As one of the most hardcore types of roadies, I’ve experienced many of the extremes of human endurance. Like the need for sodium, magnesium, and potassium from massive leg cramps, or calorie crashes when it feels like your tank runs so empty you hit a massive wall where your body all but quits.

One of the things I’m only just becoming self aware of is the need for iron/protein as a direct craving, not some common indirect theoretical knowledge.

I’ve been on the same basic daily diet for a year with very little variation. I’ve noticed times when I crave eating extra stuff. I used to be massively overweight, so I’m super aware of avoiding binge eating and most junk food. However, I’ve found a pattern where sometimes I need a fresh fruit, and others–I need something with protein and iron. If I go straight to those resources at the right time, the cravings stop. If I get it wrong, I feel hungry again and crave something more in a short amount of time.

I get the impression I was overweight when I was younger because I lacked the awareness to connect these dots… along with a nutrient poor base diet.

It is just a thought I’ve been mulling over in the back of my mind for a few days. I wonder if others are either more subconsciously able to crave a better available food that meets their needs, or if I just failed to RTFM when I was born and most people are aware of this kind of connection. So… are you self aware of different types of hungry where eating a small amount of the right thing can make the issue go away when you would otherwise eat too much?

  • Mothra
    17·
    4 months ago

    Yeah I often get specific cravings. They’re usually in the following categories:

    • sweets (not too often but when I do, I usually hit chocolate)

    • fruits (sometimes I crave sweeter, sometimes acidic) I think the water and fiber here plays a role because when I crave these the chocolate doesn’t fix it, and isn’t enjoyable

    • protein ( eggs or any meat, dairy doesn’t cut it)

    • fatty stuff (here I’ll go for cheese, butter, peanut butter, perhaps canned kippers if I got some or if the only thing available is chocolate I’ll take it)

    • very salty stuff ( green olives, prosciutto, rarely chips, I get what I can)

    Nuts are sometimes good at quenching protein and fat cravings but many times it won’t work.