Can you outsmart your cravings?

Plus a chocolate chip cookie for the gourmand and thriving woman, especially one who is pregnant.

Written with lots of love by yours truly, Anja 💜
Approved by Rosa Keller, PhD RD, Nutrition Science
Supported by Dr. Claire Packer, OBGYN Resident at Mass General Brigham (Harvard)

Open this in Substack to show your support of my work and pledge a subscription. 🙂 

Have you followed us on Instagram or TikTok yet? @hello_julienne

*This newsletter is not intended to be medical advice.

One of the MOST popular topics you’re all saying you're curious about is CRAVINGS!

And especially during pregnancy — Up to 90% of women experience cravings during pregnancy! (source, p. 119)

Why do they occur, how can I control them, and what does each individual craving mean? The list is long, but in today I’ll give you a few of my favorite insights, and give you easy healthy swap ideas for the most popular items we crave.

And, to help trigger your chocolate craving and satisfy it, I’ve provided my favorite cookie recipe. (Big thanks to my husband Spencer who keeps these cookies on supply at all times in our home!)

Before you dive in, here’s a quick and easy resource for you:

Get a FREE cravings guide — check it out here!

---

In our MWN conversation each week,

I share verified, *easy* nutritional tips that can *truly* improve how you feel everyday, followed by a simple, delicious recipe à la moi – an award-winning, professional chef. 

From our 5 pillars, this week we talk about: Pregnancy & Everyday Cravings - Let’s go!

If you’re busy and doing a quick skim, or this subject doesn’t seem interesting you can jump to the tasty recipe I’ve developed this week or any section that you may find helpful.

Jump to:

→The Recipe: A Perfected “Healthier” Chocolate Chip Cookie

Cravings! They can be laughable, and they can seem uncontrollable. It’s normal to crave food. Often, cravings get more intense with pregnancy. 

Understanding why these cravings occur and how to make confident food choices can help you maintain a balanced diet that supports both you and your baby’s health.

Why We Crave Certain Foods

Digging deep into the why gives us the power to know the impact of our food choices on our body and our happiness. Here’s what I’ve found to help us understand where these darn cravings are most likely coming from. 

Modern science still doesn’t know exactly why pregnancy causes certain cravings, but these cravings are hypothesized to be driven by hormonal changes, nutritional needs, and psychosocial factors. (source, p. 119)

For cravings in general, one hormone that is shown to control our cravings is dopamine. Dopamine is about wanting, not enjoying; it helps you link the signal to where to get food and instigates the willingness to work for the food. However, it doesn't affect the pleasure you get from eating the food.

By paying attention to how you feel after you eat, you can train yourself to recognize when not to let your dopamine signals dictate your cravings. Learning how different foods (like coffee, beer, vegetables, or bitter foods) make you feel can help you make better food choices and avoid those that leave you feeling worse. (source)

Your brain interprets signals from your body, your environment, your habits and your bodily needs, influencing your food desires.

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

For Pregnancy Cravings: