the things i've craved

Fairly recently I was chatting about food, nourishment and how our bodies need different nutrients as the seasons change. There's this widely accepted idea of what foods are "healthy" versus the foods that aren't, and these ideas vary according to how we were raised, the people in our social circle, those we follow online and regard as experts in the field, and so on and so forth.

Sweet potatoes? Good. White potatoes? Bad. Brown rice? Good. White rice? Bad. I could write pages of examples here, but for the sake of getting to the point, I won't.

The thing is, brown rice may be more nutrient dense, but it contains a specific kind of acid that can trigger gastrointestinal issues for people with more sensitive systems. Also, sweet potatoes technically only in-season from September to December. Sure, we can find them all throughout the year, but the Earth only provides them naturally for a few autumnal months (currently cringing at every sweet potato fry I've eaten during spring/summer).

If you look hard enough, there's a reason to eat/abstain from all kinds of foods that are considered un/healthy, and as I get older, I become more aware of the things my body naturally craves and when/why those cravings arise. Which brings me to my point.

My friend, Laura, and I were talking about those intense pre-menstrual hunger attacks that creep up about a week before each period, and I was oddly relieved to know I'm not the only one who becomes a ravenous monster around that time of the month. A couple years back, I started tracking those cravings in my journal.

May I present: a condensed list of the things I've absolutely had to have over the years:

• Tacos (duh)
• Triscuits with melted cheddar on top
• Tombstone pepperoni pizza
• Crustless quiche
• Green smoothies
• Lentil soup
• Sweet potato chips
• Chipotle flavored tabasco sauce
• Cashews grilled in olive oil with black pepper
• Filled twist twizzlers
• Honey garlic meatballs
• Guacamole
• Flamin' hot popcorn
• Greek salad and hummus
• Tuna sandwiches
• Lettuce wraps
• Cheese grits
• Pho
• Starbursts
• Popcorn with seasoned salt

These foods made the list because I was pretty much buying or making them in bulk for days/weeks at a time. Not eating them was not an option. I would sit back and think to myself: if these period cravings are this intense, my how the heck am I gonna handle pregnancy cravings??

WELL, THE JOKE IS ON ME. I was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, lead astray!!!

Here's a list of the things I've craved these past few months.

• Plain salmon
• Lime seltzer water
• Grapefruit

And here's a list of my food aversions these past few months:

• Every. dang. thing. 😩

I'm pretty sure my newfound acute sense of smell is to blame, but at this point, all foods/drinks are... tolerable, at best. I haven't had an intense craving since my last period - eight months ago - and I miss them. I miss enjoying the foods I eat instead of just tolerating them. I miss looking forward to dinner instead of just making a protein shake and calling it a night. Even my beloved tacos are merely "good" (they still hit the spot every now and then, but not like they used to).

It's worth noting that all these aversions have not held me back in the weight gain department. So I guess I'm just growing a picky little eater.

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