What causes your Cravings – Part One – Dehydration
Welcome to a new series on a sensation that has been blamed for our consumption or over consumption of certain foods since we were old enough to make excuses! How often do we tell ourselves or others that ‘we crave’ chocolate, crisps, cheese, soda, fried food or even something non-food related… such as dirt or coal?
We tend to assume that our craving is a form of addiction that only one food or drink can satisfy, but in fact it is more likely that it is our body reacting to a lack of an essential nutrient absent from our regular diet. Or that we are under stress and that has resulted in a imbalance in our hormone production.
During this series every fortnight, I am going to be looking at some of the causes of a craving, whether it is a need for an essential nutrient or is down to a habit that has formed or because we are stressed. I will also give you the food fix that will supply that nutrient or suggest some strategies to cope with an unreasonable expectation for a food by your body and your mind.
There is one reason to get out of the way before focusing on individual cravings and that is our bodies reaction to be dehydrated to varying degrees. One of the sensations that is often confused with dehydration is hunger. Your body needs an essential nutrient and it is going to prompt you to get it…. being dehydrated reduces the available nutrients that your body needs and by having a glass of water containing minerals might satisfy that craving.
Dehydration.
Recently I noticed that there were a few articles by the experts in the field of nutrition on the subject of hydration. What worried me in particular was that they were touting the belief that you don’t need to drink anymore than your usual cups of tea and coffee as you will obtain sufficient from the food that you eat.
It is true that eating fresh vegetables and fruit will provide you with some fluids but it is still not enough to supply your body with life giving fluids.
We can live for around 6 minutes without air, 6 days without fluids and 6 weeks without food. The very young and the elderly however have a much shorter window than 6 days before dehydration begins to cause severe health issues. In my experience of elderly care most are suffering from borderline dehydration resulting in urinary tract infections, increased symptoms of dementia and if not reversed can become life-threatening very quickly.
Why do we need fluids?
We are as humans made of protein with the few other bits and pieces thrown in. Protein has an extremely high water content and if we were wrung out to dry we would lose approximately 75% of our body weight. It would be a great way to lose weight if we could just plug in a hose and siphon off a couple of gallons from time to time but unfortunately that would be another failed fad diet. Each major organ consists of fluid including the brain 70% the lungs 90% and 80% in blood. As you can imagine, if those major organs become dehydrated the body is going to demand immediate action.
As an estimate we need 1 litre of fluid for every 50lbs of body weight.
So if you weight 10 stone..140lbs – 63kilos.. you would need 2.5 litres per day in varied fluids.
We need oxygen, fluid and food in that order
Not all fluids are created equal
- It is important to look at the quality of the fluids that you then are taking in.
- If you are eating a diet that is high in industrialised food, any fluid in the food will be contaminated with artificial flavourings, colourants and hydrogenated fats in many cases.
- If you drink a lot of coffee, which acts as a mild diuretic (and if you have gallbladder disease or have had it removed, diarrhea)
- Alcohol is a toxin that not only dehydrates the body but also impairs your kidney and liver function preventing them for removing those toxins from your body.
- Drinking fizzy sodas, diet or otherwise disrupts the blood sugar levels in your blood.
- Drinking mineral water with a high sodium level can disrupt the balance of electrolytes in your system
- You can obtain fluid content from fruit and vegetables but depending on your environment (warm, hot) they would not be sufficient to supply all you need.
- Teas, especially green tea and herbal teas do contribute to your daily fluid allowance but essentially there is no substitute for water.
Here are the symptoms of dehydration that reinforce that concept.
Fatigue and sluggishness.
Our bodies are about balance and they work very hard to maintain the equilibrium whether it is between calcium and magnesium, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, acidity and alkalinity. Even the smallest changes in fluid balance can affect all the other functions within the body including heart function as the organ has to work harder in order to supply the body with the oxygen and nutrients it requires.
As you become more dehydrated your body will begin to make some executive decisions in order to ensure its survival if fluid intake ceases altogether. It redirects blood to the muscles and away from skin areas resulting in a malfunction in our cooling and heating system. We heat up internally resulting in muscle cramps, light-headedness and fatigue.
Because most of us take in at least some liquid our bodies are left in a state of readiness, not quite dehydrated but not receiving the essential fluids it needs to perform efficiently. This means that we are in a constant state of near exhaustion and with inefficient processing power.
Headaches
As in any part of the body, the brain relies heavily on fats and fluid in the correct balance to function. Loss of fluids thickens the blood, causing the heart to work harder to pump oxygen and nutrients around the system. The brain function is dependent on both oxygen and nutrients and if you are dehydrated it will be affected to varying degrees. Headaches will also vary in severity to mild, just behind the eyes to full blown migraines.
The other consequence can be a feeling of disorientation similar to mild forgetfulness with a touch of dizziness and vertigo.
Skin problems.
There are two issues regarding our skin health and dehydration. One is the inability to flush out toxins from the body, which accumulate in the tissues and in the kidneys and liver. This can result in dry, scaly skin and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. Additionally water is nature’s moisturiser not only keeping our tissues moist and flexible but also keeping the nutrient rich blood flowing to the tiny capillaries near the skin. Water is actually one of the most effective anti-ageing agents you can use and it is very cheap.
Painful joints and muscles.
Cartilage has a very high water content and dehydration will affect its ability to cushion joints preventing friction, pain and swelling.
I have already established that with sufficient water you can dilute toxins and help flush them from the body but if you are dehydrated the immune system controls are unable to function and bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, poisons accumulate. If you combine lack of exercise to stimulate the circulatory system and dehydration you will suffer both joint and muscle pain.
Poor digestive function.
The digestive process requires fluid. If you drink a pint of water half an hour before a meal (you should not drink excessive amounts with a meal as it dilutes the stomach acid needed to process food) it will pass through the stomach into the intestine and back into the mucous barrier of the stomach. This barrier retains sodium carbonate, which is needed to neutralise acid as it passes through the mucous.
If you are dehydrated too much acid passes through and causes cramps.
Food intolerances and immune system malfunction.
When the body is dehydrated and toxins have accumulated the body’s defence mechanism is activated and histamine is released causing a reaction to anything else that you then put into the system such as food. There are certain foods that have a profile that is allergenic, for example, wheat, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries, seafood, aubergines and peppers. If your body is on the defensive the whole time it will react negatively within a very short space of time. This immune system overload obviously leads to an inability to fight infections, resulting usually in antibiotic intervention and a vicious circle develops.
Thirst and hunger.
There are two issues here. One is the lack of nutrients that are getting around the body in a timely fashion and the other is the hunger/thirst triggers for the body.
Lack of fluids kills the body within about 6 days and over our evolution the body has set up a communication system that will flash messages from the brain to your mouth which will then get dry and uncomfortable until you drink water. Unfortunately we override this messaging system by drinking anything we can lay our hands on in the form of sugar-laden soft drinks, designer coffees and sometimes alcohol. As these really do not satisfy the body’s requirement for pure water to work with you end up being thirsty again in a very short space of time. We develop cravings in an effort to satisfy the demand, which usually includes salty or sweet foods.
Hunger pangs are other signals that your body requires nourishment but if the body is dehydrated it can get confused with the thirst messages. After two or three days of drinking sufficient fluid in a day you will notice a marked reduction in both cravings and hunger pangs.
How to drink fluids.
- I have a large glass (500ml) first thing in the morning with a squeeze of lemon – in the winter I have a large mug of hot water with the juice of a lemon. This not only gives me a shot of Vitamin C but has an alkalising action on the body. Viruses and bacteria thrive in an acidic environment.
- I drink a normal tea and a coffee in the morning and two peppermint or green teas in the afternoon. –1.5 litres.
- I have a litre bottle of water on the go all day that I sip from when I am working.
- During the summer months with warmer temperatures in Spain I would have added add an extra 500ml per day.
- If I am on the treadmill for 30 minutes I also have an extra glass (of water)
N.B – If you are overweight you will need additional fluids: 1 litre of fluid for every 50lbs of body weight.
And I might have a glass of wine… but more than that and it begins to have a dehyrating effect.
I hope you have found helpful. As the warmer weather begins make sure you have a bottle of water in the car, out for a walk and make sure small children are kept hydrated with small drinks regularly throughout the day. This also applies to pets who can only pant to cool down and should always have fresh water available. Many of them will also enjoy an icecube as a treat.
In two weeks I am going to be covering the essential nutrients your body might be missing if you have one of the most popular cravings… for chocolate.
Thanks for dropping in and I hope you have found this useful… Sally.
My nutritional background
I am a qualified nutritional therapist with twenty years experience working with clients in Ireland and the UK as well as being a health consultant on radio in Spain. Although I write a lot of fiction, I actually wrote my first two books on health, the first one, Size Matters, a weight loss programme 20 years ago, based on my own weight loss of 154lbs. My first clinic was in Ireland, the Cronin Diet Advisory Centre and my second book, Just Food for Health was written as my client’s workbook. Since then I have written a men’s health manual, and anti-aging programme, articles for magazines and posts here on Smorgasbord.
If you would like to browse by health books and fiction you can find them here: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/my-books-and-reviews-2019/
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Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge, Sally. When I was a child, if I (or one of my siblings) complained about being thirsty (hoping mom would say we could have a sweet drink), Mom always replied, “if you’re thirsty get some water.” As an adult, I have always carried a glass of water with me whatever I was doing. My children must have noticed. They drank lots of water as children and continue as adults, and now their children, when asked what they want to drink, most often reply water.
As an asthmatic, I have found that water keeps my lungs hydrated helping me to move mucus out of them – less wheezing and coughing for me.
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Great Michelle.. and as you say with asthma very important to stay hydrated. you had a wise mom and clearly were too.. hugs ♥
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I feel lucky to have come across this post. My feet have been hurting recently and I crave sweets. Dehydration may be a cause as I barely drink any water. Thank you for this post and the last bit on your own water intake. I am going to begin this tomorrow and intend to share this with my daughters too. Thanks Sally.
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Great Smitha.. and I hope you find it helps. It is amazing the number of symptoms dehydration causes..
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Just shared your post on my blog. I’m sure it helps. Just drank half a bottle of water sitting on my bedside table all day. 🙂
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Great to hear Smitha and would be interested to hear how you feel after a couple of days.
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Will definitely let you know. X
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Forwarded it to my husband with an admonition to STOP buying diet Sprites, while on the road. Thank you, Sally!
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You can make me out to be the wicked witch Dolly…♥
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We like witches, but you are too sweet to be wicked, dear Sally! 😻
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I see the spell worked then Dolly ♥
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Sure did! LOL
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♥
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I find that if I don’t drink water every day my IBS kicks in and I get so bunged up. Sorry for sharing that but it’s true. Hugs, xxx
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Very true Adele… water is key element of the management of so many conditions.. hugsx
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Hugs to you, Sally. xxx
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As always, excellent advice. Being ancient, I do get tired quickly but am aware I don’t drink enough water. Constantly reminding self…MUST act. I don’t have fizzy drinks, but like lemon in water or tea. fruit and mint tea, plus one coffee in the morning. Thanks, Sally. Hugs xx
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It is tough to keep track Joy.. even I forget so now have a 750ml bottle of water on my desk with some lemon juice in and sip throughout the day.. the other tip is to use a teapot that is for two people… and top up your tea twice.. xxx
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Excellent info as always Sal. It’s surprising how many people I know alone who hardly drink water, or don’t like water. My gawd, what’s not to like about water? ❤ xxx
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They would change their mind if there was nothing else to drink…with sugar in.. ♥♥
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Exactly! 🙂 ❤
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Great information, Sally! Yesterday a lack of water happened to our chancellor, during the welcome ceremony for the Ucrainian States President. Michael
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I saw the video Michael.. poor woman that must have been awful for her.. hugs
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Oh yes Sally! Her complete community is awful to her too. 🙂 Michael
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The curse of leadership Michael.. She strikes me as being a very strong woman and it must have been very embarrassing for her to be seen worldwide like that. We all have our moments.. hugs
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So true Sally!
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Good advice, Sally. I know I probably don’t drink enough though I am getting better, especially when out walking. Apparently it’s even more important to drink plenty of water before going down a hill than the climb up to help the prevent damaging the cartilage in the knees.
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Probably Mary.. it is soft tissue… I much prefer going up a mountain than down… xx
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So does Jon who has real problems with his knees. It took him almost as long to come down Goatfell as to go up it!
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I wear a neoprene brace now as even with plenty of Vitamin C and fluid it still needs the support. They make great claims for Glucosamine Chondroiton but I am not convinced once the cartilage has eroded or the ligaments have either stretched or snapped. xx
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Very informative, thanks Sally. Unfortunately I have no choice but to sip water when I eat, as my salivary glands are shot. However, I only drink water or green tea, and gave up fizzy drinks years ago.
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Sipping as we would a glass of wine is okay.. it is the people who down a pint of water with their meal who can disrupt the process. or a pint of lager with a late night curry! xxx
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Very fruitful information
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Thank you…
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A great article, Sally. During the winter, when it is cold, I find it hard to drink water. I will try your hot water and lemon suggestion.
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Thanks Robbie and I hope you enjoy..I drink green tea and herbal teas and find a slice of lemon adds to those too…hugsx
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Oh, boy do I know about dehydration! I’m drinking constantly now living here in Arizona. It’s really helped me feel better. Thanks for all your hard work, Sally. ❤
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We had the same dry heat in the mountains in Spain and you almost wanted to walk around with one of those water filled rucksacks..not a good look in the supermarket ♥♥
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LOL! I do love the mornings. Nice and cool. I’m drinking constantly and it makes a world of difference! ❤️
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Great Colleen..hugs♥
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Very important information.
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Thank you Sharon… hugs
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A very useful reminder, Sally about the benefits of keeping hydrated…Will link back Tuesday in my Healthy Eating post…Hugs xx
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Thank you Carol… hugsxx
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So much useful information, Sally. I try to drink plenty of water during the day, and I enjoy a cup of coffee or tea each day. I’ve given up soda entirely in the last three years, and I don’t crave it at all. (As opposed to ice cream which I rarely keep in the house since I can’t resist.) I’m at that age where I have a hard time making it through the night without peeing, and drinking plenty of water ensures many trips to the bathroom. Oh well, if that’s the worst of my problems, I’ll take it.
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Thanks Pete…unfortunately for several reasons the older we get the drier we become.. I try to stop drinking by 7.00pm having had my days ration but have a glass of water and drink in the middle of the night.. that helps to prevent multiple visits…
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