What Your Cravings Are Really Telling You
We’ve all been there—standing in the kitchen, mindlessly reaching for something salty, sweet, or heavy even when we’re not hungry. We label it a craving. We chalk it up to “emotional eating” or “habit.” But what if your cravings are more than just urges? What if they’re messages—whispers from your body, your history, and your energetic blueprint—trying to lead you back to balance?
As someone who has walked the long road of recovery and reinvention—both personally and professionally—I now see cravings not as enemies to resist, but as allies to decode. In my work as a certified health coach, substance use disorder professional, and energetic alignment mentor, I’ve come to understand cravings through multiple lenses: physiological, neurological, emotional, and spiritual.
Let’s explore what your cravings might really be telling you—and how you can begin to heal the root, not just suppress the symptom.
The Neuroscience of Wanting: Anticipation vs. Reward
One of the most misunderstood aspects of cravings lies in the brain’s dopamine system. We used to think dopamine was the feel-good chemical you get when something pleasurable happens. But in truth, dopamine is more about anticipation than outcome.
Dr. Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation, explains that dopamine fires not when you get the reward—but when you expect it. This is why the pursuit of that cookie, the drink, the scroll, or the hit can become just as addictive as the actual experience itself (Lembke, 2021). Anticipation builds intensity. It overrides logic. It keeps us chasing.
If you’ve ever caught yourself planning your evening around food or alcohol—or fixated on when you’ll “finally get to relax”—that’s dopamine at work.
So how do we counter this? By consciously anticipating things that actually nourish us. By wiring our brains to crave aligned reward: the warmth of sunshine on your skin, the sound of your child’s laughter, the dopamine spike from movement or creativity or connection.
Cravings as Clues: What Deficiency Is Driving You?
On a biochemical level, cravings are often a signal of imbalance—your body asking for a missing nutrient or trying to compensate for what’s lacking.
Sugar cravings may signal chromium, magnesium, or B-vitamin deficiencies (Anderson et al., 1991).
Salt cravings can point to adrenal fatigue or dehydration.
Ice, dirt, detergent—odd cravings often seen in pregnancy—are classic signs of mineral depletion, such as iron or zinc.
This phenomenon, known as pica, is a real and documented drive to consume non-food substances due to nutritional need. Unfortunately, many of us continue to chase sugar or starch without ever realizing what our bodies actually require.
Years of poor nutrition, stress, alcohol use, and gut damage can de-mineralize the body. I often recommend working with a trusted functional health practitioner or chiropractor trained in applied kinesiology (muscle testing) to identify what’s missing and restore proper balance through medical-grade supplementation.
Tired of Cravings Running the Show?
Your cravings aren’t random—they’re messages from your body. The Clean Body Reboot helps you decode them, balance your system, and finally feel in control again.
Candida, Gut Health & the Hijacking of Your Mind
Another sneaky driver of cravings—especially for sugar and carbs—is candida overgrowth.
Candida albicans is a naturally occurring yeast in the body. But under the right (or wrong) conditions—like high sugar intake, stress, antibiotics, or alcohol use—it can overgrow and disrupt the microbiome. Once it dominates, it begins to manipulate your cravings to survive. Candida literally feeds on sugar, and its influence can override your better judgment, leaving you craving sweets, bread, pasta, or even wine (Edwards, 2004).
In my own journey, I didn’t realize how much candida and gut dysbiosis were clouding my mood and focus until I began the Clean Body Reboot. With anti-inflammatory eating, targeted supplementation, and lymphatic support, I was finally able to clear the fog.
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The Energetic and Emotional Language of Cravings
Now let’s go deeper.
From an energetic perspective, your cravings may stem from emotional avoidance or energetic misalignment. You may be reaching for food—or a glass of wine—when what you’re really craving is peace. Rest. Love. Certainty. A return to your own frequency.
As I teach in my coaching practice, the body speaks in symbols. A craving for sweetness can signal a desire for gentleness or comfort. A craving for crunch can reflect a need to release tension or assert boundaries. Late-night overeating often masks a desire to be seen, held, or heard.
When we begin to decode our cravings as messages, we reclaim the power to respond with presence—not punishment.
Childhood Conditioning: Where It All Begins
Many of us were raised in environments where our needs were unmet, ignored, or soothed with food or distractions. Over time, we learned to seek rewards outside of ourselves. Dopamine became our guide—but it was often tethered to survival strategies, not joy.
In my own story, numbing with alcohol and food became a predictable way to manage overwhelm. But it didn’t serve the woman I was becoming. It only kept me from her longer.
As I now teach in my 21-Day Breaking Free Challenge, healing means becoming a devout student of your own patterns. It’s not about perfection. It’s about reconnection—to your body, to your truth, and to the version of you who no longer needs to numb.
What If Your Cravings Are Just a Signal—Not a Failure?
Cravings often reveal what you really need—rest, regulation, or reconnection. The 21 Day Breaking Free Challenge helps you uncover the emotional and energetic roots behind those urges so you can heal the pattern, not just fight the feeling.
You Can Rewire the Pattern
The most empowering truth? You can change. The brain is neuroplastic, which means we’re constantly able to rewire our reward system. Through conscious awareness, nutritional healing, and aligned habits, we can shift our cravings—and our lives.
Here’s what I suggest as a starting point:
Track your cravings. When do they occur? What are you feeling?
Feed your body first. Start with protein, minerals, and hydration.
Interrupt the pattern. Try a walk, breathwork, or lymphatic massage.
Choose aligned anticipation. Look forward to a healthy reward—sunlight, movement, music, connection.
Get support. Programs like the Clean Body Reboot and Breaking Free Challenge provide structure, community, and the tools to rewire from the root.
Final Thoughts
Cravings are not the enemy. They’re communication. When we learn to listen—through science, self-study, and spiritual awareness—we stop fighting ourselves. We start healing.
You don’t need more willpower. You need more alignment.
And if you’re ready to break free from the patterns that have kept you stuck—whether it’s alcohol, sugar, or emotional eating—I invite you to join me inside the Clean Body Reboot. The next 28-day group begins August 1, 2025, and the waitlist is now open. You’ll receive my Ultimate Guide to Clean Eating as your first step. Visit alignmentwithprairieyana.com to get started.
Here’s to your freedom, one craving at a time.
“What Your Cravings Are Really Telling You: The Hidden Messages of the Body, Brain & Energy Field.”
Works Cited
Lembke, A. (2021). Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. Dutton.
Anderson, R. A., Bryden, N. A., & Polansky, M. M. (1991). “Dietary chromium intake: freely chosen diets, institutional diets, and individual foods.” Biological Trace Element Research, 32(2), 117–121.
Edwards, J. E. Jr. (2004). “Candida species.” UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/candida-species
Lustig, R. H. (2013). Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease. Penguin Books.