What do your food cravings say about you?
Craving some chocolate? Fantasising about French fries? Busting for some baked goods? Well, your body is telling you something is missing.
While we all get a bit peckish, there’s a difference between being hungry and cravings for a specific foods.
“Cravings mainly indicate that our body is lacking a specific mineral or nutrient,” Nutritionist Shona Wilkinson, from the NutriCentre, London, told MailOnline.
So does that mean next time with have a hankering for some sweets, we should give in? Not exactly.
“As descendants from cave men - when the aim was to survive a day on one meal - we are craving food that is either high in fat or high in calories to provide us enough energy. However, these days, we eat five times a day and we no longer need that additional energy or extra calories,” explained Ms Wilkinson.
“Unfortunately, due to the fact, most food is processed, we are still missing necessary nutrients in our bodies. Instead of giving into our cravings, it is important to understand them, and give the body exactly what it needs,” she advised.
You crave: Chocolate
What it means: Chocolate is rich in magnesium, so that urge to gorge a block of chocolate could indicate a deficiency in this mineral. Around 80 per cent lack magnesium in their daily diet – a mineral that is vital for bones, skin and hair, supports the immune system and balances the nervous system. Drinks like alcohol, tea, coffee and soft drinks can help deplete levels of magnesium too.
Food swap: If you still need a chocolate fix, opt for dark chocolate which is around 70 per cent cocoa. Other foods rick in magnesium include dark, leafy greens, brown rice, wholemeal bread and nuts.
You crave: Something sweet
What it means: You may just be a natural sweet tooth but it could also mean you’re deficient in chromium.
Ms Wilkinson explained: “As a person eats, their blood sugar levels surge and insulin is released. If you're eating refined sugar and carbohydrates they will hit your bloodstream fast and cause an imbalance in blood sugar. Your body will release more insulin to deal with this rapid rise in blood sugar.”
“Once dealt with, the blood sugar levels will drop, but because you've generated the release of so much insulin, the levels will drop too low and you will soon feel like snacking on a bar of chocolate, or something else sweet. The more sweets you eat, the more you will crave them - it is a catch 22.”
Food swap: Make sure you have a healthy breakfast and lunch so by the time it hits the afternoon, you won’t feel like you need a quick sugar fix. Also, eat plenty of chromium-rich liver, kidney, beef, chicken, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, wholegrains, and eggs.
You crave: Salt
What it means: Snacking on a packet of crisps could be a sign that sodium levels in the body are too low. Sodium helps maintain water balance in the body and regulates blood pressure.
“It is usually due to dehydration, after exercise, illness or drinking alcohol,” said Ms Wilkinson.
Food swap: Snack on salted popcorn which is naturally high in sodium. Ms Wilinson also advised: “You can also find small amounts of this mineral in celery and carrots, which should help your craving.”