Food cravings are the body’s way of trying to correct various vitamin and mineral deficiencies or imbalances.
But eating the food that is craved rarely provides the needed nutrient. For example, when a person feels suddenly exhausted or weak, the body senses low blood sugar and begins to crave carbohydrates. However, sugar quick fixes are extremely damaging in the long run and can lead to insulin resistance, weight gain and eventually Type 2 diabetes.
Causes of Food Cravings
- Our ancestors were hunters/gatherers and ate food that was high in calories for quick energy because food was often scarce. Our bodies are still programmed to want high-fat, high-sugar foods.
- Craving sweets often indicates a mineral deficiency.
- Craving sweets can be a symptom of Candida (yeast) overgrowth as the yeast needs simple sugars to feed on.
- “Addictive” ingredients are often hidden in foods to keep you coming back for more. Examples are MSG, sugar and caffeine.
- Craving salty foods often indicates poorly functioning adrenal glands.
- Food sensitivities can develop to a food you have eaten daily for years. Sometimes the only sign of this sensitivity is developing a craving for it.
Part of the goal of optimal health is being free of all addictions and cravings.
It’s harder for people to give up craved food than to give up drugs or cigarettes because we have to eat and cannot remove all food from our lives. The following table helps identify the real nutrients the body is needing and offers healthy alternatives to satisfy the craving. Another way to still those cravings is with a well-formulated multivitamin, multi-mineral supplement like Daily Balance or a greens-based fruit and vegetable supplement like Absolute Greens, which provide a daily dose of fruits and veggies in one scoop. Once the body begins getting the nutrients it needs, cravings go away. Notice the table contains whole, natural healthy foods instead of processed, packaged foods lacking in nutrients. It even shows how craving things like tobacco and alcohol can be related to a nutritional need.
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Craving
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What You Really Need
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Healthy Alternatives
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Chocolate
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Magnesium
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Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits, very dark chocolate with little sugar or other additives
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Sweets
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Chromium
Carbon
Phosphorus
Sulfur
Tryptophan
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Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
Fresh Fruits
Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage. egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion
Turkey, sunflower seeds, milk.
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Bread/Toast
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Nitrogen
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High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
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Fatty Foods and Snacks
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Calcium
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Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, dairy, sesame seeds, quinoa
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Coffee or Tea
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Phosphorus
Sulfur
Salt
Iron
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Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage. egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
Sea salt, raw apple cider vinegar
Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, dark leafy greens, black cherries
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Alcohol, Recreational Drugs
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Protein
Avenin
Calcium
Glutamine
Potassium
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Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
Granola, oatmeal
Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, dairy, sesame seeds, quinoa
Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens, bananas, oranges
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Chewing Ice
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Iron
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Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
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Burned foods
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Carbon
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Fresh Fruits
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Soda and other carbonated drinks
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Calcium
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Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, dairy, sesame seeds, quinoa
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Salty foods
(can also indicate adrenal insufficiency)
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Chloride
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Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt, fish
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Acid Foods
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Magnesium
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Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits, very dark chocolate with little sugar or other additives
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Prefer liquids over solids
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Water
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Flavor water with lemon or lime if necessary. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
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| Any premenstrual cravings | Zinc | Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables |
