HEALTH

 

Have you ever been watching TV and thought "I need to have chips right now!" Or you were walking in the mall and *had* to have that chocolate chip cookie from the food court even though you had just eaten lunch? These are both common cravings that happen when your body is missing certain nutrients. Your mind is telling you that you need one thing, while your body is telling you that you need another. While it's important to satisfy your cravings with the food that your body needs, it's also important to satisfy your emotional needs and eat what you want once in a while (hello greasy cheese pizza and milkshake!). 

Below is a list of the most popular cravings and what your bod is trying to tell you it wants:

Chocolate 
If you're craving anything chocolate (like most of us are on a daily basis) your body is actually in need of magnesium. Some good substitutes include nuts, seeds, and fresh fruit.

Salty foods
Chips, pretzels and all our favorite salty snacks are actually masking your body's need for chloride and silicon. Add lettuce, fish, cashews, tomatoes and seaweed to your diet to stop these cravings. 

Breads, pasta, etc.
Let's be honest, we all *love* carbs. When you think you need that big bowl of pasta (although sometimes you totally do!), your body is actually in need of nitrogen. Good substitutes to fix your carb craving include dark leafy greens and high protein foods like meat, fatty fish, nuts or beans.

Sugary foods 
Think: cake, cookies, ice cream and more. When you crave these foods your body actually needs many different things including chromium, carbon, phosphorous, sulphur and tryptophan. The best foods to eat for these cravings are fresh fruits, vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, spinach), dairy, chicken, raisins and eggs.

Oily foods
It's safe to say we have all had fast food at least once in our lives and it's often your body telling you to get some calcium. Eat foods high in the bone-building nutrient like broccoli, kale, cheese and legumes.

Which craving do you get most and how do you satisfy it?  Let us know in the comments below! 

Photo credit: Instagram.

by Cali Drouillard | 4/26/2018