Triple chocolate cheesecake, banana cream pie, and creme brulee. Are you salivating yet? Most of us are well acquainted with food cravings, but what many don’t know is cravings are usually an indication of some nutrient deficiency in the body. So when you’re yearning for a sugary treat, what your body really needs may be a handful of broccoli. Cravings are usually psychological in nature, but numerous studies by naturopathic doctors and food scientists have revealed that there is also a physiological aspect.
When desiring sweets, the body actually requires a multitude of nutrients such as chromium, phosphorus, or tryptophan. Most sweets do not contain these nutrients. However, eating one of the large varieties of fruits, vegetables, cheese, and even meats would successfully satiate this need. If you desire oily or fatty foods, the body is likely in need of calcium which can be obtained from cheese, legumes, and sesame. When in the mood for alcohol or other recreational drugs, this could be a sign of low protein, avenin, or potassium, which can be found in nuts, granola or black olives, respectively.
The body is a complex system, in which appetite, hunger and food cravings are under the control of hormones. Studies conducted at the University of California by Mary Dallman and her lab suggest that people tend to crave comfort food in response to chronic stress. They found that adrenal hormones such as glucocorticoids were elevated in rats under stress, which led to “pleasure-seeking behaviors” such as eating foods high in fat and sugar. Abdominal obesity is often the result, and excess fat deposits act to inhibit the stress system. According to Norman Pecoraro, a post-doc in Dallman’s lab, “it could explain […] why solace is often sought in such foods by people with stress, anxiety or depression. It also could help to explain bulimic and night-binging eating disorders.”
Indulging in the occasional treat is no crime, but if you constantly crave food high in fat, sugar, or salt, this can result in severe health problems such as hypertension or cardiovascular heart disease. Pecoraro suggests, “In the short term, if you’re chronically stressed it might be worth eating and sleeping a little more to calm down, perhaps at the expense of gaining a few pounds. But seeking a long-term solution in comfort foods—rather than fixing the source of the stress or your relationship to the source of the stress—is going to be bad for you.” Get to the root of your food cravings by opting for the healthier alternative.
The full list on healthy food craving solutions can be found at http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php
