Do you ever have a munch for Ice-cream? A chocolate? salty chips? Or are you Coffee lover? Before listening to your cravings keep it in mind; a poor food choice is directly related to overall health and cravings often leads to major nutritional deficiency and you may be surprised to find that a healthy alternative may be close by.
· Ice-Cubes
Desire of ice its chewing and carving it in every drink is may be a sign of iron deficiency, called “anemia”. It is very bizarre addiction to ice, clay, soil or paper is very real and it is known as ‘pica’ in medical terms. To boost up your iron reserves you need to add meat products to your meals specifically red meat consumption to at least twice per week and it will be likely you will notice a change in energy and vitality levels (as well as an aversion to indulging in a glass of ice!). intake of organ meats will also increase your bod iron levels. But make sure when you are thinking about iron intake you should must notice your vitamin C intake because iron absorption is only possible in the presence of vitamin C. in case if you are vegetarian so you can modify your diet by adding dark green leafy vegetables, lentils, tofu, cashews, and seeds to your diet.
CHOCOLATE! Are you feeling mouth-watering after hearing this? This may be due to a magnesium deficiency and your body perhaps being low in antioxidants. In Nutrition language, we call magnesium as the great relaxant as it calms down muscles, boost the immune system, keeps blood sugar steady, and may add to our serotonin levels – that’s why we carve it more before our periods. Opt for the dark chocolate that is less in sugar and contains 75% or higher cocoa, higher in antioxidants other than milk chocolate or white chocolate. Nuts, seeds, and pulses along with leafy green vegetables are also rich in magnesium.
· Salty Chips
When your carving for Salty chips, crisps or slated veggies increases it simply indicates that your body is really stressed. When our adrenal glands are overloaded, cortisol levels will be high and this is a process that requires lots of sodium to keep the adrenalin going. Firstly, it’s important to find stress-busting practices that work for you like yoga and meditation, which reduce the cortisol overload. Then select, natural sources of sodium in foods like seafood, vegetables, celery, but sodium-rich sauces, highly processed foods, dressings that are not recommended.
· Coffee-holic?
Though coffee is caffeinated and it is addictive but a sudden out of the ordinary desire to have espresso could be your body’s way of saying it requires more iron. This is most seen during a menstrual cycle. Iron brings oxygen to our cells and without it, we can feel a bit tired and seek coffee as we can get. Increase your iron stores with red meat and green vegetables. There are also a wide range of supplements on the market, but these should only be taken after the diagnosis of serum iron levels.
If you are facing sugar carvings, then there could be a number of nutrients lost from your body. An adequate amount of whole real foods especially protein and good quality fat in your diet will reduce your sugar cravings because often the first sign of an out-of-control blood sugar level is hunger. Chromium, the mineral which helps to control our blood sugar, is found in almost consistently in most unprocessed foods. Wholegrains like rice, green beans, broccoli, nuts, and eggs are great sources of chromium. Foods high in sugar are low in chromium and may actually promote a chromium deficiency.
· Soda
You may be feeling that you need a Coke or a Diet Coke but perhaps it is not the soft drink at all that your body wants - it is just the fizz. Instead, reach for a sparkling carbonated or mineral water for the ‘bubble factor’. You may have heard about that carbonated soft drinks lead to osteoporosis, but the research there is about the acidity of a soft drink, not the carbonation. There is no evidence that sparkling waters will lead to bone leakage. As an alternate skip the sugar or the artificial sweetener and go for some fresh lime or lemon juice and a sprig of mint it will work as same.
Getting Rid of Cravings
You can get rid of cravings by eating the healthy diet that includes protein, complex carbohydrates, and good quality fats. And when this doesn’t happen, it’s important to remember to not beat yourself up! Before giving in to a food craving, wait 15 minutes, and have something to drink to ensure you are not dehydrated. If the cravings don’t go away ask yourself if you are:
1. Tired? If you are, then eating a bag of sweets is not going to be as kind to you as an extra hour of sleep.
2. Angry? If you are, drinking a can of coke or soft drink is only going to make you angry at feeding yourself poorly.
3. Bored? If you are then, munching on chips isn’t going to excite your creative and mental abilities.
If you’re not any of those then chose a healthy alternative and eat clean, real food.
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