Has anyone else been having cravings like me lately?
Recently Dr. Oz wrote an article, 'The Oz Diet', for Times magazine and in his article he wrote this: "When you sit down to a meal, your brain is looking for nutrients, not calories, and will prod you to eat until you're satisfied. That's one of the many reasons it's harder to push away from a plate of fries or a bowl of ice cream than from a healthier meal of fruits, vegetables, grains and lean meats."
Sooooo..the Dr. is saying that when you give your body the nutrients it needs or is really looking for only then will you truly feel satisfied. Thanks Doc!
But what do you do when you are craving something that is not so 'nutrient' and by most standards would be considered 'bad' for you? Is your body really craving french fries or m&m's??? I am all for giving into a craving in small doses, but sometimes even with small doses of satisfaction the urge to overindulge in something just won't go away.
Recently I came across this chart that translates your cravings. What is your body REALLY asking for when you crave yummy m&m's? This chart outlines the better, healthier food options you have that will give you what your body really needs and keeps you fully satisfied. YAY!
| If you crave this | Whatyou really need is | Here are the healthy foods that have it |
| Chocolate | Magnesium | Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits |
| Sweets | Chromium | Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken |
| Carbon | Fresh fruits | |
| Phosphorus | Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains | |
| Sulfur | Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage | |
| Tryptophan | Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach | |
| Bread, toast | Nitrogen | High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans |
| Oily snacks, fatty foods | Calcium | Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame |
| Coffee or tea | Phosphorous | Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes |
| Sulfur | Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables | |
| NaCl (salt) | Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad) | |
| Iron | Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries | |
| Alcohol | Protein | Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts |
| Avenin | Granola, oatmeal | |
| Calcium | Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame | |
| Glutamine | Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice | |
| Potassium | Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens | |
| Chewing ice | Iron | Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries |
| Burned food | Carbon | Fresh fruits |
| Soda | Calcium | Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame |
| Salty foods | Chloride | Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt |
| Acid foods | Magnesium | Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits |
| Cool drinks | Manganese | Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries |
| Pre-menstrual cravings | Zinc | Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables |
| General overeating | Silicon | Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches |
| Tryptophan | Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach | |
| Tyrosine | Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables | |
| Lack of appetite | Vitamin B1 | Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats |
| Vitamin B3 | Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes | |
| Manganese | Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries | |
| Chloride | Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt | |
| Tobacco | Silicon | Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches |
| Tyrosine | Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables |
What cravings have you had lately? If you haven't noticed by this blog already, I have been seriously craving chocolate lately specifically peanut m&m's, ugh! But now thanks to my handy dandy chart here looks like I need to increase my nuts and legume intake so I will give it a shot!
What do you usually do to satisfy a craving that just won't go away?
