What can our food cravings teach us?

Like so many of the unconscious patterns in our lives, our food cravings, when brought to consciousness, can offer us insights into our current experience of reality. I’ve come to believe that foods have qualities that hold the place of emotional needs that are not being fully met. Because of the connection between foods and emotions, exploring the issue of cravings is appropriate when working with the second cakra.

A story to illustrate my point…One of my sweet clients came to me with the goal of breaking her sugar addiction. She told me that throughout her challenging childhood she would spend all her extra money on candy and treats. As an adult she was only drinking tea so it could be a vehicle for large quantities of honey! As we talked, we arrived at the idea that perhaps the sugar was acting as a replacement for sweetness in her life, especially as a child. I suggested she ask her husband and a couple of friends to write her sweet notes. Every time she felt like eating something sugary, she was to take out a note and read it. In a short time, her relationship with sugar has neutralized and she feels like she has a much healthier relationship with the sweetness in her food and her life!

In her book, Deanna Minich offers some questions to ask ourselves if we notice we are craving certain qualities in our foods. I’ve added a few more based on my own observations:

Salty: Where do you need more flow and openness in your life? Are you feeling a bit “in your head” and want to come down to earth?

Crunchy: What is stressing you? What feels trampled upon and overwhelming? Are you trying to distract yourself from something?

Sweet: Do you need more fun and joy in your life? Are you being treated sweetly by your loved ones? Is there a sweet/gentle quality in your life right now?

Spicy: Do you crave intensity and living on the edge? Are you afraid of boredom? Are you bored? Do you need to “light a fire” in some area of your life?

Sour: What do you need to draw your attention to? Do you feel scattered?

Soft: What do you need to sink into to feel comfort? What do you need to do for yourself to feel loved and nurtured?

Food for thought! Since the second cakra is also about playfulness, I invite you to hold all of this lightly. Just start examining your food choices with a sense of humor as emotional undertones come to light! I would love to hear about any insights you arrive at…