Crazy cravings

[Winkleplum]

Hey all, haven't posted in awhile, just been lurkin'

Anyway, lately I have had the most intense cravings for chicken. I can't even describe how intense they are, it's like cocaine or something, I just feel so empty and it's getting out of control...

Been vegan for like 7 months and I don't want to quit But these cravings are killing me, what do I do?

[snowflower]

Have you tried some fake chicken nuggets?? Would that do the trick??

You might find that although you crave it, if you actually ATE it, you might find it gross. This happened to me when I was vegetarian, I had a craving for it when eating at a restaurant, ordered it, and then realized how gross it was. About a year into being vegetarian the cravings went away and I started to think it looked and smelled gross. I'm wondering if you gave it a little longer that yours might subside too, and in the meantime make yourself some meat substitutes and see if that helps....... is there a particular dish that you're craving or just any plain chicken? when i see someone eat something with meat kind of hidden in it, for example in a taco or in spaghetti sauce or something like that, that i thought looked good, i'd try and ask myself is it really the meat that i wanted or just the sauces, spices, toppings, etc that i like...most often it was the flavor of whatever was on it that i was craving... then i try and find a way to make my own vegan version with the same sauces, toppings, etc. and it would satisfy the craving for that food. sometimes i think that maybe the reason omni's like meat so much, is not always the meat itself but whatever sauce, bun, etc. is on it..

[Est]

Firstly, are you sure your diet is balanced and you're getting the vitamins/minerals you need? I know I get cravings when I've not been eating so healthily as normal - ooops!

Secondly, I have a weird suggestion which is a quick acupressure technique... it really helps. I've used it with clients who smoke or have food addictions/compulsive behaviours.

There are three places to tap. Every time you get a craving, do seven quick, light taps on each of these places, using either your index finger or both your index and second finger together.

1. Either side of your face, doesn't matter which, at the base of the eyebrow where the hair starts growing. Seven taps. Keep thinking of eating chicken, or whatever it is about it that appeals to you (smell, taste, shape, temperature, whatever).
2. Either side of your face, doesn't matter which, on the bone of your eye socket at the bottom of the eye, in a line straight down from the pupil. Seven taps. Still thinking of chicken as you do it.
3. Either side of your chest, doesn't matter which, immediately under one of the 'bony knobbles' of your collar bone (can't think of a better way of explaining that!) Seven taps, still thinking about that chicken.

Shamelessly stolen image with blobs added to show what I mean:


That's one round of tapping, which takes about 5-10 seconds. Do a few more rounds, still thinking about chicken. The craving generally either subsides of goes away altogether. You might need to do anything from 3-10 rounds.

If the craving is very persistent, add in one more point as your new 'point 1' (and the other places become points 2, 3 and 4):

1. Either of your hands, doesn't matter which, on the outside edge between the wrist and knuckles. If you were going to karate chop a brick, it's the part of your hand that would strike the brick! Tap seven times there with the whole of your other hand.




Good luck!

[Korn]

Hi, if you look here, you'll see what kind of nutrients eating chicken will provide you with (selenium, protein, phosphorus, B3 (Niacin), B6 etc).

If you get the nutrients you can get from chicken from vegan sources, your cravings are probably based on something else than low nutrition levels - like old habits. Sometimes humans also crave certain types of food (eg.food we used to eat when we were kids) for psychological reasons - like when we miss someone to love us and eat chocolate instead.


http://www.weightloss.com.au/article...-cravings.html :

Psychological Factors:

In addition to physiological factors causing cravings, there are also a number of psychological factors including:

Constantly thinking about foods that we totally deny ourselves or label "off limits".
Our mind simply telling us we have cravings, or not having the will power to say no to foods.
Our mind simply responding to mental triggers such as fast food advertising and the like.

Once again, some diets that severely reduce kilojoules or calories and totally forbid some types of food can lead to some of these causes to be present, such as constantly thinking about prohibited foods for example.

Emotional Factors:

Emotional issues connected to food cravings may include:

Stress, tension, anxiety, fear or impatience.
Depression or feeling down.
Feeling tired and having low energy levels.
Boredom or unmet needs for fun, play, excitement, or recreation – in other words, too much work and not enough play.
A desire for love, appreciation, romance or sexual satisfaction.
Anger, resentment, bitterness or frustration.
Memories of happier times and wanting to return to those times.
Emptiness, insecurity or a desire for comfort.

If any of these emotional issues remain unaddressed, food cravings for "comfort food" can remain constant.

If our underlying emotional issues change however, so too will our food cravings.

If we do have some underlying emotional issue crying out for attention, it is often a good idea to get some help from a registered psychologists or similar mental health care professional.

Lifestyle Factors:

As well as physical, emotional and mental causes of cravings, there are also many lifestyle factors that can cause them, including:

Habit – we habitually eat dessert after dinner or eat a large popcorn, ice cream and a soft drink at the movies, etc.
Dieting – as we have already seen, some very restrictive diets can cause cravings and if our lifestyle is characterized by constant or yo-yo dieting this can lead to constant cravings.
Cultural aspects – because of their culture, many people have strong expectations to have certain foods at certain times and places.

The Psychology of Food Cravings and Emotional Eating


The psychology of food craving


The Psychology of Food Cravings

[Vegan-bellydancer]

I've tried a few substitute chicken style pieces though I don't find it tastes anything like real chicken..though haven't tried the nuggets suggested. Though perhaps as also suggested you may not be getting a good variety of different foods with the nutrients you need.

I find substituting my cravings for good veggies especially mushrooms especially if you season them in the same way you might of done when you cooked your chicken.

[Firestorm]

Hi
I find that I did get some cravings in the first year or so of being vegan, sometimes from walking past places and being able to smell things, and I think sometimes I craved things that because I knew that I couldn't have them ( or more precisely have decided to not have them ).
This would sometimes be run of the mill stuff like quiche or cheese and onion crisps ( I only learned later how to make vegan quiche) and sometimes it would be things that I associated with childhood - one of the biggies for me was seeing/smelling Cadburys creme eggs. This was in part because of the they taste, but in part it was the red/blue tinfoil wrapper that reminded me of being 5 again and getting a Captain Hook creme egg easter eggs - its was more nostalgia than anything.

The thing that I have found though is that if you stick with being vegan after a while the cravings go away and you start to crave vegan food instead. I woke up this morning and for some reason craved falafels. Yesterday it was houmous sandwich's with salsa & salt n vinegar crisps.

As Korns post said, one of the other factors can be habit/cultural aspect. If you give it time your habits will change as well. I always used to have Turkey at Christmas, now after 3 years it has become routine for me to have a Vegi-deli turkey roast instead. I also used to have a specific breakfast Christmas morning and a specific breakfast Christmas eve after finishing work - I would look forward to these in the run up to Christmas. They have now changed since becoming Vegan (X-Mas eve is Porridge with white chocolate buttons & raspberry syrup, X-Mas morning is dark choc peanut butter, cherry jam and shredded coconut toasted sandwich) and these are some of the things that I look forward to at Christmas instead.

So what I am trying to say is give it time and you might find that you feel different

[veganwitch]

Secondly, I have a weird suggestion which is a quick acupressure technique... it really helps. I've used it with clients who smoke or have food addictions/compulsive behaviours.

Est this is all very interesting. I don't have non-vegan cravings but I've saved the info as I think it might come in handy with some other things. Thanks for sharing it.

[Est]

You're welcome I recommend reading this free manual which has the full technique and LOTS of helpful info: http://www.selfheal4me.com/Free-Book.php

[veganwitch]

^Thanks much! I've bookmarked the site. I like the name of it "self-healing portal". Now if you ever find a "self-healing time travel portal" send that my way as well....lol.

[Est]

Lol

[Blueberries]

X-Mas eve is Porridge with white chocolate buttons & raspberry syrup, X-Mas morning is dark choc peanut butter, cherry jam and shredded coconut toasted sandwich

Epic Christmas food, I must say Firestorm!

[Firestorm]

I forgot to add that while I'm eating the sandwich Xmas morning, I also have a hot chocolate with Gran marnier!!

[chatabug3]

I have been craving ice cream! And found that drinking vanilla soy milk appeased that!

[Firestorm]

I have been craving ice cream! And found that drinking vanilla soy milk appeased that!

When I crave ice cream, I have vegan ice cream (Which reminds me I need to buy an ice cream maker)

[AzureAngel]

I did have an intense craving for something salty and "meaty" a while back. Luckily the vegan "alternatives" are very good. It did make me think if I should feel bad about craving it, but I don't think so. It was the taste I was after not the process. I have to say though, two places I have been to make the best! Curlys in Manhattan and a place called Jolo's close to where we do indoor rock climbing (I think, gosh I should know we went there yesterday for smoothies. I am horrible with names). I had the vegan chicken at both and it was delightful.