Food cravings and always hungry? What they mean and what you can do.
Food cravings and always hungry? What they mean and what you can do. BUT FIRST. Before we go any further, I must tell you I am not a certified food specialist, dietician or health coach of any sort. Nor am I a psychologist. I am a busy full-time working mom with a interest in healthy food, a healthy mind in a healthy body and I browse the internet for information and read books to relax - the ones with paper ;). Please know when to seek advice for yourself from a counsellor or health professional - DEAL?!
Let's talk about SNACKS baby
OK, so you know what I'm talking about when we talk snacking in work, a sweet craving straight after dinner or that moment in the evening when chilling on the couch...right? What I'm curious about is if you've ever wondered about why this is?
What's actually causing the food cravings?
Your body requires nutrients such as magnesium or zinc which you haven't been providing. The thing is, we tend to translate our needs to 'we need something sweet' so we end up with an almond cake with our cup of coffee, a chocolate candy bar in the car or a bowl of crisps on the couch.
The consequence of this is that our body will still ask for the right nutrients. On top of this we put something in our body, which requires a lot of energy to process. The result is continuously feeling hungry and tired simply because we need to process the bad fats and sugars.
The consequence of this is that our body will still ask for the right nutrients. On top of this we put something in our body, which requires a lot of energy to process. The result is continuously feeling hungry and tired simply because we need to process the bad fats and sugars.
Get your control back over food, don't let food control you
If you suffer of that insatiable need for sweets again, or feel a big urge to snack, try out the following foods:
| Craving this: | Reason is: | Restore with this: |
| COMMON FOOD | ||
| Cheese | Essential Fatty Acids deficiency | Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)– Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts |
| Calcium deficiency | Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens | |
| Pasta, white bread, pastries | Chromium deficiency | Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato |
| Bread and toast | Nitrogen deficiency | Foods containing proteins, i.e.. Green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains |
| Red meat | Iron deficiency | Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption |
| Popcorn | Stress hormone fluctuations | Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C |
| Crisps | Chloride deficiency | Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt |
| Essential Fatty Acids deficiency | Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)– Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts | |
| FLAVOR | ||
| Burned Food | Carbon deficiency | Fresh fruits |
| Acid foods | Magnesium deficiency | Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit |
| Salty Foods | Chloride deficiency | Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt |
| Stress hormone fluctuations | Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C | |
| SWEETS | ||
| Chocolate | Magnesium deficiency | Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit, magnesium |
| Soda, fizzy drinks | Calcium deficiency | Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens |
| General sweets | Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) | Fruit, high fibre foods (beans, legumes), complex carbs (grains), chromium (cinnamon) |
| Tryptophan deficiency | Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins | |
| Chromium deficiency | Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato | |
| Sulphur deficiency | Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion | |
| Phosphorus deficiency | Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils | |
| STIMULANTS | ||
| Coffee or black tea | Sulphur deficiency | Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion |
| Iron deficiency | Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption | |
| NaCl (salt) deficiency | Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt, Apple Cider vinegar, kombucha | |
| Phosphorous deficiency | Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils | |
| Alcohol, recreational drugs | Calcium deficiency | Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens |
| Glutamine deficiency | Cabbage, beetroot, beans, spinach, parsley, vegetable juice | |
| Protein deficiency | Green leafy vegetable, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, beans | |
| Potassium deficiency | Citrus fruits, bitter green leafy veg, banana, tomato, pineapple, black olives, seaweeds | |
| Avenin deficiency | Oatmeal, granola, cereals, whole grains | |
| Tobacco | Silicon deficiency | Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches |
| Tyrosine deficiency | Fruits (esp. avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, vegetables | |
| EATING HABITS | ||
| Lack of appetite | Chloride deficiency | Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt |
| Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency | Whole grains, peanuts, seeds, beans, green and yellow vegetables | |
| Niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency | Peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat bran and wheat germ | |
| Manganese deficiency | Walnuts, almonds, pecans, whole grains, green leafy veges, pineapple, blueberries | |
| Often overeating | Tryptophan deficiency | Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins |
| Tyrosine deficiency | Fruits (esp. Avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, veges | |
| Silicon deficiency | Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches | |
| Often snacky | No balanced diet, missing nutrients | Do a detox, substitute junk food for healthy meals |
| BIZARRE | ||
| Crunching on ice | Iron deficiency | Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption |
| Laundry starch | Iron deficiency | Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption |
| Cigarette butts | Iron deficiency | Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption |
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Source: Bernard Jenson, PhD, The Chemistry of Man B. Jensen Publisher, 1983 (deficiencies linked to specific cravings and some food recommendations)
