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Healthy Eating
How can I reduce my cravings for sweets?
 Craving
for sweets is an indication of imbalances in the Liver. The sweet flavor
soothes the Liver. Know that a liver that's in balance is like a "free
and easy wanderer." Now, we can't have it wandering off, but think about
flow, ease, being gentle with yourself. Benevolence is also a sign of
a balanced liver. So if you're easy with yourself (you'll become naturally
easier with others) and sweet is needed less to soothe the Liver. However,
sweet should not be completely eliminated from the diet.
It's said that by having "sweet" foods in our diet, the sweet tooth gets
satisfied. These would be vegetables, complex carbohydrates (grains and
legumes) and fruit.
Consider eating sweet vegetables (beets, Jerusalem artichokes, carrots,
winter squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips) for dessert or in desserts.
For instance, cook up a sweet potato (get it to where it's well cooked)
and add some ghee, cinnamon and cardamom. If this sounds appealing, you
can keep a few cooked sweet potatoes in the refrigerator and just warm
them up and add the spices when you want that sweet something. Keep in
mind, however, that sweet foods need to be balanced with what we call
qi-regulating foods to help with the digestion of these rich foods.
Have you ever tried Mana bread? (In the refrigerator section of the health
food store) The grains re sprouted. This makes it more digestible and
sweeter. It's a nice sweet treat.
See how it is to replace a sweet craving with eating something sour or
spicy.
Reduce use of "natural" sweeteners such as fructose, brown
sugar and turbinado sugar. Overall, reduce intake of sugar gradually.
Eliminate use of artificial sweeteners and use stevia to sweeten foods
and beverages.
Too much salt intake can cause sweet cravings. Sometimes people also
crave salt (that's a Kidney imbalance). So you see how this can become
a viscous cycle? Prepared foods, fast foods, fried foods, prepared soups,
have lots of salt.
High protein diets create sugar cravings.
Hyper-acidity can increase sweet cravings. This is due to lack of exercise
or eating too quickly, too much or an excess of meats and refined foods
can cause cravings. Have some raw or lightly cooked vegetables or a glass
of bancha tea with lemon, or even do something which doesn't involve
eating.
Micro algae will regulate sugar metabolism: spirulina, chlorella, wild
blue-green. Cereal grasses, taken before meals, reduces cravings.
Prepare meals at home. Read labels.
And then, of course, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can address
the imbalances of the Liver and Spleen that will help with food cravings
and improve digestion.
Your path to radiant health...
Lorraine Harris's Asheville acupuncture clinic is conveniently located
in South Asheville. Ms. Harris is a licensed acupuncturist and
Chinese herbalist and Nationally Board Certified Practitioner of Chinese
Medicine. She is the only fertility specialist in Western North Carolina (WNC)
offering The Fertile Soul Method™ and Mei Zen™ facial rejuvenation
program.
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