Food Cravings and What they Mean

Do you suddenly feel like having a bite of chocolate cake right in the middle of a very important meeting? Or do you find yourself eating a lot of dairy products irrespective of the fact, whether you are hungry or not? Do you call yourself 'addicted to sugar' or crave for food at all times? If yes, then you are probably suffering from what is referred to as food cravings. You need to understand your food cravings and what they mean, as it is your body's way of telling you it lacks certain minerals and vitamins. If you find yourself craving for certain foods and are searching for a solution on how to stop these cravings, then read on...

What do Food Cravings Indicate?

Have you ever thought that your cravings mean a lot more than just indicating hunger pangs. You may crave for a certain type of food like sugar or even bread. The following are some of the certain common food cravings that people have or rather suffer from. The ways to reduce these cravings have also been mentioned.

Chocolate	Can't Keep My Hands Off Chocolate!! Is your desire to eat chocolates making you go wild? Do you find yourself eating chocolate while you are happy, sad, depressed, exuberant or in almost every emotional state? If yes, then the reason chocolates release serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter. This makes you feel happy and increase the feelings of well-being. The dark side to chocolate craving is that it is an indication of magnesium deficiency. Reduce The Cravings: You need to include nuts, seeds, whole grain bread, etc. in your diet to reduce your cravings for chocolates.
Sugar is Sweet and So are You Is your sweet tooth spiraling out of control? Do you grasp the candy bowl to suckle the sweet candies? Or do you find a lollipop hanging between your lips at all times? Well, this means you are having a serious chromium, carbon, sulfur or phosphorus deficiency. Your body not only needs these vital minerals, but your food cravings for sugar is causing a lot of dental harm. Reduce The Cravings: You need to eat a lot of fresh fruits that contain phosphorus and carbon. Eat meat and dairy products to fulfill the need for chromium and sulfur.	Sweets
Salty Foods	Salt, I want Salt Popcorn and chips, and if that's not enough, licking off the salt from a glass of margarita? This means you are having a hungering for salt. Salt cravings mean you have chloride and sodium deficiency in your body. Reduce The Cravings: You need to dump the chips and popcorn and eat more of celery or cucumber. Also, include more raw goat milk, fish, spinach, Swiss chard and raw cultured vegetables in your diet.
Hot and Spicy Craving for the flavor of spice in your food? Well, it means that your body is not able to regulate its temperature and needs something that can do so. This craving for spicy food may also indicate symptoms of zinc deficiency. Reduce The Cravings: You need to include red meats, especially organ meats, seafood, leafy vegetables and root vegetables in your diet.	Spicy Food
Meat	I Want My Steak! Do you feel like having a big juicy piece of meat in your plate, every time you sit eating? Do you hungrily eye the steak in the barbecue? If all you can think about is protein rich foods, that means you are having a vitamin B, carnitine and mineral deficiency. It could also indicate a blood sugar imbalance in some people. Food cravings for meat also indicates mineral or iron deficiency symptoms. If your body is losing weight, then it is asking for more proteins to maintain its lean muscle mass. Reduce The Cravings: Your body needs proteins, so you need to include meat in your diet or have a nice big glass of smoothie with eggs. You also need to include plenty of greens and non-sweet vegetables and zucchinis.
I Want My Slice of Bread Do you often find yourself staring at the assortment of breads at the baker? Do you crave for the brown slices of bread? If yes, it means that your body needs proteins, and carbohydrates from the bread is just filling you up. You need to cut the carb and eat more proteins. You may even be craving for noodles, Italian pastas, and other wheat flour products. Reduce The Cravings: You should eat more of lean cuts of meat, chicken, fish and eggs to fulfill the need of protein for your body.	Wheat Products
Dairy Products	Say Cheese If you are crazy about dairy products like cheese, butter or even drinking glasses of milk, it indicates you are addicted to dairy. The dairy products contain amino acid sequences, that act on the brain just as opiates do. This means, one gets addicted to milk to keep himself nourished and make the endorphin receptors happy. But, dairy addiction is not good for your body and you need to control your cravings for dairy. Slowly, you will overcome your dairy cravings.
Skipping Breakfast Are you skipping breakfast as you feel full in the mornings? This is a very unhealthy habit as it may be a sign of body fatigue or adrenal fatigue. You need to eat your breakfast to overcome the blood sugar imbalance and give your body the much-needed energy boost. Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Skipping breakfast is just not what a healthy body needs.	Skipping Breakfast
Soda	Feel Like Gulping a Chilled Soda If you can't keep you hands off soda and find yourself gulping down the colas, this is an indication of calcium deficiency. You body is down on it calcium levels and is trying to tell you to refill its calcium need. Reduce The Cravings: You need to eat some cheese, whenever you feel like having a soda. You can even eat some leafy green vegetable like spinach or kale. You can also include dairy products like yogurt and milk.
Can't Live Without Caffeine Do you find yourself craving for caffeine and have lost count of the number of cups of coffee or tea you had since morning? This indicates your body needs iron. Women crave for caffeine during their menstrual period, due to excess blood loss. You should however, control your craving for caffeine and understand what your body actually needs. Reduce The Cravings: You need to start eating healthy and include more of raw foods like broccoli, dried figs, dried apricots, dates and other iron rich food in your diet.	Caffeine
Water	Water is All I Need A craving for water is indication of thirst. But excessive thirst maybe a symptom of diabetes. Your body cells maybe low in minerals and electrolytes and need to replenish it. You need to eat healthy and include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. This will help in overcoming the lack of minerals and electrolytes in your body.

How to Stop Food Cravings?

If a woman experiences the above mentioned cravings during pregnancy, it indicates the deficiency of vitamins and minerals. This is because a pregnant lady needs to support the fetus and half of her nutrition goes in development of a healthy baby. A pregnant women should learn to control her cravings and stop eating unhealthy food.

You can reduce your cravings by eating fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meat to stay healthy. The natural, unprocessed food takes long time to be digested and makes you feel full for longer periods. Foods like ice creams, chocolates, breads, donuts and caffeine increase your blood sugar levels. This gives you instant energy, but soon you will feel lethargic and crave for more food. Also, it makes you gain more weight and thus, increasing your risk of health problems.

You should drink about 10 glasses of water in a day. Many cravings during pregnancy also include a strong desire to have ice. This is because the body needs a lot of water, which is something that becomes even more important during pregnancy. The water serves as a carrier of nutrients for the baby and eating right with loads of water helps keep you and your baby healthy. Water helps flush out the toxins from the body. This keeps your metabolism function properly, which is vital for a healthy body.

It is very important that one understands the signals given by his/her body. Food cravings are just a way of letting you know that your body needs some essential vitamins and minerals. In order to reduce the cravings, you should start eating right. You should eat healthy foods and maintain a healthy diet. A healthy alternative is to understand food cravings and what they mean and hence solve the problem, by providing your body with the right nutrients.