Cravings, Cravings, Cravings!

Ever wanted to know why you crave the chocolate? Or bread? Or milk? What does it mean? Here is the answer to why you’re craving that particular food and what it means!

What causes food cravings?

• Low energy
• Borden
• Poor diet
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Stress
• Depression
• PMS
• Insufficient calorie intake
• Alcohol/Hangover
• Dealing with emotions
• Food Intolerances
• And much more!

What are other causes for my particular food cravings?

• Chocolate: Lack of Magnesium
• Cheese: Lack of calcium, protein or a food intolerance
• Milk: Lack of calcium or a food intolerance
• Bread: Lack of Nitrogen and protein or a food intolerance
• Sugar: Lack of chromium, tryptophan, phosphorus or sulphur
• Salt: Lack of chloride and other electrolytes (magnesium, potassium, calcium) and lack of water (dehydration)
• High Fat Foods: Lack of Calcium and essential fatty acids

How do you control them?

1. Be organised: Plan out your food for each meal, each snack, and each day for the week. Or at the very least know what you are eating the next day. This will avoid having to make poor decisions when you are hungry
2. Exercise: exercising decreases the want for cravings by releasing endorphins. Plus if you train hard enough, the last thing you feel like doing is undoing all your hard work!
3. Avoid temptation: If you don’t want to eat it, don’t buy it and keep it out of the house! Simple but the most effective
4. Keep a food Diary: This will allow you to identify reasons for cravings, when you most likely go for them, and most of all, avoid them because you will have to write it down to show to your health professional
5. Get enough sleep: the more tired you are the more likely you are to make poor food choices
6. Drink an adequate amount of water: Hydration is very important for digestions and absorption of nutrients not to mention keeping you full
7. Avoid artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes: this will only increase cravings for more sugar and high fat foods
8. Increase your protein: make sure you have an adequate amount of protein at each meal and each snack
9. Eat every 3-4 hours: this way you will never be ‘starving’ or super hungry and will avoid making a poor food choice
10. Get more variety! The more variety you have in your diet, the less likely you crave a change in foods and often foods that hinder your goals.

Need more help controlling your cravings? Simply email admin@naednutrition.com.au get your cravings under control!