or just the hormones from being pregnant. When I was pregnant, the craving for eating dirt was so strong and severe it was almost unbearable! Although my iron was just fine, my hormones were all over the place. So yes, pregnancy does highten those senses.

Or maybe we just get a taste for something specific and are just in the mood. Last night, a strawberry milkshake just really sounded good to me. Having something cold like that during this brutal Texas heat just sounded really yummy.

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A., there's a fun book called, "Constant Cravings A - Z" by Doreen Virtue, PhD; you might find it interesting. When I was pregnant I remember cravings for two things, apple juice and one day, an overwhelming craving for chocolate frosted cake doughnuts. I almost called my husband off the golf course one early morning to go get me some...LOL!

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I'm definitely of the party who feel it's a deficiency of some sort that the body needs and cravings are how you finally go eat/drink them.

I really dislike pickles on a regular basis, but during 2 months over my pregnancy I'd have 3 a day. Found out they are high in sodium and trace minerals we don't normally get.

I ALWAYS crave sweet stuff - so I think it may be because in everything else I eat I watch my sugar, and I tend to be a bit hypoglycemic.

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WOW your going Way too deep there ;-)

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There are days when I would love me some dark chocolate and other days that I could care less. Right now I love meat and raw garlic ugh and for some reason milk. I stopped drinking milk years ago but for some reason an ice cold milk hits the spot though it upsets my stomach. Weird huh? Well, I'm at 7 months BFing and I blame all the cravings/non-cravings on that =)

I also think everyone has their "comfort" food from childhood, but I don't crave them... I just make the dishes if they sound good to me at the time. When i crave something, nothing else will satisfy.

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I think it's all 3, and then some. Some people crave things, because they can't have them. Some people are addicted to food, so they crave to feed their addiction. Some people crave certain foods, to take them back to a good time in their life. I agree with the pregnancy link.

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Another thing to ask yourself is if you are drinking enough water. Dehydration is definitely linked to food cravings. My husband and I were just talking about this last night because I have been craving chips every night for the last week. While I drink water thorough out the day, it's still not enough with the heat right now. Sure enough, last night I drank a big glass of water and my craving for chips went away.

idk its hard to imagine that ppl would have deficiencies with all the vitimans that preggers women take!

when i was preggers with my son i wanted onion rings and root beer!!!!

with my daughter i could not get enough butter or dark bitter chocolate!!!

i think its more about the changes in your body and you just wanting some comfort foods!

With my son, first born, ice cold milk with ice cubes, like I said, COLD! Today, his first choice of drink is milk.
With my daughter, it was semi sweet chocolate chips by the handful, constantly! and ice cold water (iced tea had me going to the BR more often than water). Today, she has water over milk, and likes chocolate, too!