TPV Podcast, Episode 300: How Do You Handle Sugar and Salt Cravings?

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah tackle cravings and how to fight back against them!

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The Paleo View (TPV), Episode 300: How Do You Handle Sugar and Salt Cravings?

• Intro (0:00)
• News and Views (0:40)
  • It’s our 300th episode!!
  • It’s Stacy’8-year Paleo-versary this week!
    • And also her youngest, Wesley’s 8th birthday.
      • Stacy went Paleo two days after he was born to eliminate dairy and try to help his colic.
    • Sarah’s first couple months on Paleo were strict and she didn’t find “treats” until months after she started.
    • Stacy remembers first going Paleo and thinking she didn’t have a problem with gluten- ha!
    • Stacy didn’t do a lot of “treats” at first either, but found a dairy-free ice cream recipe a couple months in.
      • Elana’s Pantry and The Spunky Coconut were the first two grain-free blogs that they found.
      • Sarah remembers an almond coconut bar with chocolate as the first Paleo treat she made.
        • It completely changed her world and helped make Paleo sustainable.
      • Stacy tries to ask herself, “is this nutrient-densee and is it reducing or not contributing to inflammation.”
        • When they have treats, they try to be very mindful of them.
          • Using dates as sweetener if they bake.
          • Buying just a couple cupcakes as a treat and not a whole cake that sits in the house for days.
• Listener Email, from Tom (whom Sarah met in person at Paleof(x) a couple weeks ago):
  • Tom write, “Sarah, I just wanted to tell you how great it was meeting you in person and chatting after hours and hours of 1 way listening via the podcast. (Congrats on the 5 million downloads by the way, the other 5 listeners must have been super busy on itunes!) You are as amazing and awesome in real life as you seem to be online. A thought for the podcast that I didn’t get a chance to say when we were talking. I would love to hear you guys read some more fan mail / reviews on the show (you can include this one!). It’s a great way for us listeners to kind of connect with others who love you two so much.”
  • Great idea Tom, thank!! Stacy and Sarah would love to hear more from all of YOU! We love getting questions and comments, especially if something we’ve talked about has helped you in your life.
    • There are lots of ways to connect with us- commenting our blog posts, or on social media when we share podcasts posts, or even emailing us!
• Listener Question from Amanda (21:40):
  • Amanda asks, “I’m already trying to figure out a plan for family visits. My husband’s family comes in to town and stays at the oldest brothers house on the other side of the neighborhood for 2-3 days which means the leftovers and treats stay until they’re gone. I can’t just not go over there to visit while they’re here, but I can’t handle that kind of temptation either. Last year we gave in and I’m still caving to sugar and salt cravings. Any advice is truly appreciated!
    • One thing that makes it easier for Stacy is that she can not have gluten, so many treats are not even an option.
    • Stacy always makes a conscious choice to eat or not to eat the treat.
      • Think about how you’re going to talk to yourself so that there isn’t a negative voice.
      • Be practical and plan ahead. If you know there’s going to be cookies there, bring your own and have those instead.
    • There are certain nutrients that we know can drive cravings when we’re not getting enough of them:
      • Calcium, chromium, vitamin C, and magnesium.
        • These are all nutrients required for processing things like refined sugars.
      • We end up in a vicious cycle: sugar depletes Magnesium, Magnesium plays a role in stabilizing blood sugar, and when Magnesium levels are too low we don’t regulate our blood sugar level very well, and then we go on this high and low with drives sugar cravings.
      • When we’re stressed we tend to crave energy-dense foods.
        • Eating energy-dense foods when under stress is shown to be neuro-protective in mice.
        • Focusing on chronic-stress reducing activities can be helpful.
      • Not getting enough sleep can cause cravings for energy-dense foods.
        • It increases hunger and messes with our hunger hormones.
        • It interferes with dopamine response, reducing the reward from eating, which makes us want to eat more.
      • If you can dial in the lifestyle factors that can influence cravings, your ability to choose not to do something is higher.
      • Stacy has found that eating an orange helps her with certain cravings.
      • Stacy had to have a real conversation with her family in the beginning when they would pressure her at get-togethers, reminding them that they wanted her to be health and happy, and that her not eating the treat didn’t mean that they couldn’t.
        • It felt difficult at the time, but made a huge impact.
      • If you choose to indulge, you need to accept it and move on.
        • It’s fine, Paleo is about making better choices more often.
        • It’s also about sustainability.
        • Don’t let a treat drive you into a guilt cycle.
      • These types of event can be an opportunity to show people that what you’re doing isn’t weird.
        • Paleo does include an occasional treat!
        • Sarah will bring a treat or baked good to share- which shows people how good Paleo food is.
        • The discovery that Paleo foods are delicious can be what helps someone make a decision to try it.
• Thanks for helping make this our 300th episode!
• If you’ve enjoyed the show, please recommend it to someone who might enjoy it.
• We love when you share and when you leave reviews for us! Thanks for listening!
  • Real Everything
  • The Paleo Mom