What Do Food Cravings Mean?

Have you ever wanted dark chocolate so much that you didn’t catch a single word during that meeting just salivating over the thought of it?

Or a burger so desperately that you were willing to drive an hour just to make sure you got it?

Have you ever left everything you were doing, and at the most inconvenient time, and during the worst weather conditions, to get to a coffee shop no matter how far, just to get a cup of coffee?

If so, then you are probably familiar with food cravings.

Cravings are not quite the same as hunger…and in fact they couldn’t be more different. Hunger is controlled by the stomach, but cravings are controlled by the brain. Hunger is all about your survival mechanism, but cravings are all about your body communicating with you.

For example, the next time you have a craving – let’s say for something sweet – you can ask yourself: “Is it just sugar I am craving? Will l I be satisfied by sucking on a sugar cube? Or is it something more specific? Perhaps chocolate?”

If the answer is indeed chocolate, it is your body’s way of letting you know you may be deficient in magnesium (raw cacao is one of the highest natural sources of magnesium). If you know this, you can then find all the foods that have high content of magnesium and slowly add them to your diet, which then gets rid of your sweet food cravings.

Of course, the list goes far beyond sugar cravings, chocolate and magnesium. Below is a chart of all the common food cravings, flavor cravings and eating habits you may experience, the reason behind each craving and all the foods you can eat to fix the craving!

Feel free to leave your questions, comments and feedback below the chart.

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Craving this:	Reason is:	Restore with this:
COMMON FOOD
Cheese	Essential Fatty Acids deficiency	Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)- Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts
	Calcium deficiency	Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
Pasta, white bread, pastries	Chromium deficiency	Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato
Bread and toast	Nitrogen deficiency	Foods containing proteins, i.e.. Green leafy veg, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains
Red meat	Iron deficiency	Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Popcorn	Stress hormone fluctuations	Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C
Crisps	Chloride deficiency	Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt
	Essential Fatty Acids deficiency	Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)- Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts
FLAVOR
Burned Food	Carbon deficiency	Fresh fruits
Acid foods	Magnesium deficiency	Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit
Salty Foods	Chloride deficiency	Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt
	Stress hormone fluctuations	Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C
SWEETS
Chocolate	Magnesium deficiency	Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit, magnesium
Soda, fizzy drinks	Calcium deficiency	Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
General sweets	Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)	Fruit, high fibre foods (beans, legumes), complex carbs (grains), chromium (cinnamon)
	Tryptophan deficiency	Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins
	Chromium deficiency	Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato
	Sulphur deficiency	Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion
	Phosphorus deficiency	Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils
STIMULANTS
Coffee or black tea	Sulphur deficiency	Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion
	Iron deficiency	Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
	NaCl (salt) deficiency	Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt, Apple Cider vinegar, kombucha
	Phosphorous deficiency	Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils
Alcohol, recreational drugs	Calcium deficiency	Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
	Glutamine deficiency	Cabbage, beetroot, beans, spinach, parsley, vegetable juice
	Protein deficiency	Green leafy vegetable, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, beans
	Potassium deficiency	Citrus fruits, bitter green leafy veg, banana, tomato, pineapple, black olives, seaweeds
	Avenin deficiency	Oatmeal, granola, cereals, whole grains
Tobacco	Silicon deficiency	Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches
	Tyrosine deficiency	Fruits (esp. avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, vegetables
EATING HABITS
Lack of appetite	Chloride deficiency	Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt
	Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency	Whole grains, peanuts, seeds, beans, green and yellow vegetables
	Niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency	Peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat bran and wheat germ
	Manganese deficiency	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, whole grains, green leafy veges, pineapple, blueberries
Often overeating	Tryptophan deficiency	Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins
	Tyrosine deficiency	Fruits (esp. Avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, veges
	Silicon deficiency	Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches
Often snacky	No balanced diet, missing nutrients	Do a detox, substitute junk food for healthy meals
MORE BIZARRE
Crunching on ice	Iron deficiency	Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Laundry starch	Iron deficiency	Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Cigarette butts	Iron deficiency	Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption

Source: www.bengreenfieldfitness.com