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Craving Vinegar....???


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Prior to the Whole30 Challenge, I had the world's largest Sugar Dragon hanging out with me...a nasty one. But, oddly enough, I am not missing sugar...at all!! I don't even miss grains...and I am even surviving without dairy, no problem. What I am craving, however, is VINEGAR! I have tried homemade vinaigrettes and cannot seem to get the right tang that I am craving...now...after reading the book I am assuming that a craving is a craving is a craving...am I right?

So...what do I do? If someone had asked me 11 days ago if I would ever say I craved vinegar I would have laughed in their face...of course, I would not have ever thought I would be enjoying anything other than sugar laden lattes and donuts, either...go figure.

Any suggestions on how to nip this tart trip? I have tried several vinaigrettes and sauerkraut, to no avail...not sure what is going on.

Not sure how to move past this...I was prepared for a craving for something normal (like the pizza my family was eating in front of me, or the piece of cheese my husband was eating - nope), I was not prepared to have a hankering for vinegar-y stuff. What is up with that?

Any helps, suggestions, advice?

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I guess I am curious for more info. As in you want to drink it like water or you would just like to taste it here and there?

I think your brain and your tastebuds are simply messing with you. By your profile, you recently started your W30. Fasten your seatbelt and enjoy the ride. :)

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Are you looking for help satisfying the craving, fighting it, or understanding it?

I read that a lot of people have had cravings for things that they have never had or never enjoyed. It isn't just about sweets and grains.

Anyway, you can choose to limit your vinegar if you think that your vinegar consumption is a problem. And, if it turns out that vinegar has no brakes for you, then you can remove it from your food choices until you feel that you have a healthier relationship with it.

I'm finding vinegar to be a nice companion. And, my cravings came at around day 21!

Let us know how we can help.

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Hmmm maybe you're craving acidic food to cut thru all the extra fat you're eating? Haha I have no idea, but sometimes I crave broccoli, or salmon, or eggplant. I feed it for a couple of days and it goes. I don't know of any negative effects of vinegar, so maybe just roll with this one and see what happens? You could try lemon and limes too, see if that hits the spot!

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Prior to the Whole30 Challenge, I had the world's largest Sugar Dragon hanging out with me...a nasty one. But, oddly enough, I am not missing sugar...at all!! I don't even miss grains...and I am even surviving without dairy, no problem. What I am craving, however, is VINEGAR! I have tried homemade vinaigrettes and cannot seem to get the right tang that I am craving...now...after reading the book I am assuming that a craving is a craving is a craving...am I right?

No. I don't think craving vinegar is in the same category as craving sugar. People harm their health with sugar all the time, but I have never heard of anyone consuming so much vinegar that it harmed their health. I can't think of any reason you should not indulge your current lust for vinegar.

Full disclosure: Currently, I have one bottle each of jalapeno infused balsamic, pomegranate infused balsamic, blackberry ginger infused balsamic, strawberry infused balsamic, and apple cider vinegar on my counter.

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I ate an entire jar of Bubbie's sauerkraut during the first week of my Whole 30. The second jar I bought is still in my 'fridge.

I wanted the sour salty combination. But I didn't crave vinegar and onion chips. It was highly specific.

I say listen to your body.

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Thank you for your advice and guidance...I realize how idiotic this sounded, but you have to realize how completely addicted I was to sugar and carbs before the Whole30 - so I was worried about anything that starts to become obessesive in my mind. LOL!

Just to clarify, I am not wanting to walk around with bottles of vinegar wrapped in brown paper bags stuffed in my overcoat...I simply mean that I am craving the flavor profile of vinegar...like the other day, I felt like if I could get my hands on some really good kimchi (without sugar) I would have chowed down.

Tom, do you have any recipes for the infused vinegars you mention above? Basic balsamic seems a boring balm for this current tangy craving. I need something that's amped up a notch...

xacerb8 - I saw Bubbie's sauerkraut at my local Coop Grocery...was reluctant to buy it because I was unsure if it was compliant. I assume by your post that it is...so I might have to give it a whirl.

You are right, Zoodles, this may be my body's natural attempt to cut through all of the rich foods I am eating. I was never a true meat eater before diving into the Whole30.

I just wasn't sure if I should be leary of this being a trick of the brain...or if this is really something I should listen to my body and just eat vinegar...lol...I know it sounds so lame and I realize I was consuming myself with the word "craving" and taking it TOO literally. I need to not panic if my body wants something...it does not automatically mean something bad, as it has in the past.

Thanks again! I am breathing...

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Lol on the brown paper bag. I think I am watching too much tv because I actually saw a show on Discovery Health about a man who drank up to 2 bottles of vinegar a day. His Dr and his dentist told him to stop. My head went right to that show when I read your post. :0)

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I wonder if there is something about vinegar that helps us digest. I don't know much about it, but I do know that I have had it at almost every meal. I like to marinate some cucumber in apple cider vinegar and some carrot in balsamic, put them in a salad of fresh veggies and top with a vinaigrette.

Have you read the book or the daily e-mails? When they talk about food without brakes, they mention eating a whole bag of carrots, mindlessly. That won't hurt you the way that it would to eat things that are not really nutritive. I craved prunes in the beginning and only allowed myself one or two at one meal a day because they are a form of sugar. I really think vinegar may serve a purpose.

I'm also betting there are recipes for making compliant kimchi, if you can't find any in a store. I keep not investing time or money in things that might not be here today or tomorrow, but on day 24 I am seeing how much I will want these things going forward.

Go ahead and enjoy things that are not harmful psychologically or physically!

(And, I think we'd all love more info on your vinegars, Tom.)

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I found a shop near me that sells olive oil and balsamic vinegars... http://www.vsoptaproom.com/index.html I don't know how you would infuse basic balsamic vinegar with flavors yourself.

I use vinegar whenever I wilt strong greens like kale and chard - a splash of apple cider vinegar and a splash of a flavored balsamic. When I am working with mild greens like spinach, I may not use vinegar at all or I might use just a little balsamic.

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It's super easy to infuse your own vinegars and oils. I have a cilantro and habenaro balsamic vinegar sitting on my shelf right now. My other favorite is garlic and lemon (peel) red wine vinegar. My friend Katie has a fig and vanilla pod balsamic that is delish on berries.

You just need to bring the vinegar to a simmer and pour over the herbs or whatever ingredients you choose. Then let it sit at least overnight or longer for more flavor. I usually strain it after a week.

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I may try making my own flavored vinegars...sounds like fun! I made a lemon vinaigrette yesterday evening (recipe I found on Martha Stewart's web page) for my lunch today that seems to have helped the hankering for pucker...it is serious lemon and I added even more lemon juice and more lemon zest than the recipe called for and cut the olive oil in half, since I was adding hard boiled eggs and avocado to my salad...SO good.

Tom, I am going to check out that link for olive oil options...I have been doing a little more reading on the olive oil discussions and am very interested in finding better, more reliable sources for it. There is a farm in California who sells it, but I have missed the late harvest batch. Bummed.

Thanks, again, for all of the help and THANK YOU for helping me find the humor in such a "different" craving of sorts. I may even get brave and just try saurkraut and eggs...as some have suggested on other posts on the forum and on the web...don't knock it until you try it, right?

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I grew up on hotdogs with sauerkraut and I hated the kraut. It was so severe -- ugh! Way too intense.

The Bubbies is compliant. The only ingredients are cabbage, artesian well water and salt! Also, I find that is not as "metallic" in its tartness as the kraut I remember. And it has a slight crunch still.

OMG @Tom....jalepeno sauerkraut? Say. No. More.

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I spent an hour yesterday drooling over DIY kraut fermenting crocks made with home-brew supplies.....not good when you're self-employed! :)

I failed making my own kraut twice with one of those really nice German stone crocks. Everyone told me it was easy, but my kraut kept turning out musty. I ate most of the first batch, but gave up when the second batch was musty. I am content to support the efforts of others nowadays.

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Ok...update!

Scrambled two eggs in a tsp of organic ghee and a mound of Bubbies saurkraut with a piece of local, pastured bacon baked extra crispy crumbled on top...TWO thumbs up!!!

Where have you people been all my life???

Edit: Forgot about the sprinkling of thinly sliced jalapeño peppers. Nice spice!

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Oooh I get that too! I indulge with balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar or beet kraut :) Once in a while I splurge on a kombucha and it's sooooo good and tangy and yum :) Smoked sardines in oil can have that wangy-ness too, but it's more of an umami than a sour but still delicious. Isn't it fun to have healthy cravings you can freely satisfy instead of sweet cravings that you fear and run away from? Amazing!

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Ok...update!

Scrambled two eggs in a tsp of organic ghee and a mound of Bubbies saurkraut with a piece of local, pastured bacon baked extra crispy crumbled on top...TWO thumbs up!!!

Where have you people been all my life???

Edit: Forgot about the sprinkling of thinly sliced jalapeño peppers. Nice spice!

You know...when I first saw Tom mention hard boiled eggs and a couple of pickles for breakfast, I shunned it. Since this thread, I gave eggs and saurkraut with sea vegetables (bought at WF, but made here in Portland) a try and I am in love. A vinegary veggie first thing in the morning is a very cool thing.

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After a couple of days of experimenting to try and get the right "fix" to this craving and after talking to my physician about it, I have to come to surmise that this craving for vinegar is due to a couple of reasons. One, Zoodles commented above, it could be a way for the body to cut through all of the rich foods (i.e. meats) am now eating (as opposed to the high sugar, high carb diet I was living on previously.) and two, it could have something to do with the need for minerals. I have started drinking more water and have added a mineral water to my noon meal...seems to have curbed my craving a bit. If it continues, my physician wants to run a blood test...she is okay with increasing fluids for now, since my diet is so full of the rainbow, so-to-speak and because my meat sources are local and pastured. (Yay, me!)

P.S. They weighed me at the doctor's office and I asked to step on the scale with my back to it, so I wouldn't see the number...I want to wait until after my 30 day challenge.

So...all of this is to say, try increasing your water and try adding more potassium rich foods...and add a mineral water. See if that helps the craving for vinegar...especially if eating vinegar doesn't go away even after eating several vinegary dishes.

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