One of the things most stressed people have in common is their craving for salty food, and any good wellness coach knows that collective commonalities are worth investigating.

If you’re like most people, you already know that listening to, rather than ignoring, your body’s messages is the key to healing.

So what’s up with these salt cravings?

Persistent salt cravings can signify your adrenals needing support because cortisol, which is produced by the adrenal glands, regulates sodium. When cortisol is low, our bodies can’t retain the sodium it needs and therefore we crave it from our food supply. This is what’s referred to as the resistance phase and if your body remains here too long, it can lead to adrenal exhaustion.

Our adrenal glands become fatigued when we experience chronic stress, and our adrenal glands cannot keep up with demands by this chronic fight/flight arousal. While adrenal insufficiency is seldom diagnosed, it is a precursor to many chronic diseases like autoimmune disease, cardiovascular dysfunctions, diabetes, cancer, depression, and anxiety. But before it manifests as a disease it can look like unexplained weight gain/loss, frequent colds, irritability, low sex drive, low energy, late-night bursts of energy, or salt cravings.

Too often, we blame our cravings on our identities for our cravings, “I’d take chips over dessert any of the week.” When in reality, these cravings are trying to show us what we’re attempting to ignore when we say things like, “I’m waaay less stressed now than I’ve been in the past,” or “I’ll get serious about managing my stress after x, y, z.”

Stress management isn’t just about making your day more enjoyable, and it isn’t a luxury we can afford to put off. It’s about taking care of your body and maintaining your health.

Putting Things Into Perspective

I’m the first to admit that neglecting myself and blaming my job was my get out of jail for free card. I used it for years to make myself feel better for my lack of accountability.

I mean, teaching is HARD. Even before the pandemic!

But if you’re honest, you know you can rationalize anything to seem more important than tackling the daunting, amorphous task of managing your stress.

“I’m not nearly as stressed as I have been in the past” was my go-to way of trying to honor all the work I was putting in without admitting that I still craved more support.

And every year, my doctor told me I needed to “work on my stress” without breaking down exactly how I was supposed to do it.

It was hard for me to admit that the free advice I got from Instagram and my favorite health blogs could only get me so far, but when I did, things really shifted.

I want you to feel that shift.

…to look back and say, I can’t believe I thought that was as good as it was going to get. 👈🏼 This is what my clients feel like after we work together.

You can build a better life for yourself, but it all starts with taking an honest look at your situation and being open to doing things differently.

Now what?

Feeling the pull to spend time and energy to give yourself a little love? Book a complimentary discovery session to explore the approach that’s best for you. While you wait to chat, start by integrating these three foods into your diet or take a peek at these delicious recipes to check meal planning off your to-do list.