Food cravings often? We all get them every once in a while, it’s part of life! It’s in our biology to tell us what to eat and when to eat, not the chronological clock on the wall or when society tells us it’s “dinner time” nope, that’s your individual job. Sometimes cravings come from inside, you may be driving home from work and crave something filled with sugar or salt.
Other times food cravings come because of advertising. You see a tv commercial for a cheeseburger and fries, pizza or a milkshake and you jump up, grab the keys and head out the door to immediately satiate your craving with what you just saw.
What’s important to understand is that cravings come and go based on certain conditions but if certain cravings continue to come back again you should pay more attention to these because your body wants more than the flavor, it’s lacking something.
Sugar for example, it’s a difficult craving for many people. You may drink a sugar filled drink, eat ice cream or any other sweet treats. This craving is associated with nutritional deficiencies that when supplied will begin to minimize your sugar cravings. The same is true for salty foods, fatty foods or even a single food that you are craving over and over again, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a category of foods.
Take a look at this chart to see how you can begin to rewire your brain to crave healthier options to end cravings:
This chart is not 100% correct but it gives you a good rule of thumb to follow. If you crave chocolate you can actually just eat more chocolate if you want too, as long as it’s high quality dark chocolate with little to no sugar or preservatives. That way you can still enjoy your chocolate while getting more magnesium in your diet. Calcium on the chart above is the only one i’d question. Most of us have plenty of calcium that builds up and calcified (hardens) in our body. We typically need more magnesium, potassium and phosphorus to balance this mineral imbalance overall for most people.
By taking a look at the chart above you can understand which foods and food categories are relevant nutritionally to you. The way to rewire your brain is simple. Take the food you are craving, look at the nutrient you are most likely deficient in and eat foods that contain that nutrient. By supplying your body with the foods that contain the nutrients you need your brain will begin to ‘wise up’ and crave the healthier food. This is good for you! Your body still get’s to crave something and feel satisfied after, only this time that craving actually leads to a healthier you and you become less crave oriented when it come’s to food.
Keep this chart handy above so that you can use it when you have food cravings to your advantage. Until next time, pura vida!
Recommended Reading: Dirt Cheap Weight Loss: 101 ways to lose weight on a budget.
Image: getyourfittogether.com
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