Food cravings can be extremely frustrating, right?
They’re one of the biggest reasons for getting off track when you’re trying to lose weight.
You know, one minute you’re totally, 100% focused on finishing up that work project, and the next you start to think you can’t even type one word until you satisfy the urge for something sweet, salty or both.
While cravings can be hard to predict, recent research has shed some light on at least some of the reasons behind them, and why we feel so compelled to indulge.
When you seek out a certain food, or texture, it can be the sign of an imbalance in the body.
For example, when you haven’t eaten for a while, your blood sugar level drops, resulting in a craving for sweets to get it back up.
Those who exercise for hours at a time, like endurance athletes, lose a lot of fluid by sweating, and as they need to replenish all that lost sodium, salt cravings can result.
Here is a look at some of the most commonly craved foods, and what you can eat instead to help you stay on target to reach your weight loss goals.
1. Chocolate
If you feel like you just can’t live without that chocolate bar, your body might be in need of magnesium.
Try eating a handful of almonds, pumpkin or sunflower seeds. They’re tasty and offer a satisfying crunch too
2. Sugar-filled foods
If you’re craving sugar, there are a number of nutrients your body may be craving, including chromium.
Chromium can be found in broccoli, grapes and grass-fed chicken.
If it’s phosphorous you need, turn to grass-fed chicken or beef, fatty fish like wild-caught salmon, eggs, veggies or nuts.
If you aren’t getting enough sulfur in your diet, try cranberries, cauliflower or cabbage.
3. Carbs
If you’ve got a craving for carb-loaded foods like bread or pasta, there’s a good chance eating something that’s filled with protein will do the trick.
Protein is essential to help keep you feeling fuller longer and more satisfied. Try munching on a handful of chia seeds or almonds.
If it’s time for lunch, grilled, wild-caught salmon is ideal. When time is of the essence, throwing together a quick, easy and healthy protein shake is another good alternative.
4. Oily foods
Craving oily foods like French fries, potato chips, or basically anything else fried, like those especially waistline-damaging fried pork rinds, can be a sign that you’re low in calcium.
Milk isn’t the only food that offers calcium – in fact, dark leafy greens are an even better choice!
5. Salty foods
If you’ve just got to have salt, it might mean that you’re dehydrated, or you have a chloride or silicon deficiency.
Be sure you’re drinking at least eight glasses of water a day, and more if you’re exercising a lot.
Consume foods like seaweed and celery to increase chloride levels, and nuts or seeds to boost silicon levels.
Once you’ve given your body what it really needs, instead of what you think it wants, that craving is likely to disappear!
Yours in Health,
Danette
