26/01/2013 - Food Cravings

Everyone experiences food cravings, it is a normal part of life, don't stress about it, but understanding what each craving means might surprise you and how easily you can counteract them without eating junk!

Chocolate

Your mood may be low, or not, you may be suffering PMT, or not, you just seem to want some chocolate really bad. It could be magnesium or an antioxidant deficiency chocolate is high both so if your body needs it, your body is telling you by craving it.

Magnesium is vital for many things from nerves to bones and the immune system but choose a healthier option like nuts and seeds, as well as green leafy vegetables. Eat brightly coloured fruit and vegetables, especially yellow, orange, red and purple - sweet potatoes are high in lycopene, while capsicum and berries will all help boost antioxidant levels.

Sweets

If you crave sweet food, like cookies and lollies, it could be because that your blood sugar level is out of balance, it can also be caused by a lack of chromium. Chromium actually helps balance your blood sugar levels causing cravings for sweet things to appease you, eat broccoli and chicken for your chromium needs.

Coffee

If you're a five cups a day sort of person, then your coffee addiction is surely part of the issue, but if you suddenly crave a cup of coffee, you could be lacking in iron. Almost forty percent of women aged nineteen to thirty four don't get enough iron from their diet; many have low levels after their menstrual cycle. This imbalance can make you feel tired, hence the belief that a coffee will make the difference.

A coffee might give you a short term boost but you need to increase the iron in your diet to reduce the continual re occurrence of this affect. Green leafy vegetables and lean red meat are good options.

Cake

Everyone loves cake, but if you are really hungry, it's not just lack of willpower that is causing you to be weak. Zinc is one of the most important nutrients for appetite control, this mineral helps in the production of the hormone leptin, the hunger hormone, which signals your mind you are full.

Nuts are great sources of zinc and better for us, a handful of Brazil nuts gives you almost half your daily requirement of Zinc.

So remember, we all experience cravings, if you are doing your best to lose body fat then think about what you might be really needing, Google it and the make a better choice.  Remember the consistent choices you make will speed you to your goal.