Food cravings are just amazing. Your body requires a particular mineral or vitamin to do a particular task and so devises a cunning tastebud plan with the brain to crave a certain food. And it uses its own food bank memory to achieve this.
So at the start of all the treatments I had a craving for fast food – the body wanted sodium. Then it craved Sunflower seeds – the body needed magnesium. It craved tuna – it needed protein. Bananas and red meat – it needed potassium and iron.
Each week the craving is different. And sometimes so acute that to eat something other than the craved food makes me want to heave.
My weekly blood checkups also correlated with the food cravings. The week I had craved Sunflower seeds, my magnesium was down and so I was prescribed magnesium sachets. The week I had red meat cravings, the doctors were delighted with my red blood cell count and haemoglobin levels were great! And so on.
Food cravings are also an emotional response in the brain alone. I have spoken to other people going through this and they all said they have been eating more sweets. This is true for me too – whether it is pure comfort eating or my body craving that sugar release of energy, chocolate intake is higher for me. I find if you are craving those sweet treats to avoid chocolate bars and go for small portions, like chocolate raisins which are tiny bites. Share desserts. Don’t eat treats on an empty stomach – if you are hungry have a meal then a small treat.
Water. Normally a lover of water with rare appearances of fruit juice or milk or fizzy drinks due to the empty calories – water now tastes disgusting. I now find that I need to use cordial in order to stand the water intake. Other people have cited the same experience.
The Uninvited Guest - Cervical Cancer 