Confused Cravings

Do you ever have such intense cravings that the world feels like it may end if you don’t satisfy those needs? Cravings are not just a habit or a want - they can be much deeper than that. Our body doesn’t understand the difference between foods, only the different nutrients it needs to work properly. Our brain makes that connection with certain foods so that we will be reminded to eat more of them. So, cravings are sometimes a need for other nutrients disguised as the desire for high sugar, fat, salt. These desires manifest in little pings in our brains that say “Yay that's the good stuff we need!”, even though what we satisfy those desires with may be something totally different than what our bodies need. I'm going to help you break down some of these cravings and why we might be having them, and I’ll touch on some healthy foods we can eat instead to make those cravings subside.

Chocolate
For my chocolate lovers out there, intense cravings for chocolate can actually be a sign you need more magnesium in your diet. If you also have trouble sleeping, or are going through menopause, or PMS, cravings for chocolate can increase. Magnesium can be a huge problem solver for this craving. Some foods that are high in magnesium are:

• Pumpkin seeds 
• Almonds, cashews, peanuts 
• Soymilk, milk
• Blackbeans, kidney beans
• Salmon, Halibut
• Banana, apple, 
• Oatmeal, shredded wheat, rice, potato ​

Ice 
If you crave ice you may be deficient in iron! You also may be feeling fatigue, brain fog, and anxiety. Some ways to get more iron is through animal based protein (chicken, red meat, poultry). You can also start cooking with an iron skillet to help get more iron into your diet.

Candy, Ice Cream, Sweets 
This is sugar heaven for the brain and body. The amount of sugar in these items sends the brain into a frenzy that can keep us coming back for more. If you are someone who craves high amounts of sugar, you should also do an inventory of how you are feeling mentally. If you are someone who has a higher tendency towards depression, anxiety, or feeling run down, you may be in need of more serotonin and dopamine. High amounts of sugar causes an immediate release of these neurotransmitters that make us feel better in the moment and can be associated with happiness. 

In order to create serotonin, we need all of our essential amino acids, which can be found in animal based products. Eggs and cheese are a great source because of high levels of tryptophan. Some other foods that can help are salmon, nuts, seeds, turkey and tofu. If you noticed, a common theme in all those foods is the presence of healthy fat, which will help regulate blood sugar levels. ​

Carbohydrates - Pasta, Rice, Crackers, Cakes & Baked Goods 
Carbs can also be seen as sugar cravings that give our body an instant release of the “feel good” neurotransmitters. These cravings may be coming from hunger signals. If we are not consistent in our diet as far as eating throughout the day, we are not regulating our blood sugar well and our body is going to crave that spike in sugar. Our body also uses carbs as our go-to form of energy, so a lack of energy or feelings of fatigue will make us crave those simple carbohydrates even more.

We can help this is by eating every 3-4 hours. We also want to make sure we are eating plenty of healthy fats. These facilitate slower digestion and help level off that blood sugar, keeping us feeling satisfied throughout the day.
To help with eating more consistently throughout the day, work on incorporating a healthy snack in between your main meals.  Health snacks should always be balanced with a combination of healthy carbohydrates (fruits, veggies & whole grains), healthy fats and protein.  

 Some snack ideas that incorporate healthy fats are:

• Avocado toast.  Spread your avocado onto a piece of whole grain toast.  Top with an egg and a little salsa for a healthy, well rounded breakfast!
• Full fat greek yogurt.  Pair with berries to get that healthy carbohydrate source.
• Nuts - enjoy a variety of nuts.  Almonds and pistachios provide a good ratio of protein & fat.  Pair with a half apple, banana or other fruit to incorporate that healthy carbohydrate source.
• Incorporate healthy oils into your cooking such as olive oil and avocado oil.

Salt 
Let's talk about dehydration. You are actually more likely to crave salty foods when you need water. Our kidneys and liver are always working hard to keep us in balance and to achieve this balance, we not only need water, but electrolytes as well. So drink some water first to see if the cravings subside and if they don’t try eating some celery with peanut butter. Celery has a surprising amount of natural electrolytes that will help curb those salt cravings and restore balance in our body. Additionally, make sure you eat a variety of vegetables to get all the natural salts and minerals we need in our diet. 

Salt, however, can also be a double edged sword, because of where salt is often found. Chips or crackers are carbohydrates and when we eat those a lot, we find ourselves right back at our sugar cravings. 

I hope these tips will help to give some more insight into your cravings. It is not the end of the world if we don’t eat a piece of chocolate, but it sure can feel like it when we are lacking magnesium. We all have cravings that may stem from habitual behavior, but staying consistent with your healthy eating goals will help curb those cravings. Fill your life with healthy foods and before you know it, those cravings will be a thing of the past! 

For additional help with your cravings, check out the Wilcox Wellness & Fitness CRUSH YOUR CRAVINGS GUIDE.  You can download it for free BELOW.

​-Bree​

CRAVINGS GUIDE