Our bodies are constantly sending messages. Cravings for sugary or salty foods can be a sign of an imbalance, but they can also provide clues about what your body needs.
Understanding Blood Sugar
Blood sugar is the amount of glucose (sugar) circulating in your bloodstream, providing energy for your cells. Ideally, it should be between 80mg/ml and 120 mg/ml.
Blood Sugar Imbalance and Cravings
- Sugar Cravings: Craving sugary foods like M&M’s, Snickers, or cookies often points to blood sugar imbalance. This could be caused by factors like lack of sleep, skipping meals, stress eating, or a diet high in refined carbohydrates.
- The Downward Spiral: When we eat too many refined carbs, our bodies become resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps cells absorb glucose. This leads to blood sugar spikes and crashes, triggering cravings for more sugar.
- Salty Cravings: Do you crave pretzels, olives, chips, or crackers? These cravings can signal stress and fatigue, as sodium plays a critical role in adrenal function. The adrenal glands, located above your kidneys, produce hormones like cortisol, which helps regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and our body’s response to stress.
- When Your Body Needs Salt: When we’re stressed, our adrenal glands work overtime to produce cortisol. This process can lead to depletion of electrolytes, including sodium. Your body then sends signals through cravings to replenish these lost electrolytes.
- Not Just Stress: Adrenal insufficiency, also known as Addison’s disease, is a medical condition where the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones. One of the hallmark symptoms of Addison’s disease is intense salt cravings.
The beauty lies in the imperfection of our bodies. Share on X
Nourishing Your Body for Balance
- The Golden Goddess Plate: Build each meal around protein, healthy fats, fiber, and greens. This slows down sugar absorption, keeps you satisfied, and promotes gut health.
- Manage Stress: Chronic stress disrupts blood sugar regulation and adrenal health. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga to manage stress.
- Nourishing Snacks: Keep healthy snacks like nuts, seeds, veggies, or hard-boiled eggs on hand to curb cravings for sugary or salty treats.
- Quality Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can worsen blood sugar control and stress hormone levels.
Supporting Your Adrenals
Although the adrenal glands are small, walnut-sized organs that sit atop your kidneys, they have a huge job in our body. We should support our adrenals and thyroid when they are exhausted. Here’s how:
1. GRAB A MATCHA: Coffee depletes our adrenals by spiking cortisol release, so reach for a matcha latte with almond or coconut milk. The caffeine in matcha does not tax your adrenals as much.
2. REST, RESTORE, RELAX: Sleep is especially important with adrenal fatigue, because when your cortisol is all over the place, you can have trouble falling and staying asleep – which stresses you out even more. It’s a vicious cycle.
3. RESTORE YOUR GUT LINING: High cortisol levels increase your immune responses in the gut, the blood brain barrier, and the lungs. A weakened gut leads to leaky gut, so we support it with NL’s Golden Goddess Plate. These foods will begin restoring and repairing the gut lining!
Self-Compassion is Key
We all have cravings and imbalanced days. The key is to accept this and make positive changes with kindness towards yourself.
A Balanced Life for Optimal Health
By following these tips and listening to your body’s signals, you can achieve better blood sugar control, manage stress, support gut health and get that golden glow. This leads to more energy, a stronger body, and a healthier overall life.
Ready to Learn More?
Check out our 7-day gutlove reset program for a deeper dive into gut health and overall well-being.
Important Note: If you experience persistent and intense salt cravings, it’s important to consult with a doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
