Some of us crave sweet, some of us crave salty, and some of us (including myself) crave both at once. Did you know that those cravings have a much deeper meaning though? Paying attention to the cravings you have you can begin to understand where there may be some holes in your diet and where you may require more or less of a certain vitamin or mineral. Individuals who have specific diets often find themselves experiencing more, or frequent cravings because of the lack of balance in their diet. It’s important to eat a balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy so that you don’t have any nutritional deficiencies.
Sweets cravers!
People who don’t consume enough carbohydrates often find themselves with sweets cravings. Not skipping meals, and eating smaller portions of snacks throughout the day can help you curb this. You should also ensure that those snacks/meals contain complex carbs (whole grains), protein and healthy fats. Stress is also known to causes sugar cravings as high levels of stress stimulate the release of cortisol, which creates a craving for sugar/fat. Carbs create a boost of production of the brain chemicals that help you feel good. This explains why our emotions (sad, lonely or bored) cause sweet cravings.
Salt cravers!
Salt cravings more often than not stem from dehydration or when you loose extra sodium through heavy sweating, diarrhea or vomiting. It can also mean that your thyroid or adrenal glands are in the need of more sodium minerals to function properly. Adding a healthy dose of salt to your diet (and re hydrating when needed) can help curb these cravings. Of course most of us who crave salt crave not-so-healthy processed salty foods.
Check out this awesome infographic by Bookatable on what your actual cravings mean and alternatives to satisfy them in a healthy way.
