Cravings Are Clues, Not Crutches

November 17, 2025

Cravings Are Clues, Not Crutches

→ Let's decode what your body is actually asking for...

Most of us don’t cave to cravings while staring into the fridge at midnight anymore.
It happens way earlier—like when your best friend texts:

“You want something from Chic-Fil-A?”

And just like that, without even thinking…
you shoot back:

“Yeah, just grab me the usual.”

But what’s the “usual”?
A #2 combo with a side of regret?

You didn’t stop to ask:

• Am I actually hungry?

• Or am I stressed?

• Tired?

• Avoiding something?

This is how most cravings show up: as autopilot decisions wrapped in emotion.

What Cravings Really Are

Cravings aren’t random.
They’re messages.

And just like your car’s dashboard lights—they’re not the problem, they’re the signal.

🚨 Tired? Your body might want rest, not a Red Bull.
🚨 Lonely? It might want connection, not cookies.
🚨 Anxious? You may need grounding, not gummies.

We’ve been taught to fear cravings.
But in reality, cravings = clues.
They’re trying to tell you what your body really needs.

The Sugar Trap

Now, let’s not ignore the facts:
Sugar is chemically addictive.
It’s been engineered to light up the pleasure centers of your brain faster than some drugs.

But it’s not just the sugar.
It’s the story we’ve attached to it.

When life feels out of control…
when Thanksgiving or Christmas roll around and grief or stress creep in…
sugar becomes a stand-in for safety.

The holiday pie becomes:

• A hug you miss

• A memory you’re grieving

• A celebration you feel excluded from

The Shift

You don’t have to hate yourself for craving.
You just have to start asking better questions.

Next time that text comes through or you find yourself in the drive-thru line, try this:

🧠 “What am I really craving?”
🧠 “What feeling am I trying to create?”
🧠 “What else could give me that same feeling… without the crash?”

You don’t have to fight the craving.
Just follow it to the deeper truth.

Quick Reframe:

Cravings aren’t crutches to shame yourself for.
They’re clues that lead you back to your needs.
Start listening. Start translating. Start nourishing.

Because food shouldn’t be a weapon or a weakness.
It should be a window into what your soul’s been trying to say all along.

Before You Go, Just Remember This…

It’s the holiday season—and that can mean a lot of different things for us.

If you’re blessed to still have family around, honor that gift. This time of year gives us permission to pause, cook, reflect, and gather.

But isn’t it interesting?

We now need a holiday to remind us to slow down, to eat together, to visit our people.

That sweet potato pie you’ve been thinking about?
Maybe it’s not just about the pie.
Maybe it’s a sign you miss simpler times—when Big Mama was still here, when laughter filled the kitchen, and love was something you could taste.

Whatever the food represents for you… give thanks for it.
And when the season ends, don’t just go back to the grind.

👵🏾 Remember COVID? We had people Zooming with their 90-year-old granny because we weren’t allowed to visit.

Now that we’re free, when’s the last time you sat with your elders in person? Or called your auntie and 'nem just to laugh?

That’s the real nourishment.

Let’s make more time for connection, on purpose.
That’s the hack.
Because when you’re truly fed by love, presence, and belonging—
you stop looking to food to fill what only family can.

💚