Food Cravings

I was curious to what some people thought about cravings that they or others have for certain foods. I have heard different arguements for what food cravings are. I have heard that they can be your body telling you that you are low of something (for example: you are craving candy as your body needs the energy and sugar is a quick fix). I have also heard that cravings are totally "in your head", and are not actually your body telling you anything. This was determined as people who have received total parental nutrition (TPN) or other items that give the body all the nutrients it needs still had cravings. I actually am able to say that when I was on TPN I did continue to crave food, but after being on it for a while the cravings did decrease.

Any ways what I wanted to see is if you think you should give into your food cravings, even if it is for a naughty food. For me I know that after going through what I did with nuts and seeds, I am very happy never to touch them again. I do find that I crave some items that I cannot have on a low residue diet. The funny part is that these things are vegetables for the most part! I do not know how many teenagers are complaining about not being able to eat salads that have more than just lettuce, but I am one of them .

Your thoughts on this are appreciated.

Funny you mention this, I was thinking about this last night. I did have the worst cravings while being on Prednisone. My cravings Mike were...anything that came to mind that I needed to have, and I mean needed..lol. Not neccessarly sugar btw. I would beg my friends/family..no matter what time it was to get me whatever I was craving. I had no control over it. I remember telling the doctor this, and he did say that Prednisone may have this effect. I can't honestly say that I had any cravings for lettuce or veggies, it would be random for me...whatever popped into my head. Being off Prednisone now for 18 yrs, and I still have cravings...not as bad though. Cravings I believe are all in our head, (wouldn't the doctors love me for using their favorite saying) but when it gets to the point where you must have it, and will do anything to get what your craving...well that's just insane, lol.

For me, when I was on prednisone.... I basically craved FOOD (in general)

Just like Cookey, it was usually whatever happened to pop into my head at the time (that thing I thought I just HAD to have) Another thing is that I never got the "FULL" signal. I remember feeling constantly hungry. One time I sat down and ate an entire box of Cheeze-Its! <ugh!> That would make me sick now.

I personally think we get accustomed to eating certain foods, our tastebuds like the foods, or we associate them with some positive memory or experience, so we crave them.

I suppose some of our cravings could be subconscious as well. I've heard of pregnant women craving paint chips and dirt, soooo.... it must be a mental thing, because I've never heard of an unborn baby requiring paint chips to grow normally--LOL

That's just my opinion.

LOL Tami...good point.

I should probably mention that too...

When I was on a liquid diet I just craved everything! I think it was partly because I knew I could not have food, partly becuase I was hungry (and losing weight) and partly becuase I was on prednisone (don't ask me what percent for each one though). I for some reason found that watching the food network helped me with these cravings though. I do not know why, but think that I was just missing food and just by watching it on tv it made me feel better. It was really weird as any food that popped into my head became an instant craving/obsession. I was sure that once the surgery was over I would be eating food non-stop for the rest of my life, but that really has not been the case. Even the foods I was craving the absolute worst did not really continue to be a craving for me now (or right after surgery). I think I was just unable to do anything on the liquid diet since I had no energy that I was letting myself spend all day thinking about food . I recommend others find ANY other activity in the world to occupy themselves with, as that is not what you want to be doing during a liquid diet.

Hmmmm food craveings well on the pred i craved everything espicially ham sandwiches lol. But i think when off the pred and i get craveings i think its a mixture of what we need and what we want..... like if you are craveing chips ild say thats a want but if you crave fruit or veges or meat ild say thats what we need. I think its a matter of listening to you body to decifer what its telling you. But i do think its important to give into the bed craveings every now and again even if it can cause pain hehe like i did with an orrange i was sore for days but i felt good haveing it.

I also did the "food tv while on the liquid diet" thing. The funny thing is that now I can't stand watching that channel. At the time though, nothing beat Food Tv!

omg wen i was on prednizone all wanted to do was eat anything i could get my hands on! but wen i was on food restrictions i also didnt eat red meat cuz it hurt my stomach so bad. so i craved chocolate covered strawberries(which i couldnt have cuz of the seeds or the dairy cuz i am lactose intolerant on flairups) and chili cheese dogs which i have no idea why..haha

I am no longer on prednisone (I won't allow it!) but the times I was on it I was eating ALL THE TIME!! Once I ate a whole thing of those pillsbury cinnamon buns (yum) in about an hour!! And I was smoking. 3 packs of 100's a day!!!
Now I'm in the throes of another flare and it's the weirdest thing - I crave PICKLES!! My boyfreind insists I'm pregnant!

OMG I did the Food Network thing too! My docs and nurses would ask me while I was in the hospital on "bowel rest" (forced starvation) how I could stand to watch them cook all that food. I guess it's a psychological thing. If I can't eat it, at least let me LOOK at it..lol.

I also made looooong lists of foods I wanted to eat when I could eat again. Kinda like writing Santa a letter.

I also made looooong lists of foods I wanted to eat when I could eat again. Kinda like writing Santa a letter.

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Hee hee! I hear ya there Ree! It probably helped you about as much as chewing gum would. They say chewing gum helps speed up recovery time after bowel surgery b/c it gets your gastric juices-a-flowin'

I'm sure Emiril can do the same thing!

I actually read a report online not long ago that was about the gum chewing thing. I'll try to find it again and post it.

There was another article that I read online that suggested using Viagra to increase the blood flow to the intestines. LOL!

omg i made a food list too lol. its so bad how like much prednizone controls u cuz like u could never think straight and i remember at lunch my friends would always b like um wow thats alot of food jen-cuz ive always been really skinny and stuff. i tried gum too and it would work for a little bit but then id just want food

i dont have any food cravings, just coffee

I need my coffee too!!!!

I crave nuts - usually a need for protein but since nuts cause me so much problem I have to avoid them. But I am learning new recipes for making my own "nut butters" to try and get the taste but avoid my body having to process as much. But it will never be the same as eating a handful of cashews or peanuts.

Marcia

Well before they put me back on pred, I would just crave the occasional item (snack type, prime rib,, something I dont get often...yumm...) anyway, back on 60mg of pred, down to 50 2 days ago and well, as you all know pretty much anything and everything is in my eating path of destruction. I also dont seem to feel that "im full" signal either..so I just keep going...then I feel sick

I find I crave one thing for a while than I can't stand the sight of it and i'm on to something else. I almost always crave salads though, a BIG no-no.

I need a bacon cheese burger right now!

i want a baccon and egg mcmuffin

Kate said:

i want a baccon and egg mcmuffin

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Would you like to make that a combo meal with a hashbrown and a small coffee for only 99 cents more.

yeah sounds good but hot chocolate instead of coffee

oh my gosh! i am brand new to this website & you have no idea how glad i am to hear i am not going crazy when i have cravings or especially when i watch the food network when i am not allowded to eat!

Isn't it weird that when you can't eat on comes the Food Channel??? I watch that every time I am in the hospital. I can watch, but don't bring food in for the other patient cuz if I smell it, then it becomes a problem.

I find I hunger most for protein. Steaks, burgers, the like. I don't know why, I eat enough protein. I know why I crave that when I am bleeding, but I crave it too when I am ok, well, just not bleeding.

I also crave candy. I don't know why since there isn't alot I like. Chocolate is an all time craving, but the candy like sweet tarts and bottle caps. I avoid them tho as much as possible. But, I have been eating more of them since I quit eating chocolate... *sniff sniff...i miss my chocolate!!

Donna

mmm, food cravings... yes.
I always crave the things that hurt the most when Im not feeling well? not sure what thats all about.. peanut butter, cheese, hot chocolate, chocolate, popcorn, fried anything covered in melted cheese. lol.. OK off to lunch!

Always crave mini cheddars bbq flav lol

Cheese is my craving....its bad for me but i can't help having it!!!

i miss protein the most...i dream about cheeseburgers and steak and cheeseteaks and alll things bbq...miving back to phill has been the worst form my cravings...my doctors offics are downtown and i'm assaulted by the smell of bacon,eggs,steak and frying onions as soon as i hit 30th street and i have to restrain myself from stopping at the carts to srder something...also the smell of meat cooking on the grill is making my summer rather difficult...not only do i watch the food network but i also torture myself by cooking for others

Wow! I am so happy to read this post. When I am on prednisone I can not stop eating. When I was first diagnosed at 14 I had a stash of ice cream cookie sandwiches and I remember getting VERY annoyed if anyone else ate one. I am not even much of an ice cream fan! I usually crave Cheese of any kind. I loved the liquid cheese from Wendy's, but they don't serve it anymore. I was bummed when I found out about that. I remember being in the hospital on a liquid diet and on tons of prednisone. I was just sobbing to my mom and telling her how I NEEDED cheese. I told her that some people need chocolate, but cheese was my comfort food and I had to have some. I wasn't allowed to eat for over 6 months straight and I remember having dreams about being at parties and I wouldn't even talk to anyone, I would just stand by the food and eat the entire night. I also always watch the food network when I can't eat. I would have never guessed that so many other people do the same thing. You think it would make the cravings worse, but you just can't stop yourself from watching it. Its like your mind becomes obsessed with the one thing you can't have - FOOD!

ladyB said:

I find I crave one thing for a while than I can't stand the sight of it and i'm on to something else. I almost always crave salads though, a BIG no-no.

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Do what I do - make a salad without lettuce. I used to eat salad all the time and haven't been able to for years. But I started making my own "Mick Salads" when I worked for a restuarant - ham/turkey, egg slices, cheese, croutons and dressing. Works wonders on the salad cravings.

I also get bad cravings while on Prednisone but it's usually just eat whatever is in site. My husband makes sure he watches his fingers before I eat them to. :lol: This last time I was on Pred, I craved grilled shrimp!

Right now I have a craving for some sort of sour candy. But back to the point I think that most of these cravings are all just in our mind. When I was sick I never wanted or craved any food. I ate what I could and that was it. I did not even remember what a food craving was until last month because I had this wierd feeling in my stomache and a thought that all I want is this kind of candy.

mmmmm Chocolate :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie: :cookie:

Craving all the wrong things!

I had to laugh reading the subject about food cravings. I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to that. I don't crave normal things like ice cream or candy. No, I crave gigantic salads with all the trimmings, fresh fruit, a big steak....currently, I'm on a self-imposed liquid diet due to a bad flare, but I caved the other night and had a veggie sub....it tasted soooooooo good. And I spent the night hurting sooooo bad.
I have a whole day planned out in my mind of what I would eat if I could have anything. Breakfast would be fresh yogurt with granola and lots of blackberries and raspberries. For lunch I would go to The Cheesecake Factory, not because I like cheesecake, but because they have the best salads imaginable. For dinner, it would be a nice, rare steak with a red wine glace, more salad, and a few glasses of good wine.
Wow, now that I'm reading all this, I sound really pathetic!!!

When I flared really bad the first time and they put me on liquid only, all I could think about were Taquitos. Nothing appealed to me but Taquitos. I ended up getting some and chewing FOREVER, but man were they good. Then, it switched to onion rings. Onion rings were what my mom craved incessantly when pregnant with me. I became obsessed with onion rings. Ended up getting those too! I wonder if that's why the flare lasted EIGHT weeks! Shoulda stuck strictly to Ensure! Although, if you read my Ensure recipes on the other thread, you'd wonder why I ever wanted everything else!

Food cravings... Think it is a sign your condition has improved, but not enuff to go with your cravings.. At my worst, I couldn't tolerate anything, even drinking a glass of water hurt too much.. Now that I've improved, certain foods are a 'devil' of a temptation.. My g/f had pizza & beer the other nite after work. God, how I wanted some... I'm thinking of picking up some 0.5% beer and trying a little as a sick mans substitute... Maybe even see if I can make a decent pizza substitute from scratch... soft white flour taco as the shell (not corn or whole wheat) some pureed spaghetti sauce, some meatless vegetarian pepperoni, and some lactose free cheese.. I would kill for a big grilled steak, but no matter how I prepare it, or how lean it is, I just can't tolerate it... Grilled chicken is my substitute... Skinless, boneless, boiled so that it is thoroughly cooked (it removes a lot of fat this way), I finish cooking it on the BBQ.... Either my palette is failing, or my memory of steak is, but it tastes pretty good... I also came up with a substitute for french fries. All I do is bake some homemade fries on an enamel baking sheet in a very hot oven..
A few of them go nice with my own homemade egg mcmuffin. I substitute a plain bagel (no seeds, nuts, etc..), microwave an egg in a round container (break the yolk) top it with some very lite/lean shaved ham, plus a slice of cheese substitute
(a lactose free cheese alternative made from vegetables - looks like mozzeralla)...

Mind you, I could go for a really fresh Caesar salad, steak & some corn on the cob rite now... Darn this hot autumn weather we're having... Not to mention up here in canada we are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend. No turkey for me. bummer...

i miss popcorn--with tons of butter and salt!

When at the grocery store, I saw these great candy apples covered in nuts. I used to get one or two every time they pop up for Halloween. Had it in my hand and then cringed and put it back because I can't eat apples. Did the same thing last week when I saw a bunch of popcorn. Would have had some except my mom was there and told me I can't do that anymore. Sometimes, you just forget!

When I'm on Prednisolone, I crave everything and when I've been pregnant I've creved things like ketchup and bananas. Recently I seem to be craving sugary things. Probably cos I hardly eat them


Ruth

I get the weirdest cravings, even though I'm not on prednisolone any more... I also get strong aversions to foods that I normally like, for example sometimes I cannot eat bread, sometimes I can't eat eggs of cheese, not because they make my crohn's worse, but just because the idea of it makes me feel sick!
I also get severe cases of the munchies, where I feel like no matter how much I eat, I'm never full. Does anyone know how to avoid this?