What your food cravings tell you

Hi Everyone,

I came across this informative article in Yahoo this morning. It would be interesting to know what you think. I don't crave any of these anymore but years ago, for many years I craved potato chips.

Every now and then I do crave pizza but eating my healthy spagetti recipe with sauteed zucchini and homemade sauce on top of brown rice pasta takes care of that craving for me.

Here's the article:

Is it the saltiness of potato chips, the cool creaminess of ice cream, or the rich flavor of chocolate? Whatever you're longing for, it may be your body's way of letting you know you're missing valuable nutrients. Here's how to decode your cravings.

SWEETS
If you crave sweets of almost any kind, you may be experiencing blood sugar fluctuations. Giving in to pie, candy, cake, or other goodies only makes the problem worse by causing blood sugar roller coasters that lead to more cravings. Yo-yo-ing sugar levels cause spikes in insulin production, which can put you at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Instead, choose a piece of fruit--preferably one that's not loaded with natural sugars when you're craving sweets. And, in general, choose more high-fiber foods like beans and legumes and complex carbohydrates like whole grains that keep your blood sugar stable.

Related: How to Fight Sugar Cravings and Curb Your Sweet Tooth

CHOCOLATE
Cravings for chocolate often indicate that your body may be deficient in magnesium, a mineral whose deficiency may trigger headaches and lead to fatigue. Many nutritionists estimate that more than 80 percent of the population is lacking in dietary magnesium, which may explain why so many of us reach for chocolate. While chocolate can contain beneficial antioxidants, they usually come alongside plentiful amounts of sugar. If you eat chocolate, be sure to reach for dark chocolate--about 75 percent cacao or higher--which is usually lower in sugar and higher in antioxidants. Additionally, eat foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens.

Try This: The Healthiest Types of Chocolate to Eat

SALTY FOODS
Cravings for salty foods like potato chips or popcorn often mean chronic stress may be taking a toll on your adrenal glands--the two triangular glands that sit atop the kidneys and give us energy and help us to cope with stress of all kinds. When you're overly stressed, your adrenal glands release cortisol, which can make you ravenous high-fat, simple-carb foods that your body can use quickly.

Getting on top of the stress in your life is essential. Try meditation, breathing exercises, or other stress management techniques. Research at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City showed that people who take a break to breathe deeply or meditate before reaching for salty snacks reduced their stress hormones by 25 percent and cut the bingeing in half.

Related: 9 Stress-Busting Foods

RED MEAT
Not surprisingly, cravings for red meat usually indicate an iron deficiency. Often people crave burgers or steaks. Menstruating women are especially vulnerable to iron deficiencies, which can make them more likely to suffer from PMS symptoms according to study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Beans and legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs, and other dried fruits are high in iron. However, eat dried fruits in moderation, since they are high in sugar and are acid-forming foods. Too many of these foods will counteract your best weight-loss efforts.

CHEESE
Cravings for cheese or pizza often indicate a fatty acid deficiency, which is common since few people get enough omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and other joint problems. Reach for raw walnuts, wild salmon, and flaxseed oil, and add ground flaxseeds to your diet.

More: 5 Fatty Foods That Make You Skinny

THE CRAVING CURE
Most cravings are actually signals from our bodies that we are dehydrated, but we misinterpret them as hunger pangs. By drinking a tall glass of water first, you may be giving your body exactly what it wants and alleviate the craving altogether. By some estimates, 80 percent of people are chronically dehydrated. So before you reach for food to nix your cravings, quench them with some water. Then wait half an hour. More often than not, they'll be gone.

--Additional reporting by the editors of Women's Health

My cravings tell me I love food...salty, sweet and everything in between. Everything in moderation. Working on getting a good balance of nutrition means a diet of the essential nutrients, carbos, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water.

Everyone has their own issues that can have an effect on digestion, absortion and metabolism. We are all differant and hopefully we are finding foods that make our bodies feel good, and function well :)

Hugs, Robin

Thanks applevenus, camas, and robin for your replies.

I craved salt during all of my growing up years and until mid-life when I began a healthy lifestyle. During these early years of my life I was experiencing a lot of stress, so this makes a lot of sense to me.

During my middle years, when I was experiencing a fibro flare before I began my healthy lifestyle, I craved a fast food junk meal hoping it would make me feel better, it did, for a short time and it also contributed to my gaining weight.

When I began the healthy lifestyle ten years ago, I pretty much stopped all of my cravings. What helps me is to take the supplements I've been taking these past ten years, they're for people with compromised immune systems. I tried going off of them now and then over the years to try a less expensive set of vitamins and I felt weaker and I came down with a cold. On these supplements I don't get a cold or the flu. I'm thankful for that.

Yes, we are all so different.

Almostfree,

What supplements do you take for your immune system?

 

Hi Luv,

I'm far from perfect too with this special diet thing. Luv, I wonder since I don't touch the bad foods anymore if that helps keep any cravings at bay. I remember how much I loved the Culvers fish fry then I hadn't had it in years when I wanted to lose weight. I had one after a few years and it tasted disgusting. It's as if our taste buds change.

Camas, I learned from a local health food store owner 8 years ago which supplements would be best for all that I'm going through health-wise. She, the owner, has been studying nutrition for many years and supplements. She has people calling her from many miles away to get her advice. She said the best supplements for a compromised immune system are liquid vitiamins. So for all of these years, except the few times I've tried others and became ill with a cold, I've been using Buried Treasure VM-100 which is a high-potency multi-vitamin. Plus I take the Buried Treasure liqud calcium and liquid hair and nails because my hair seemed to be falling out more and my nails broke easily. I also take Krill oil capsules and vitamin C twice a days for my allergies. Then there's also the sleep supplements I take at night. Without them I wouldn't sleep: melatonin and l-theanine.

Fish, I'm glad you're doing so well with your diet. I wonder if it comes to salt if you're craving the iodine in it? We need iodine. Here's a website about the importance of iodine:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/29970-benefits-iodine-supplements/

I'm glad you ike them, Luv. I love to eat them with homemade guacamole. I use a ripe avacado, mash it with a fork and add a heaping tablespoon of mild salsa. This seems to give me a bit more energy in the mid-morning.

You're welcome about the supplements. I also wanted to share how I take them. I defrost some mixed frozen berries (about 1/4 cup) early in the morning then I add about 1/2 cup of almond milk and the liquid supplements and drink it about a hour after my breakfast.

almost medfree: I'll have to try that homemade guacamole. I do enjoy an occasional avocado. Would be yummy with salsa!

I think liquid vitamins really make sense--more absorbable, I would guess. Thanks again for the info.