Skip to main content
Close Close

Congratulations
You're on the list.

Make sure to check your spam folder so that our emails are always delivered into your inbox.
xo, Kourt
Give your inbox
and your life

the Poosh it needs.
By clicking SIGN UP, you agree to receive emails from Poosh and agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.
Free Shipping on All Domestic Orders.
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
  • LIFE + STYLE
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
  • KKB
Poosh
  • instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
  • Shop
  • search
  • search
  • body
  • diy
  • fitness
  • Giving Back
  • health
  • mind
  • Relationships
  • Sexual Wellness
  • soul
This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention
This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention
Do These 3 Things for Your Gut and Get the Best Sleep Ever
Do These 3 Things for Your Gut and Get the Best Sleep Ever
3 Reasons to Stop Saying “I’m Dead” and What to Say Instead, According to a Psychologist
3 Reasons to Stop Saying “I’m Dead” and What to Say Instead, According to a Psychologist
This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine
This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine
Are all Calories Created Equal?
Are all Calories Created Equal?
Can a Friend be Your Soulmate?
Can a Friend be Your Soulmate?
  • Adulting
  • beauty
  • guides
  • Hacks
  • style
  • travel
This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine
This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine
Clean-ish SPFs You’ll Actually Enjoy Wearing
Clean-ish SPFs You’ll Actually Enjoy Wearing
Embracing My Inner Romantic Is the Bravest Thing I’ve Ever Done
Embracing My Inner Romantic Is the Bravest Thing I’ve Ever Done
How This Serum Changed My Morning/Makeup Routine
How This Serum Changed My Morning/Makeup Routine
Quiet Luxury Isn’t a Look—It’s a Whole Mood 
Quiet Luxury Isn’t a Look—It’s a Whole Mood 
Steph Shep Shares Her Fave AAPI Brands To Know and Love
Steph Shep Shares Her Fave AAPI Brands To Know and Love
  • decor
  • entertaining
  • kids
  • motherhood
  • Playlists
  • recipes
This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention
This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention
These Hacks Make Small-Space Living SO Much Easier 
These Hacks Make Small-Space Living SO Much Easier 
Our 7 Most-Shared Recipes 
Our 7 Most-Shared Recipes 
Under $50: Outdoor Entertaining Essentials
Under $50: Outdoor Entertaining Essentials
Kourt’s Coconut Pudding Recipe
Kourt’s Coconut Pudding Recipe
The New Matcha Mule 818 Cocktail Recipe
The New Matcha Mule 818 Cocktail Recipe
  • family
  • kourtney
An Exclusive Peek at Khloé Kardashian’s Blooming Garden Trellis
An Exclusive Peek at Khloé Kardashian’s Blooming Garden Trellis
Why Kourt is Obsessed With Nettle Tea
Why Kourt is Obsessed With Nettle Tea
Under $20: Clever Fridge Organizers Inspired by Kris Jenner
Under $20: Clever Fridge Organizers Inspired by Kris Jenner
The Asian-Inspired Chickpea Salad Kourt Can’t Stop Reaching For 
The Asian-Inspired Chickpea Salad Kourt Can’t Stop Reaching For 
BTS: Kourt and Travis’ Personal Photos from Their Portofino Wedding
BTS: Kourt and Travis’ Personal Photos from Their Portofino Wedding
3 Salads Kourt is Eating on Rotation Right Now
3 Salads Kourt is Eating on Rotation Right Now
What are you looking for?

Menu

  • Shop
  • HEALTH + WELLNESS
    • body
    • diy
    • fitness
    • Giving Back
    • health
    • mind
    • Relationships
    • Sexual Wellness
    • soul
  • HOME + ENTERTAINING
    • decor
    • entertaining
    • kids
    • motherhood
    • Playlists
    • recipes
  • KKB
    • family
    • kourtney
  • LIFE + STYLE
    • Adulting
    • beauty
    • guides
    • Hacks
    • style
    • travel
  • Newsletter
instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
health

WHY DO WE Crave Certain Things? 

By Serena Poon
share on pinterest share on facebook share on twitter Share on Flipboard share by email
 Photo credit @rosalia.vt
@rosalia.vt

Previously, celebrity chef and certified nutritionist Serena Poon, CN, CHC, CHN explained why we should embrace our cravings. Cravings aren’t the bad guys, and when we tune into them, they can be “helpful, friendly communicators” about our well-being. 

She’s back to dive into what our cravings can tell us. 

It might mean that you have an unmet emotional need. 

People often eat food with the goal to shift their mood. From comfort foods to energizing foods, eating is one way people can exhibit some kind of control over how they feel. If you find that your cravings are tied to specific emotions, your cravings can present a beautiful opportunity to explore your relationship with those feelings. 

Do you like to eat Oreos when you feel sad? That’s a great insight, and if you want to, eat the Oreos. 

I do encourage that instead of using food as a tool to push the emotion away, you take the craving as an invitation to explore how you feel, how you respond to that emotion, and ways you can process how you’re feeling. It’s possible that eating your favorite indulgence helps you process the emotion, and it might also make sense to explore other activities such as therapy, mindfulness, and breathwork.

Restricting calories can trigger a panic response in your brain. 

The most common root cause of cravings that I see in my work comes from people who are trying to restrict their calories. So many people believe that in order to look good, they must lose weight and to do so, they must restrict their calories. If this is how you feel (and I can’t stress enough how common this is), I encourage you to take steps to shift your mindset around food. 

Remind yourself that eating is a way of loving and nourishing your body, fueling it to do what it needs to support you through your day. 
When you restrict your calories, it can trigger a panic response in your brain. This can lead to binging and overeating. I am not a fan of calorie counting, but instead, I encourage my clients to fill their plate with wholesome, nourishing food and cultivate mindfulness around what and why they are eating. 

If you crave food, eat it. 

When you eat the foods that you crave, begin to notice how you feel. Do you feel satisfied? Do you feel like you need more food? Did the meal or snack make you feel light and energized or heavy and lethargic? Once you begin to conversate with your cravings, you will begin to learn how to better nourish your body.

If you have a craving for a specific food, you may be in need of its nutrients. 

An example of this is someone who might be a little dehydrated after a hot day or long workout expressing a strong craving for salty foods (because sodium is an important electrolyte that supports hydration). In a case like this, you will definitely want to eat a little bit of that food—or another food that contains the same nutrient—to satisfy the craving. 

A connection between vitamin deficiencies and cravings can be difficult to suss out on your own, so I usually advise that people get their vitamin levels checked by their doctor.

Serena Poon, CN, CHC, CHN, combines her expertise as a celebrity chef and certified nutritionist to serve her A-list clientele. Her passion for integrative health and holistic nutrition led her to create Culinary Alchemy®, a method of functional and spiritual nutrition that integrates how food affects our bodies on a physiological and energetic level. Her work approach to nutrition, wellness, and longevity from a holistic approach optimizes and heals the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of her clients. Follow her Instagram, @chefserenapoon.

The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (“Poosh”) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the author only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.

Up next, be the first to know our weekly content and sign up for our Poosh newsletter.

You may also like...

Go to article What Kind of Sleeper Are You?
body

What Kind of Sleeper Are You?

Go to article 6 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy
health

6 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Related Articles

Goes to article This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention
recipes

This Creamy Lemon Olive Oil Elixir Is the Cure for Water Retention

Goes to article Do These 3 Things for Your Gut and Get the Best Sleep Ever
health

Do These 3 Things for Your Gut and Get the Best Sleep Ever

Goes to article This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine
beauty

This Multitasking SPF Completes My Lazy-Girl Morning Routine

Goes to article Are all Calories Created Equal?
health

Are all Calories Created Equal?

Goes to article Did You Know Bitter Foods Help Jumpstart Digestion?
body

Did You Know Bitter Foods Help Jumpstart Digestion?

Goes to article What Not To Eat: Water Weight Edition
health

What Not To Eat: Water Weight Edition

Goes to article Feeling Low, Bloated, or Sluggish? Look at Your Tongue
body

Feeling Low, Bloated, or Sluggish? Look at Your Tongue

Goes to article What To Eat When You’re Breaking Out
health

What To Eat When You’re Breaking Out

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • California Privacy Rights
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Accessibility

Keep in Touch

instagram pinterest facebook twitter youtube join newsletter
Reviewed by Allyant for Accessibility
  • © poosh, llc
    All Rights Reserved