Cravings In Menopause; an Emotional Reliever Or Unwanted Weight Gain?

Remember the time when cravings were fun?

When cravings for chocolate, ice cream or just about any kind of fattening food was normal?

Oh c'mon! You sure do. We all have cravings for different types of food at different times. Some cravings are easy to resist while some not so much… [*cough* CHOCOLATE *cough*]

During your pre-teen and teen years cravings were way more than just that. They were an expression of fun, freedom and rebellion.

But cravings are also responsible for causing so many health problems especially during menopause. 

Cravings may play a significant role in weight gain or loss depending on the cravings and how they are catered to.

However, cravings for food during menopause can be so bad that women feel like they'll literally go crazy without their "fix".

The problem her is that overeating is the most common result of cravings in menopausal women.

It can cause weight gain or obesity which increases chances of other health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease and others.

And I know you don't want to live life like this!

Weight gain is one of the major concerns for women during menopause hence cravings can be an emotional eater's best friend or worst enemy.

But cravings can be just that — crazy and weird.

If it’s going to be crazy, it might as well be chic.

After finishing up my studies in wine consulting, I came face to face with some of my old cravings.

Then starting wondering how can I pair wine with them. 

The crazy world of cravings and food pairings

1. Stilton blue cheese and port wine: Somehow, this combination works extremely well.

Perhaps the fattiness of the fragrant cheese works well with the tannins of the port.

Whatever the reason, this combination is delicious. I told you it would be crazy!

2 Chili and wine...If the chili contains meat, usually the meat is gamey, and the dark fruit flavors of the Shiraz complement gamey meats well. Not only do I add it in my chili but drink it as well ;) 

3. The next time you pull out something to snack on like Pistachios add a 4 oz. glass of Pinot Noir to cut down the saltiness. 

Here are a few crazy ones for you. So if you are going to have a crazy craving, make it chic....

• Corn Chips and Cabernet Sauvignon
• PB&J Sandwich & Fizzy Crisp White
• Doritos and Dry Riesling
• Brut Sparkling Wine and Mac & Cheese

I thought you may enjoy this.

However, the issue I see with the many women that join the 1 day  Color Me Beautiful Chicshop  Cooking Class is that they feel overwhelmed with the organizational structure being in their kitchen.

And they are trying to cook better food but don't feel as confident trying new recipes.  

My class teaches you how not to let your cravings become a lifestyle but to shift your way of dining to high quality, semi-plant base food. So your cravings will start to diminish instead of get the best of you.  

What I have noticed about wine is that it plays a good balance to any entrée and as you noticed pairs well with non-complicated entrees like Chili or snacking on Goldfish crackers.

Even wine can add extra weight if you are overindulging in it. Because your liver can only break down 4 ounces of alcohol per hour.

More than that would increase your calories since wine is digested as sugar in your body.

Which brings me to the question that I get asked by clients often...

Why it's harder to live healthy when you get older 

Well, studies show that cravings are more common during menopause.

You may be having strong cravings for mostly crave for salty foods like chips, fries and other junk like some cheddar cheese sandwiched between two sesame crackers (put these on white bread but hold the mayo please).

Also cravings for chocolate especially brownies or fudge popsicles are very common for this age group.

Oftentimes cravings are mistaken to be the signs of hunger but cravings are not followed by weight gain or loss because cravings do not really fulfill your nutritional needs.

Cravings make it difficult for menopausal women to live a healthy lifestyle because, well cravings=junk food=unhealthy life which can lead to diseases

This brings us back to the cravings=emotional eating connection.

Sometimes cravings can be so strong that it's difficult for women to resist them and the only thing that will satisfy these cravings are junk food or other foods that do not really provide any nutritional value thus making cravings a bad thing for your health. 

Cravings in menopause are so common because cravings are directly affected by the hormone changes that a woman goes through during this stage of life.

Control cravings to have a healthy lifestyle but cravings can also affect weight gain or loss.

Keep cravings at bay and stay healthy!  [*cough* CHOCOLATE *cough*]

What I know to be true with my clients is that... cravings in menopause are something that all women go through during this stage of their lives.

It's normal to have cravings but cravings can become unhealthy. Oftentimes cravings are a result of deficiencies in your body and once they are met using food that works with body then the cravings usually stop. 

So, don't let guilt consume you and vow to abstinence, have your treat but remember that cravings can affect weight gain or loss and cravings can be an emotional eater's best friend because the only thing that will satisfy cravings are junk food.

Join us in our upcoming Chicshop Cooking in Menopause spaces are limited. 

SIGN UP HERE, 

Thank you for reading! I hope these tips help you keep your energy high and your vibes high this season. Let me know in the comments below how you're doing or if you have any other tips to share!