Craven cravin'

[Petra Pan]

Tabouli:
> When I crave things, I usually crave savory food.  I mean, I like
> chocolate and all, but my body seems to want salt.  Occasionally I
> also get strange and very specific cravings.  One night I was beset
> by the Bugle of the Broad Bean, and ended up driving to the 24 hour
> supermarket to buy some at 1am.  Then there was the Call of the
> Coconut a few weeks later.  I dread to think what might happen if I
> get pregnant.

Hmm...might you crave a certain salad then?  Maybe with a side of
savory hummus?

> Tell me, all you mothers out there, did you get weird food cravings
> during pregnancy?  A currently pregnant friend told me she is
> craving strawberries, which evoked wise nods from someone I told. 
> Ah yes, strawberries have folate, you see.  Nutrients for child's
> developing nervous system.
> 
> Now, if pregnancy cravings are the body's way of demanding a
> particular nutrient for the fetus, surely non-pregnant cravings
> shouldn't be ignored either.  I've long suspected that they are the
> body's way of telling you what it needs.

I was just talking to a pregnant co-worker about this and one thing
led to another and we wondered if this "pregnancy cravings"
phenomenon exist for women during times of tremendous stress, ie.
famine, drought, war etc.  The discussion got to that point because
she noted that she only notices these cravings when she's at "rest,"
after her professional and personal obligations have been fulfilled
for the day; only at leisure does she "hear" her body demand
licorice, the red kind, thankyouverymuch.

But even beyond the issue of having enough leisure time in order to
spare some to acknowledge cravings, could a need for folate be
attended to when more basic needs exist?  Maybe this is the question
that separates cravings from hankerings.  My co-worker and I never
did come to any conclusions since by this point in the conversation,
the microwave dinged.  :)

Worst pregnancy cravings I've ever heard: a friend from Taiwan
desperate for "stinky," um, aromatic, tofu at 2am while living in a
very tofu-less region of the United States...then there's the Los
Angelean in Japan craving a chili cheese hot dog from Pink's...

Petra
a
n  :)

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