What Are your Cravings Telling You

A strong craving is no weakness, it usually indicates your body is low in a specific nutrient, vitamin or mineral. So what are your cravings really trying to tell you? Here are a few of the most common cravings and the nutrients your body may be lacking.

 

 #1 Chocolate

• What you really need: Magnesium
• Healthier alternatives: Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

 

 #2 Sugary Foods & Sweets

• What you really need: Chromium
• Healthier alternatives: Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
• What you really need: Carbon
• Healthier alternatives: Fresh fruits
• What you really need: Phosphorus
• Healthier alternatives: Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
• What you really need: Sulfur
• Healthier alternatives: Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous, vegetables, kale, cabbage
• What you really need: Tryptophan
• Healthier alternatives: Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

 

#3 Bread, pasta & other carbs

• What you really need: Nitrogen
• Healthier alternatives: High protein foods like fish, meat, nuts, beans

 

 #4 Oily & fatty foods

• What you really need: Calcium
• Healthier alternatives: Mustard, and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

 

 #5 Coffee or tea

• What you really need: Energy
• Healthier alternatives: Green Smoothies (If you still want some caffeine, try Green Tea or Matcha Smoothies)
• What you really need: Phosphorus
• Healthier alternatives: Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumesWhat you really need: Sulfur
• Healthier alternatives: Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous, vegetables
• What you really need: NaC1 (Salt)
• Healthier alternatives: Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
• What you really need: Iron
• Healthier alternatives: Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

 

 #6 Soda and other carbonated drinks

• What you really need: Calcium
• Healthier alternatives: Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

 

 #7 Salty foods

• What you really need: Water. Probably you’re dehydrated. A craving for salt, which helps your body retain water, could mean you aren’t drinking enough or you are losing water (through sweating, diarrhea, or vomiting) faster than you’re ingesting it.
• What you really need: Chloride
• Healthier alternatives: Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt

 

 #8 Acid foods

• What you really need: Magnesium
• Healthier alternatives: Raw nuts, and seeds, legumes, fruits

 

#9 If you have preference for liquids than solids

• What you really need: Water
• Healthier alternatives: Flavoured water with lemon or lime. You will need 8-10 glasses a day

 

 #10 If you have preference for solids than liquids

• What you really need: Water
• Healthier alternatives: You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavoured water with lemon or lime. You will need 8-10 glasses a day

 

#11 Cool drinks

• What you really need: Manganese
• Healthier alternatives: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

 

#12 If you have pre-menstrual cravings

• What you really need: Zinc
• Healthier alternatives: Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

 

 #13 General overeating

• What you really need: Silicon
• Healthier alternatives: Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
• What you really need: Tryptophan
• Healthier alternatives: Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
• What you really need: Tyrosine
• Healthier alternatives: Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables

 

 #14 If you lack appetite

• What you really need: Vitamin B1
• Healthier alternatives: Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
• What you really need: Vitamin B3
• Healthier alternatives: Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
• What you really need: Manganese
• Healthier alternatives: Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
• What you really need: Chloride
• Healthier alternatives: Raw goat milk, unrefined salt

 

 #15 Chewing ice

• What you really need: Iron
• Healthier alternatives: Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

 

 #16 Burnt food

• What you really need: Carbon
• Healthier alternatives: Fresh fruits

 

Wherever you are in the world, have a lovely day ❤