April Week 2: Pull Your Cravings Out By The Root

I was out weeding this week, getting more vegetable beds ready for new seeds in the backyard. I thought I had gotten all of the weeds out, but as I pulled harder, I realized there was a whole deeper circuitry of roots underneath the weeds I had pulled.

If I did not pull those roots up as well, the weeds would be back very quickly. So, I took a hoe and worked to dig deeper to get those roots out.  Now, the weeds can’t come back because the roots that would feed them are gone. Phew!

This week, I invite you to see that your cravings have a whole deeper root system to them as well. Have you ever noticed that once you relieve a food craving by giving into your desire, it often doesn’t satisfy that yearning feeling that you had hoped it would?

That is because most of our cravings have deeper origins and are actually an emotional or self care need that has nothing to do with food, but food has come to symbolically represent that need.

For instance - when I first moved to England, I was far away from home, going to school and working.  I was stressed and tired and homesick. I craved baked goods, like brownies, all of the time. Even though, when I ate them, I noticed that my yearning didn’t go away,  I still ate more brownies and just ended up feeling full and sick.

When I thought about what was the deeper need under the brownie, I realized that my mom baked me the best brownies, and that I associated the brownies with nurturing of my mom. Instead of craving brownies, I really craved nurturing, not gooey chocolate.

After realizing this, instead, I thought about other ways to nurture myself that would satisfy me more deeply:

• Granting myself permission to take a day off from my schedule and play self-care hooky.
• Reading a really good non-school book in the bath.
• Talking with my mom or a good friend on the phone. Someone who would empathize and nurture me.

This week I invite you to dig around in the dirt of your cravings and notice what is lurking there under what you think is the craving.

1. Don’t take the craving at face value - get curious - does this craving have a root?
2. Ask yourself, "what does this food mean to me? If I ate this food, what would I be doing for myself?"
   • Taking a break?
   • Letting loose and rebelling?
   • Nurturing myself?
   • Trying to add some spice to my life?
3. Once you get to the deeper need, you can explore better ways than food to give yourself what you really need.

I assure you the feeling of satisfaction that comes from pulling out these roots and planting new, healthier seeds is very satisfying and fruitful!

Happy weeding everyone!