So the candy/vitamin C thing:

We were working at an isolated mountain resort where room & board were included.

Unfortunately, our "board" included no fruit and very little with any C in it. We all started craving fruit BADLY. Someome called a relative, and had them bring us a HUGE thing of pre-cut citrus... which, obviously, had to be refrigerated.

The owners confiscated this and fed it to the guests. We were screwed. On our days off, we'd drive 2 hours into "town" and order 3-topping pizzas where all toppings were pineapple... it wasn't enough.

Next thing we knew, we were ALL craving jolly ranchers and twizzlers (both of which were sold at the resort's "general store" for pennies. When we went back home, after the summer job was over? We all resumed our normal diets and no longer craved Jolly Ranchers/Twizzlers.

Our bodies needed C. They couldn't get C, so they begged for fruit. When they couldn't get THAT, they started begging for things that tasted fruit-ish. Makes sense to me. Also explains why vinegar (pickles) will kill a sugar craving. (It's the same connection, really, since Vitamin C is often found in a sweet, acidic environment in nature.



I was dealing with this stuff the other day. I was hungry... not a lot, just a teeny bit, but persistant. None of the "snackables" I was trying were filling it. "If you could eat anything in the world, what would it be?" And I discovered I was craving meat, so I cooked a burger. (About 1/4 the size I'd usually make, because I wasn't *very* hungry, it just wouldn't be satisfied by anything else.) Topped with cheese and a little guac, and my body was happy.

See? Intuitive. Listening to your body. Giving it what it needs... not what it's screaming to get your attention.