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What Your Food Cravings Really Mean

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You Are what you eat or you eat what you not?

We all know that pregnant women have ‘crazy’ food cravings – but have you ever had the urge for some chocolate so bad that you can almost taste it already? Or one of those afternoons where you could kill for some crisps?

There are some more obvious than others but if suddenly you are desperate for that cuppa, a slice of cake or crisps, those food cravings might mean a lot more than you think – and it may point towards an actual deficiency in your body.

Food cravings are your body’s way of telling you it needs something and is a common thing. We’re not saying you should grab a bit of cake every time you get the urge because obviously your body needs some vitamin cake before you collapse but we’re going to talk about what may be behind your body’s cravings…

Chocolate

We thought this was the big one here at steam shower supply until we got further down the list, easily the most recognizable

We thought this was the big one here at steam shower supply until we got further down the list, easily the most recognizable sin of the bunch, and let’s face it, your day probably hadn’t been that bad, it was that time of the month last week, but yet you’ve got an absolutely overwhelming, all-consuming, zombie-like craving for chocolate.

Well, we’re happy to say it’s not all your fault, next time you’re caught with the stuff elegantly smeared around your face, you can simply answer, ”It’s my magnesium deficiency,” Chocolate is a high source in magnesium so if it not elsewhere in your diet that’s could be what your body craves.

Chocolate is also an antioxidant and your body could be crying out for these

Swap it for: Magnesium is essential for almost most things in your body including your nerves, bones, and immune system. A healthy option (if you must) would be something like nuts, seeds, pulses, a good old green leafy vegetable, or some colorful fruit.

Sweets

Another common feature on most work desks here at steam shower supply, for all you sweet tooth, sweetie sweet lovers, its sweets. Ah, Midget gems, Haribo, Refreshers, Jelly babies, and the sweet that divided that office here, the marmite of sweets Purple Violets. I know I tell my kids that ‘if you have any more sweets your teeth will drop out’ then run off to work with a super saver sized share bag of treats that ain’t getting shared. But if you more than just like the odd sweet here and there and suffer from intense cravings it could be that your blood sugar levels aren’t balanced due to a lack of chromium. Chromium helps balance your levels so if it’s not quite up to speed in your system, this could be where your craving comes from.

Swap it for: although chromium is present in broccoli and chicken it only in small amounts and not an easy one to get enough into your diet, so steam showers suggests looking for a supplement like Holland & Barrett’s Chromium Picolinate on sale for £5.89 in their stores.

Coffee

When I wrote this headline and inserted the picture, I must admit I went to make one, crumbled to the power of suggestion! Bad I know, but coffee does serve as a little pick me up to most people and in moderation can do little harm, especially if like me (looking over my shoulder) had a little indulgence last night and is now feeling the pace at work. Anyway enough about me, if you do find you have heavy cravings for a coffee and are 7,8,910 cups a day person, then could you get me another when you go next I’m still struggling. If you are desperate for a quick fix of strong espresso, it could well be an iron deficiency. Around 40% of people aged between 19-34 won’t have sufficient iron in their daily diet. Iron helps transport oxygen around the body’s bloodstream, so without sufficient levels of it you end up feeling lethargic which is why caffeine is the quick pick me up it is. I’ll be back in 5

Swap it for: A quick coffee will give you that temporary lift, but also that sudden slump. Green leafy vegetables or Iron tablets will really sort you out in the main and have you feeling better for it

Cake

Surely this just starts at an early age? Now I’ve heard people say they don like chocolate, coffee and even people say that they don’t have a sweet tooth but cake, come on! Well, the experts say that if your love for a slice of victoria sponge or a vanilla slice is a bit out of control, it’s not just down to Greggs or the devil Mr. Kiplin it could be due to a lack of zinc. Zinc is one of the main nutrients that control your appetite. It contributes to the production of a hormone called leptin which tells your body when it had enough food, so if you are low in Zinc, it could explain why you’re craving cake.

Swap it for: 100g of most nuts specially bazil will give you almost half your RDA of Zinc. Most good multivitamins, A-Z vitamins

Chips

I’m really, really not doing well here. How can I advise you good people on healthier diet options when I fall victim to almost every one of these? The fact is we all like a little treat from time to time and if your diet is balanced and healthy enough on the whole, then there isn’t too much of a problem. The reason I fall short on this one is that there’s a Chinese chip shop right across the road from where I live, 6 o’clock when I get back home from steam shower towers, exhausted from a hard days work, I can smell the salt and pepper ribs, mixed starters and chips cooking off and I know if I open the living room window, the smell will come rushing in, and I’ll be over there before you can say salt and vinegar? So naturally, I open both windows. But a server craving can mean that you’re dehydrated, which is why chip sells so well hot weather.

Swap it for: Pick up a sports drink or some water and for goodness sake keep them living room windows shut!

Fizzy Drinks

We all like to indulge in something fizzy now and again? But if you find you just can’t get enough of the fizzy stuff, there could be a less obvious reason behind it all. Apparently one of the most common cravings points towards a lack of calcium. Pop and fizzy drinks actually leach calcium from off the body’s bones, so what’s going on in your body is absorbing the calcium it loves and you’re craving the drinks to give it more – but in completely the wrong way.

Swap it for Swop the pop drinks if not just to help your bones. replace with calcium-rich foods like dairy products, good old leafy green vegetables or simply replace the fizzy pop with a cold drink of milk

Burgers

Everybody’s favorite fast food, the humble burger. Well maybe not so humble, cheese on, bacon on, special sauce, hash brown or simple supersize. Empires have been built on it, the political deal seal on the strength of the companies that sell them, whether is a Big Mac, Whopper, or a KFC that temps you, sometimes a sudden longing for one can mean more than just a quick feed. A craving for red meat has a lot to do with a lack of protein and as one of the body’s fastest processed minerals, a simple whiff of a burger sends the senses wild. Best get the steam shower warmed up then!

Swap it for: Lean meat instead of the red stuff, tuna and chicken are two great ones, even turkey.

Crisps

Another common feature in the rubbish bins of steam shower supply towers is the crisp packet, an empty crisp packet of course. Cheese and onion is the personal favorite of mine and crisps again represent a quick snack fix for most people. But for some, if you love crisps, and I mean you can’t get enough of the wonderful things, it could mean that, and this is a first for any cravings on our list, you are living a far too stressful a lifestyle.

If nothing else will hit the spot apart from a packet of crisps, it’s time to take a look at your lifestyle. Stress eating isn’t just about the comfort factor – your adrenal glands are busy producing hormones including cortisol, and for that they need sodium. So if you’re desperate for something salty, it could be because your body’s supplies are running low.

Swap it for: a less stressful lifestyle would be a good start – exercise, a sauna session, or even deep breathing will help cut the levels of cortisol in your blood. But don’t head for supersalty snacks to solve your sodium shortage. Instead, try natural sources such as shellfish, beetroot, and artichoke.