We’ve all experienced unexpected cravings for a particular product. As soon as such a seditious thought comes to mind, it becomes almost impossible to resist this sudden “attack”, and we reach for chocolate or chips. The desire may arise, first of all, due to old habits or memories: for example, this cookie, which you saw on the counter, suddenly resembled your grandmother’s branded baked goods. And the cheese sold in the market smells like you are back on a small French farm that you once visited. And you really want to try it all immediately! However, believe it or not, there are cases when the unbearable desire to eat fries is associated with a lack of nutrients. How to determine what micronutrients the body lacks, and how to replace fast food in order to meet the body’s requirements, read in this material.
Appetite is an insidious thing, and it still does not come with a meal. Sometimes it happens that while watching a movie, we see a hamburger on the dining table of the hero and understand that if you don’t eat one right now, something terrible will happen. But you do not need to succumb to temptation: this will temporarily ease your condition, but it will not eradicate the problem.
“What other problem? I just want to eat this hamburger with a juicy cutlet! ” – you say. But in this way, your body gives signals that the body has an imbalance of vitamins, nutrients and trace elements, and the matter needs to be corrected not by junk food.
But where did this brutal appetite come from, and why sometimes you want something salty, and other times – sweet?
If you want:
Chocolate
First, remember how soon your period should start? Women so often want chocolate during their period, because cocoa contains a lot of magnesium: this is the very trace element that is lost in large quantities along with the blood.
According to a study by the American Chemical Society, people who are stressed or depressed can also constantly crave chocolate: it raises levels of serotonin (the “happiness hormone”), dopamine (the “feel-good hormone”) and oxytocin (the “love hormone”), which are released during hugs, kisses and sex. And most importantly, due to the content of magnesium and theobromine, sweetness reduces the level of cortisol – the “stress hormone”.
Don’t beat yourself up for a few wedges after a bad job interview or bad conversation with your boss.
None of the above points concern you, but does your hand still reach for the tile? Most likely, your body lacks the same magnesium, chromium, B vitamins and essential fatty acids. The more cocoa content in chocolate, the more magnesium it contains.
It is estimated that approximately 80% of the Russian population is not consuming enough magnesium.
The trace element not only supports the immune system and prevents various inflammations, but also plays an important role in the functioning of the nervous system and affects the quality of bones. In addition to chocolate, magnesium is also found in fish, green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, and buckwheat.
Cheese
Add grated cheese to almost all dishes and eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner? You may be experiencing memory problems and difficulty concentrating. A study by American scientists has shown that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have a craving for cheese than healthy people.
In addition, cheese, like chocolate, improves mood and promotes relaxation: but this time thanks to its L-tryptophan content.
It is likely that your body is lacking calcium. Are you a woman who prefers low-fat foods to those that contain at least a minimal amount of fat? Doctors sound the alarm: due to the fact that low-fat foods contain almost no calcium, nowadays, a huge number of women have osteoporosis at the age of 40-50! So do not deny yourself the pleasure of eating a few bites of your favorite Cheddar. Cheese is very high in calcium, which supports healthy teeth, bones, muscles, heart and nervous system.
90% of the Russian population is deficient in vitamin D, because for six months we hardly see the sun. The lack of this biologically active substance, you can fill, who would have thought, also with the help of cheese!
It turns out that cheese is a superfood, because the body needs a sufficient amount of vitamin D to process calcium: both substances immediately interact, and that is why calcium is best absorbed from this dairy product.
You order a pasta with a double portion of Parmesan, and you can find several types of cheese in your fridge, think: maybe you are missing the “sunshine vitamin”?
If you sit in the office from morning until late at night, live in a cold climate, and on weekends are so absorbed in household chores that you no longer have enough energy for a walk, then your body does not have enough vitamin D. Try to go outside more often on sunny days, and if this option is not for you, eat more oily fish, butter, egg yolks and chanterelles in addition to cheese.
Sweets
It’s about “wanting something sweet.” Sound familiar? We say this phrase to ourselves every time the level of stress goes off scale: the deadlines are on, the car has broken down, and there is no one to pick up the child from the kindergarten. So we sit at our desk, devouring candy one by one. But don’t be in a hurry to blame yourself: sugar activates the center of your brain, which really helps you focus on what is happening for a while. So from the point of view of physiology, everything is quite logical, but it leads to jumps in blood sugar levels, which leads to further candy. In general, a vicious circle.
But if life is completely calm, and your hands still reach for candy? What else is your body trying to tell you? Perhaps the culprit is chromium deficiency, which “works” in conjunction with insulin to facilitate the absorption of glucose from the blood into the cells of the body. Eat chrome-rich organ meats, beef, chicken, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, asparagus, whole grains, and eggs instead of sweets.
Meat
Craving for meat can be a result of the poor quality of the protein you consume, lack of it (if you are a vegetarian), as well as a lack of essential micronutrients found in animal protein: zinc, iron, B12 and Omega-3.
If you really crave a burger with a juicy cutlet, but the beach season is on the nose, what to do? Lean on fish and poultry – they are high in iron and low in calories
The body may also be deficient in zinc, which is responsible for healthy skin, hair, and nails. Not only red meat contains large amounts of this mineral, but also shellfish and cheese.
Despite the fact that it is red meat that is the largest source of iron and zinc, it does not mean that the diet of vegetarians is inadequate: in this case, in order to eat a balanced diet, you need to devote more time to developing your diet. For example, iron is abundant in tofu, mushrooms, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits. There is a lot of zinc in lentils, spinach, pumpkin seeds and wholemeal bread.
Vegetable iron is absorbed several times worse than an animal, so combine these foods with those that contain vitamin C (citrus fruits, sauerkraut, peppers, currants), as it promotes its better processing.
Cookies, pasta, bread, rice
For a whole week you dreamed of a croissant and simply could not find a place for yourself: here it flaunts on the counter, fresh and ruddy. Thoughts about him did not leave you for an hour: the brain urgently demanded something carbohydrate! In fact, this is nothing more than a craving for sugar.
Scientists claim that after such food passes all receptors on the tongue, the body perceives it just like candy.
Cravings for simple carbohydrates can indicate hypoglycemia (fluctuating blood sugar levels) and chromium deficiency, leading to constant extreme tiredness and rapid fatigue. To make up for a micronutrient deficiency, eat bananas, apples, apricots, paprika, spinach, beets, avocados, broccoli, and carrots.
Also, a sudden craving for starchy foods speaks of a deficiency of tryptophan – an amino acid responsible for the synthesis of serotonin – the “hormone of joy.” So there is nothing surprising in the fact that, for example, after parting with a loved one, we begin to lean on chocolate cookies, which we walked around a kilometer earlier.
The body dramatically reduces the production of serotonin (and, accordingly, tryptophan), we are sad and depressed, which is why the body seeks “support” from the outside and finds it in flour. Lack of amino acid leads to bad mood, anxiety and trouble sleeping. Healthy sources of tryptophan are turkey, milk, eggs, cashews, walnuts, cottage cheese, and bananas.
Chips, pickles
First, your body is dehydrated. We often mistake thirst for hunger, so craving for salt, which helps to retain fluid, may mean that you are not drinking enough water or you are losing a lot of it (for example, if you vomit, diarrhea, or excessive sweating).
Second, cravings for salty foods can be a sign of an electrolyte deficiency.
For example, according to one scientific study, women who reported an overwhelming desire to eat something salty were deficient in calcium, sodium, magnesium, and zinc.
These minerals are essential for the normal functioning of the heart, muscles and nerves, as well as for maintaining the right level of tissue hydration. A lack of electrolytes can lead to cramps, cramps, and headaches. Healthy alternatives to salted chips are nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruits, avocados, and green leafy vegetables.
Croutons, crackers, nuts, crisps
Want to crunch something? Nutritionists identify two reasons. First, you are under stress: crunching helps relieve tension a little. The second – basically, you eat liquid food (smoothies, soups, yoghurts), and your salivary glands and jaws, which is called “got bored”. After a day or two, they need stimulation – hence the craving for solid food.
Ice cream, yoghurt
Perhaps the reason is heartburn or acid reflux: doctors say that foods with a creamy texture soothe an irritated esophagus, which is exactly what the body needs at the moment. Also cravings for ice cream or yoghurt can cause … your love for over-the-counter pain relievers! Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may seem harmless, but they can cause inflammation in the stomach, and the desire for something “gentle” is a sign from the body to moderate the ardor a little.
Fried potatoes or fries
Craving for fried food is nothing more than a cry from the body for help. Chances are, you’re on a diet and cutting back on fat. So much so that the body no longer cares where to get it: from healthy foods (nuts, avocados, olives) or from foods with trans fats (french fries are just one of them). How to solve this problem? Eat more “good” fats: fatty fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and avocados. Do you feel that you won’t live even a second without potatoes? Bake a sweet young root vegetable with herbs in the oven and serve with a vegetable salad, drizzled with olive oil – this way you will satisfy both emotional hunger (the desire to eat potatoes at all costs) and physical hunger (the need for fats).
Spicy food: salsa, paprika, burrito, curry
The most common reason you crave spicy food is because your body needs cooling. Why, for example, are Mexican, Indian and Caribbean cuisines famous for their abundance of spicy dishes? This is because in hot climates, an overheated body needs to cool down, and the easiest way to do this is with the help of spices that promote sweat production. It also cools the body.
Another cause may be thyroid problems. Capsaicin, found in spicy foods, speeds up the metabolism. If the thyroid gland “junk”, it can lead to a slowdown in metabolism, and the body will seek to speed it up by eating such food.
So, if from time to time you have an intolerable urge to eat spicy curry or salsa, consider visiting an endocrinologist.
And, of course, where without endorphins. Spicy food triggers the release of “hormones of joy”, so here’s an alternative to the notorious chocolate bar!
Sweet soda
Many people do not like soda: too cloying and unhealthy. However, sometimes your constant preferences fade into the background, and you passionately begin to want to drink this harmful drink: right here and now, without delay. Chances are, you need caffeine: one serving of cola contains 30 mg of it – that’s enough to give you some energy and help you invigorate.
Another reason for desire is calcium deficiency. Its role in life is so important that when the body begins to lack this trace element, the body begins to use calcium from the bones. How can soda affect this process? The phosphoric acid it contains flushes the trace element out of the bones so that the body can absorb it, however. As you might guess, this causes tremendous damage to the bones and, in the long term, leads to early osteoporosis.
Avocado, nuts, seeds, oils
At first glance, the desire to eat such healthy foods cannot mean absolutely nothing: well, you want to empty a whole packet of cashews or add 2 times more pumpkin seeds to a salad. They’re useful! We do not argue: eating an avocado is much better than a pack of French fries, but in this case, a strong desire also signals a malfunction in the body. First of all, it indicates a calorie deficit, a lack of fat and, as a result, a lack of energy. Women often recklessly cut back on the amount of fat they consume, which inevitably leads to disruptions in the hormonal system. So if you are on a strict diet, and you suddenly want to eat a handful of nuts, do not resist, because this is not a whim, but a need.
Lemon, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers
Need to open a jar of pickled gherkins in the middle of the night? The reason for this seemingly harmless impulse may be the low content of stomach acid. Many pickled and acidic foods are natural probiotics that the body lacks in this situation. Stomach acid is an important defense line of the body, it cleanses and digests food. If its production is disrupted, a chain of processes is triggered leading to diseases of the digestive tract, allergies, nutritional deficiencies and constipation.