Ever wonder why you crave nutrient-poor foods? No, it doesn’t mean your body needs another doughnut, coke, or bag of chips. Instead, your body is signalling to you that it is in need of or is deficient in a particular nutrient(s). Here are a few examples of the most common cravings and what they can mean:
If you crave: Chocolate
What you really need:
Magnesium, found in raw nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, beans+ legumes, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, whole grains.
If you crave: Sweets
What you really need:
Chromium, found in whole grains, broccoli, mushrooms, meat (beef, chicken breast, chicken legs, calve’s liver), Brewer’s yeast, eggs, fish, seafood, fresh vegetables. Herbs are also rich in chromium.
Phosphorus, found in beef, pork, fish (salmon), shellfish (scallops), nuts, beans + legumes.
Sulfur, found in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, chicken, eggs, nuts, legumes, garlic, onions, leeks.
Tryptophan, found in nuts, seeds, soya foods (tofu, soybeans, tempeh), lamb, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, oats beans, lentils eggs.
If you crave: Bread/Toast
What you really need:
Nitrogen, found in meat and poultry (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, goose, duck), fish + seafood, legumes, soya foods (tofu, soybeans, tempeh), eggs, nuts, and seeds.
If you crave: Oily Snacks/Fatty Foods
What you really need:
Calcium, found in mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, bok choy, okra, green beans, almonds, fish canned with their bones.
If you crave: Chewing Ice
What you really need:
Iron, found in red meat, fish, seafood, poultry, beans, dark leafy greens, dried fruit.
If you crave: Soda (and other carbonated drinks)
What you really need:
Calcium, found in mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, bok choy, okra, green beans, almonds, fish canned with their bones.
If you crave: Acid Foods
What you really need:
Magnesium, found in raw nuts and seeds, dark leafy greens, beans+ legumes, avocados, bananas, dried fruit, whole grains.
If you crave: Preference for Liquids (rather than solids)
What you really need:
Water, flavour with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
If you crave: Preference for Solids (rather than liquids)
What you really need:
Water, flavour water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day. You have most likely been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst.
Remember though – This list is a general guideline and also assumes your body can properly absorb and assimilate the foods listed above.
The most accurate way to decipher exactly what your own body’s deficiencies are and to bring it back into balance is exactly what we do here at Staterra.