Non-vegan cravings

[Mystic]

Inspired by the 'I'm Struggling thread' (http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6329&page=1&pp=10) I am starting this one to 'protect' people who may crave animal foods. I was concerned reading the post by this particular post by Savannah:

Today I totally have the munchies. I ate a whole pack of cereal bars, 8 rice cakes with 1/2 tub toffuti cream cheese. Now I'm having a giant avocado sandwich and houmous straight out the tub. Luckily I don't have anything in the flat that is too unhealthy, but all i want right now is a big mac. I'm just going to have to go to bed and try to forget about it.
As we all know, some people get offended by vegans having cravings, and it is not always wise to be open about it here on TVF coz we get 'attacked'. So here I thought we could post what we are craving and if anyone has any suggestions on how to exactly combat the craving with a non-animal food they can respond. Or even share experiences of how you have combatted certain cravings.
This is my response to Savannah:

Make a double patty veggie burger, with tofutti cheese, mustard, ketchup & pickles, lettuce & tomato. And make oven fries to go with it.

[speedylemons]

good idea

[Cranberry]

Sometimes cravings are simply psychological and sometimes they are physiological. Your body might be lacking a certain nutrient. Example, not enough Magnesium in the diet may cause chocolate cravings and cramping. Low B12 and iron could cause meat cravings and so on. Do a little research on the subject of food cravings and deficiencies. Keep a food diary and if you are a woman keep track of cravings throughout the month. See if your cravings are triggered by PMS and/or ovulation


Good Luck!

HOW TO CONQUER CRAVINGS
Or give in at the right moments
by Steve Edwards, Beachbody™ Fitness Advisor

You've just spent the last few weeks weeding the junk out of your diet. Brown rice and veggies have replaced Tuesday night all-you-can-eat sessions at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Flax is part of your daily vernacular, while Crisco conjures up visions of an old John Wayne flick instead of Toll House cookies. In short, you've been good and your body is responding. It feels better than it did last month, yet you're a little tired.

Maybe it's from not eating enough, maybe lack of protein, perhaps what's "supposed" to be good for you really isn't after all. "Aren't I supposed to have more energy," you think. Why am I tired?" As if on cue, you happen to be passing the local McDonald's. The smell is arousing. "Yes, it must be lack of protein," so you pull up to the drive-up window. As luck would have it, it's Big Wednesday—two Big Macs for $2. Certainly your body wouldn't steer you wrong, so you order away. Habit sways you to throw in fries and a Coke, but that's okay because you've earned it. Besides, you've been listening to your body, and it's craving protein. This can't be the wrong decision. Or can it?

The ability to tell psychological cravings from physiological hunger is one of the keys to maintaining a lean body, and learning to distinguish which is which is your first step to learning how to conquer your cravings.

Learning how to listen to your body is a vital step to living an active and healthy lifestyle. Your body is smart; it will tell you what is working and what isn't. Unfortunately, it's also a creature of habit, and old habits die hard. So sometimes when you could use a little fat, it tells you that you need a pint of Ben and Jerry's. You want to conquer these bad habits, yet you know you need to fuel yourself properly. What should you do?

Eating in response to a psychological craving almost always insures overeating. Some examples of psychological cravings are:


Wanting something sweet after dinner.
Wanting a hot dog at a ballgame or chips while watching TV.
You get hungry at the mention of ice cream.
You can't decide what you want to eat but feel the need to eat something.
The smell of a comfort food restaurant suddenly makes you hungry.
Feeling stressed makes you hungry.
Being bored makes you hungry.
Other times, your body will tell you it needs food or a certain food because it's deficient. These are physiological cravings:


Feeling like you suddenly have no energy.
Having a gnawing feeling in your stomach.
You're light headed.
You can't stop thinking about meat, or spinach, or even fatty foods, etc.
Once you decide which type of craving you're having, then make a plan of action. For physiological cravings, you want to give in to them. These happen commonly when you don't eat for long periods of time. They also happen both at the onset of an exercise program or any time you restrict your diet. Often they signal a blood sugar crash, like when you're lightheaded. Food cravings can signal different things. Meat cravings come from excessive muscle breakdown when your body wants protein to repair it. Veggies usually signal a vitamin deficiency. Ice cream, or any fat, can signal a fat deficiency. If these cravings are real, eating the right food will calm the craving, even if it's something you don't like. For example, a teaspoon of flax seed oil might appease your ice cream craving if you haven't been getting enough essential fat. A protein shake may have the same effect as a Big Mac, even though you were sure you needed that burger. These types of cravings should be indulged. You just need to make sure to do it correctly.

Psychological cravings are far more common. This is when you become certain that you'll fall over dead if you don't get some peanut M&M's, now! These are the cravings that need to be resisted at all costs. Here are some tips to help when times get tough:


Eat every 3 hours. Even if it's something small. One of the biggest culprits for psychological cravings is dropping blood sugar. If you keep your levels steady, you simply won't crave the same things. The easiest way to combat cravings is to avoid them in the first place.


Drink water. Dehydration confuses the body and will often make it feel hungry, especially if it's cool out. A small glass of water each hour will keep your stomach full and keep you hydrated.


Wait. Real cravings stay with you but psychological ones don't. If you've eaten enough and are hydrated, putting off a decision for 15-20 minutes will help the feeling dissipate.


Distract yourself. Along the same lines, if you start doing something else the feeling will usually pass. If you've been working in front of a computer but feel the need to eat, do something else. Make a phone call or read the news. Changing your mindset might be all you need.


Exercise. If you start to exercise and your cravings aren't physical, you'll feel better almost instantly. If it is physical, you'll never be able to really get into your workout, which is a sign that you need to eat.


Challenge your craving. Some people like to attack things and this type may prefer the approach that is, "Go ahead and take your best shot. I don't need food and I'm not eating!"


Keep healthy snacks around. Sometimes you just can't take it, especially if you're on a restricted calorie diet. Keeping healthy snacks around will help. Have a piece of fruit or some raw veggies. If it's not helping, you'll know your craving was psychological.


Change your routine. Habit can affect a craving, so shake up what you do, even if it's just slightly. Turn off the lights in your kitchen and try not to use that room. Change the lighting of your house, move your desk, sit differently, get up every so often and stretch or drink water, do anything different. Forcing simple changes can make it easier to follow through with tougher ones


And when absolutely nothing else works, give in, but RARELY! Every so often you've got to blow it. After all, you're human. And if you didn't enjoy these foods, they wouldn't have become something you craved in the first place. You are going to mess up sometimes. This can be okay if you can limit amounts. Have a square of chocolate instead of a whole bar, a serving of chips (around 20) instead of a bag, half a soda instead of the entire thing. And never let one bad evening turn into a three-day (or three-week) binge! This will work your habitual mind in the right direction and lead to the ability to cut that craving out for good.



CARL DAIKELER'S TIP OF THE MONTH
Don't Eat "Less," Eat Enough

I'm one of those people that have a hard time being told he can't have something (and I apologize to my mother for the grief that caused her while I grew up). That relates to how I eat too -- which means, for someone who wants to have what he wants to have, it's tricky to tell myself to eat less or to diet... Okay, it's not tricky; it's impossible for more than a day or two. So how did I lose fat doing Power 90®? I stopped thinking in terms of eating less, and instead just made sure I ate enough -- and no more. That took listening to my body for "full" signals ("Two small slices seemed to do the trick. I'll stop now."), instead of eating until I got "stuffed" signals. ("Hello fourth slice of pizza!")

That goes for everything -- from snack bars to popcorn to salad; I don't finish a sports snack bar if I sense that I've had enough. I save it for later if I feel hungry again. Same thing with popcorn at the movies (no butter!), I don't munch it mindlessly because it's there and I just paid $10 for it. I eat what feel like, and know that as soon as I get the sensation that I've eaten enough, I stop, with confidence that if I get attacked by hunger I'll be okay. The bucket is right there, waiting to save me.

Salad is a particularly valuable choice to note. The "enough" comes from the dressing. I learned from my assistant, Joanne, actually that I was putting way too much dressing on my salad ("Swim little sunflower seeds, swim!") Instead, I learned that a little goes a long way, and that some of that stuff in my salad actually has its own flavor! That led to training my taste buds to look for some new healthy flavors, rather than looking for oversized chunks of blue cheese - a huge lesson for me.

And you know what - when I learned to eat "enough," I started to feel better after meals. Instead of tired, I felt energized instead of feeling like I just gave back the gains I worked for that week (or losses, in the case of calorie burning) I felt like I had maintained my discipline and stuck to my commitment.

I think you'll feel the same - and you won't go hungry.

The bottom line for me is, the closer I listened to my body, the better I got at eating "enough" and the more I enjoyed food without getting bloated. So instead of always beating on yourself to "EAT LESS!" trying being your body's own best friend, and feed it "enough."

[Seaside]

As we all know, some people get offended by vegans having cravings, and it is not always wise to be open about it here on TVF coz we get 'attacked'. So here I thought we could post what we are craving and if anyone has any suggestions on how to exactly combat the craving with a non-animal food they can respond. Or even share experiences of how you have combatted certain cravings.

I don't know any vegans here who are offended by folks having cravings, nor do I know any who wish to "attack" folks for having cravings. Cravings cannot be helped, and are not a moral weakness. The only objection I have ever had is to anyone who wants to water down the definition of veganism to suit their less-than-vegan interests, which is very different from having cravings or posting about them.



Sometimes cravings are simply psychological and sometimes they are physiological. Your body might be lacking a certain nutrient. Example, not enough Magnesium in the diet may cause chocolate cravings and cramping. Low B12 and iron could cause meat cravings and so on. Do a little research on the subject of food cravings and deficiencies. Keep a food diary and if you are a woman keep track of cravings throughout the month. See if your cravings are triggered by PMS and/or ovulation....
Cranberry, this is very useful information! :) I have had many cravings at times for different fruits or vegetables, and have always figured that this meant I was low in certain nutrients. What I wonder is whether a person can suffer a true nutritionally-driven craving for an animal product, since animal products are not nutritionally appropriate for people?

I also have read that we can become easily addicted to foods to which we are allergic, and the addictive or habit-forming qualities animal "foods" possess must not be overlooked. If a person is going through "withdrawal", facsimiles of these products may only lead to continuing the habit of eating them.

It is hard work, but in the long run it is better to identify what sort of craving it is, and find a way to eliminate it completely rather than relying on substitutes. However, if a person is struck with an unbearable urge, a substitute is better than the real thing. But it should only be a temporary stop-gap, on the road to freeing ourselves from being bound to animal "foods", and showing all those dozens of non-vegan guests who visit this forum to find out about veganism that it is possible to live very happily and successfully without animal "foods" or their imitations. :)

[rujoon]

I also have cravings occasionally :p The method I use is to think of the suffering faced by the animals, be it while they are dying, the psychological stress etc., I found it very reliable and always works.:D

[Hemlock]

I am craving an after eight mint sandwich with plastic white bread and lashings of margerine :(
Thankfully I have none of the above in the house!

[puffin]

There are many vegan alternatives to dairy/meat so i find it hard to understand why the cravings cannot be fulfilled by these products :confused:

[kriz]

There are many vegan alternatives to dairy/meat so i find it hard to understand why the cravings cannot be fulfilled by these products :confused:

Me too. Cooking with lots of fat and/or spice should take care of the cravings. Tasteless vegan cooking could make anyone crave for anything.
:o

[puffin]

. Tasteless vegan cooking could make anyone crave for anything.
:o
I agree. There is a joke in my house, if something tastes really bland we always say "that tastes vegan" ;) The joke is not a bitch at vegan food but at the way people think vegan food tastes like. Oh you all know what i mean, im of before i say something stupid. Oh to late :o

[Seaside]

Tasteless vegan cooking could make anyone crave for anything. :o


I agree. There is a joke in my house, if something tastes really bland we always say "that tastes vegan" ;) The joke is not a bitch at vegan food but at the way people think vegan food tastes like. Oh you all know what i mean, im of before i say something stupid. Oh to late :o
You guys are right! People who manufacture vegan foods think we are vegan for our health. so they leave out all the fat and salt. I go along the aisles and read the words on the labels: "No dairy" yay!, "No cholesterol", yay!, "fat free", boo!!!!! :D

[Tigerlily]

I don't know is someone said this already (too lazy to read the long posts :p) but something fatty helps with cheese cravings. Like an avocado or bread dipped in olive oil (lol).

[Mystic]

There are many vegan alternatives to dairy/meat so i find it hard to understand why the cravings cannot be fulfilled by these products :confused:

I know it is selfish, but sometimes I find myself craving 'the real thing'. The purpose of this thread is to help people like Hemlock - not to make people feel guilty for having cravings. So please people - only helpful suggestions or tips :)


I am craving an after eight mint sandwich with plastic white bread and lashings of margerine
Thankfully I have none of the above in the house!


I am sorry Hemlock, but I don't know what an after eight mint sandwich is???

[Poison Ivy]

Your Majesty :p , After Eight mints are a peppermint fondant cream covered in dark chocolate in a nifty square shape (I reckon 4 of them would fit nicely between two slices of white bread!!) :D

[twinkle]

I have to say, I don't like the idea of an after eight sandwich much, but then I've never tried it, and I *did* have a chocolate-orange truffle sandwich just yesterday, so I can't really talk :D

I'm not sure if they're still vegan but the Co-op after dinner mints (very similar to after eights) used to be marked vegan. And don't Dr Hadwen Trust do some after dinner mint things too? I guess Hemlock wasn't really looking for a sub, given by the relief at not having any fixings for the sandwich in the house, but I'm kind of intriqued now... :)

[Mystic]

LOL :D I feel dumb now!!!!

In that case, I think I can help. I know that Kosher after dinner mints are vegan (well the ones I know of are anyway), and I am pretty sure that Green and Blacks mint chocolate is vegan too. Maybe Hemlock can buy vegan margarine and white bread and make a sandwich out of that :D :D ????

[puffin]

I know it is selfish, but sometimes I find myself craving 'the real thing'. The purpose of this thread is to help people like Hemlock - not to make people feel guilty for having cravings. So please people - only helpful suggestions or tips :)

It wasnt my intention to make anyone feel guilty for having cravings :confused: I just think there are plenty of lovely chocs/yogurts/soya meat and milk out there to help you through the hard times.

[Poison Ivy]

Lol, After Eight mints are vegan, but are made by Nestle - so are a bit dodgy on the ethical front - but as Twinkle (quite rightly) says the Co-op do their own version!!

I can't say I would ever have thought about putting After Eight Mints (or indeed any chocolate) in a sandwich, but each to their own :)

By the way Queen M, great idea for this thread I hope it proves to be very popular and useful, not only to new vegans but also to 'established' vegans who occassionally crave non-vegan things :)

Way to go Queenie!!! :D :D

[puffin]

I'm not sure if they're still vegan but the Co-op after dinner mints (very similar to after eights) used to be marked vegan.
The co-op still do the after dinner mints. Sainsburys do lovely after dinner mints to. All 4 of us got through a whole box in 2 days tut tut ;)

[Mystic]

It wasnt my intention to make anyone feel guilty for having cravings :confused: I just think there are plenty of lovely chocs/yogurts/soya meat and milk out there to help you through the hard times.


I agree and I didn't mean to make u feel bad either. But the point of this thread is for people to come here and say, "I am craving X" and then people can come here and say, "well maybe X will help"....

It's not helpful to say that there is so much there, why do people crave things - I know when it happens to me I need specifics.

[Poison Ivy]

The co-op still do the after dinner mints. Sainsburys do lovely after dinner mints to. All 4 of us got through a whole box in 2 days tut tut ;)


I know a certain 'Bumpkin' who ate a whole box of the Co-op mint things in ONE sitting - so they must be good :)

[Mystic]

You guys are right! People who manufacture vegan foods think we are vegan for our health. so they leave out all the fat and salt. I go along the aisles and read the words on the labels: "No dairy" yay!, "No cholesterol", yay!, "fat free", boo!!!!! :D
I totally agree - I hate it how people think that people are vegan coz they are on a diet :rolleyes:

[puffin]

I agree and I didn't mean to make u feel bad either. But the point of this thread is for people to come here and say, "I am craving X" and then people can come here and say, "well maybe X will help"....

It's not helpful to say that there is so much there, why do people crave things - I know when it happens to me I need specifics.
I said where people could get after dinner mints. I think thats pretty helpful :p :D

[Mystic]

:D Thankyou :p :)

[puffin]

I know a certain 'Bumpkin' who ate a whole box of the Co-op mint things in ONE sitting - so they must be good :)
Lol, i dont feel so bad now :D Sainsburys ones are lovely to. The chocolate is really thick on them. What time does sainsburys close? :D

[puffin]

:D Thankyou :p :)
:p :p :D