Those Crazy Cravings..

Pickles and Ice Cream Image

Cheese Whiz sandwiches anyone? How about pickles and ice cream? Just ice? Black olives and cheesecake?

These are a few of many of the food cravings that people have claimed to have during pregnancy. A lot of the people I know gave into their cravings during pregnancy, saying it is impossible...because your body wants what it wants! While this is kind of true, it has more to do with the flurry of hormones going on in your body.

Research says that pregnant women prefer sweeter tastes over salty ones. I found this topic interesting in the fact that some people believe that these cravings MEAN something. Such as nutrient deficiencies, however there is no research to prove this. So who knows whether the link to iron deficiencies due to cravings of ice, cigarette butts, or laundry starch is true.

Some things to remember when those cravings hit is not to avoid them because it is important to satisfy your emotional feelings.....So if you are craving:

• Cranberry juice: Get the fortified stuff
• Milk or dairy: Go for it, it contains lots of protein, calcium, and other nutrients
• Ice Cream: Try low-fat frozen yogurt
• Pastries: try taking graham crackers with cream cheese and fruit preserves to get the sweetne

If your craving is a healthy one, go for it! If not, some other ways to curb the cravings include:

• Getting exercise!
• Eating breakfast
• Eat regularly to avoid drops in blood sugar
• Lots of emotional support
• Eat less unhealthy foods (i.e. substitute a fun-sized candy bar for a full-sized one)
   

 Sources:
Coping With Pregnancy Cravings 
Food Cravings and What They Mean