7 Food Cravings That Can Help You Find What Your Body Actually Needs
Expertise: Beauty, Health, & Wellness
Experience: 2 years
Indrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
Have you ever had a craving for something out of the blue? Well, while most of our cravings are uncalled for, some cravings may signify a lack of a particular nutrient or nutrients (1). Pregnant women are famous for having weird cravings, and because their body is sensitive to their nutritional needs, it keeps reminding them of the food they need to keep their baby full of health. It is not just about pregnant women; even we have cravings, we can’t really justify. We at Stylecraze made a list of common foods people crave and the reason behind them. We also have a bonus of why you have these cravings! Read on to know all about it!
1. Spicy Food
Women have a name for treasuring spicy food. The peppier, the better! While you might like it for the slight burning taste, spicy food contains capsaicin that can help you fight migraines (2). It also speeds up your metabolism and can relieve you of your joint and muscle pain (3). So the next time you crave something spicy, don’t hold back; you might need it to make your body feel better.
2. Dark Chocolate
Did you know that some dark chocolates contain more caffeine than a can of soft drinks (4)? Dark chocolate boosts your energy and stimulates your nervous system like no other. So if you ever crave dark chocolate, it’s probably because your body is too sleepy to produce energy on its own. Also, dark chocolate contains magnesium, and even though you could get it from other sources, this might indicate the need for this mineral in your body (4).
3. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a powerhouse of nutrition and contains a component that helps reduce cholesterol (5). It also contains calcium, magnesium, fat, protein, iron, and antioxidants. If you lack these, there is a good reason you could be craving a spoon of peanut butter.
4. Ice
If you ever have the urge to chew ice, it might signify iron deficiency (6). You may or may not be animatic, but the lack of iron in your diet may make you get a sudden craving to chew ice.
5. Pastries
Pastries are full of calories and are heaven for the sweet tooth. But if you are craving cakes and pastries, you might lack the calories you need to keep your diet well. Although you can gain your calories from healthy sources of food, we suggest you keep the slice of pastry really thin and concentrate on fruit instead.
6. Meat
If you suddenly crave a hamburger, it is likely the red meat you crave. Meat is a powerhouse of proteins, Vitamin B, zinc, and iron, and having your tummy full of nutrition-rich food will only keep you healthy and prevent you from snacking on processed carbs (7).
7. Dairy
Some people prefer carbonated drinks instead of plain water, but soda contains phosphoric acid that prevents the leaching of magnesium and calcium to your bones (8). So by drinking soda, you might have a craving for food like dairy products.
Now that you know what cravings stand for let us go through the physical and mental reasons people crave a particular food.
Lack Of Sleep
Poor quality of sleep or no sleep can disturb your hormones that regulate hunger and sleep cycle and possibly intensify your food cravings.
Pregnancy
Hormonal changes during pregnancy might influence your taste and smell receptors making you experience intense cravings (9).
Inadequate Nutrition
Nutrients like fiber and protein help you feel energetic and full all day. Any diet low in these nutrients will cause you to be hungry and experience cravings.
Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels may intensify your cravings for carb-rich foods (10).
Increase Of Physical Activity
By thrusting your physical exercise and pushing your limits for a workout, you will only work out your appetite and crave more food. Just make sure you fill up with organic and healthy food only.
Dehydration
Not drinking enough water can also be a root cause of feeling hungry and craving food (11).
Stress
Stress can push your cortisol levels high and affect your cravings, hunger, cravings, and binge-eating (12).
Imbalances Of Leptin And Ghrelin
An imbalance of the hunger hormones causes people to experience food cravings more than others.
Personality
Some evidence suggests that impulsive people have higher chances of raving for food than calm-minded people.
So, now that you know what causes cravings and why you should not hold them back, maintaining a healthy diet won’t be a concern anymore. Make sure you maintain a healthy diet and include all the vital vitamins and nutrients in it. You can also go for organic supplements if your diet lacks a particular element. So, what is the thing you crave the most? Let us know in the comments below!
