Here's What Your Cravings Are *REALLY* Trying To Tell You

Does a super-salty snack call your name at the end of a busy day, or are you more likely to opt for some bitter dark chocolate as you unwind? We can often think of cravings as negative and push ourselves to fight them. But according to East Asian medicine, indulging in a little of what you fancy may be exactly what it takes to bring your body into balance. We like that advice!

In Chinese medicine, food is divided into five flavor groups; each is related to a different body system.

• Spice
• Salt
• Sweets and Carbs
• Bitter tastes
• Sour foods

Throughout Asia, cooks traditionally have sought to blend each of these flavors when creating a nourishing dish. The secret is harmony. Eating too little or too much of a specific flavor leads to an imbalance that, over time, can make us sick.

Sour, sweet, salty... cravings come in a variety of forms, but what are they trying to tell you? Here, Jill Blakeway, DACM, a doctor of Chinese medicine, draws from her background in traditional Chinese medicine to decipher your cravings—and to help you work with your body so it’s as healthy as can be.

Read more about what these cravings can mean on Well and Good! https://www.wellandgood.com/good-advice/wgc-food-cravings-messages-jill-blakeway/