Hoping someone with some nutrition smarts can help. The last couple months I've been craving protein all afternoon! I eat a pretty healthy diet- eggs, skim milk, brown rice, lean meat, produce, almonds, and give myself a few "cheat" meals per week. I exercise for about an hour, 3 or 4 days per week. Not sure what is causing such strong cravings for protein! It's like I can't eat enough cottage cheese, hummus, or turkey wraps when the craving hits!! Any suggestions would be great :)
*I should add that I'm definitely not pregnant! :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia
Can actually make you crave protein as it helps keep your sugar levels stable.
Maybe you have a low Iron level in your blood and your body is trying to compensate!?
S
You may be a strong protein type. You ask a lot of your body with you're workouts and your body is just needing more protein to build those muscles you are constantly working. It may also be just your own chemical make-up. To be sure, go to www.mercola.com and search "nutritional typing". It's free and when your done getting your exact type, you can download a complete view of what you should be eating to maintain your weight, stave of inflammatory processes (precursor to heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and most other lifestyle issues), and to keep you running with lots of energy throughout the day. It also gives you a cookbook to download with many fantastic recipes to start you on your way.
Give in to the cravings--it's what your body wants!
What kind of exercise are you doing? Even moderate to intense cardio for an hour, 3-4 times a week, can increase your protein needs. And if you're doing resistance for part of that, it can definitely have an effect.
Maybe try a protein shake or bar as an afternoon snack.
Definitely listen to your body, rock the hummus!
Are you doing cardio or weight based exercises? If you are building muscle then your body is definitely going to be craving additional protein. How many times a day do you eat? You should be eating something every 2-3 hours...3 meals and 2 small snacks. How about your water intake. Sometimes we confuse hunger for dehydration as well. I have a meal replacement drink that has 15 grams of protein but is only 140 calories so you could have it as a snack instead of a meal replacement. It helps to curb cravings and give energy along with the fact that it provides you your vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phyto-nutrients, and digestive enzymes. It is a nutrient dense meal. You can message me if you would like to know more.
You've received some good thoughts. Another might be you're craving protein since you need more fat in your diet. To help, have some peanut butter. It gives you a great amount of protein along with some good fats.
When I marathon train I make myself eat the peanut butter since it's the only thing that gets me moving since like you I eat pretty lowfat. If you're looking for one that's good, my suggestion is Skippy Natural. You can taste the less sugar and more peanuty taste.
It could be an iron issue or it could just be the middle of the day and you're tired and your body fights it by wanting protein. I would say embrace it. It sounds like you're getting enough protein throughout the day, but if not make sure you're eating good proteins at breakfast and lunch. If you're definitely not pregnant it's probably just a phase, I think even as adults we have them! ;)
If it were me, that would mean I was pregnant....
If you're craving protein, then your body is probably needing it. Go eat more of it! Perhaps its your exercise and muscle-gain that's causing the craving. Whatever it is, I say listen to your body.
