Many people assume that food craving is their body’s subconscious way of telling them a nutritional need. It is commonly believed that when our body lacks any specific nutrient, it naturally craves foods that are loaded with that nutrient.
Fulfilling those cravings is assumed to be helpful for the body as the body gets what it needs. But, the truth is that food cravings are commonly caused due to nutritional deficiencies. Read ahead and know the signs of deficiency of a certain nutrient and what to eat to fulfill those cravings in the right way!
Table of Contents
Calcium
Signs of Calcium Deficiency: A person with calcium deficiency often finds himself craving sodas, carbonated beverages, and even dairy products. Such a craving could be a sign that the person is calcium deficient.
What To Eat:
- Dark leafy greens
- Turnip greens
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Almonds
- Celery
- Pumpkin seeds
- Brazil nuts
- Asparagus
- Coconut meat
Magnesium
Signs of Magnesium Deficiency: A person with magnesium deficiency has intense cravings for sugar and feels sore, fatigue, muscle twitches, cramps, has a depressed mood, and anxiety.
What To Eat:
- Dark chocolate
- Raw Cacao
- Avocados
- Cashews
- Almonds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and broccoli.
Zinc
The signs of Zinc deficiency: A person with zinc deficiency generally suffers from Gastrointestinal distress, experiences low moods, mood swings and extreme PMS in women or high stress.
What To Eat:
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Oysters
- Shellfish
- Salmon
- Pasture-raised chicken
- Unsweetened dark chocolate
- Pumpkin seeds
- Omega-3
The signs of Omega-3 deficiency: A person with omega-3 deficiency has cravings for sweet, cheese, fatty foods and carbohydrates and may suffer from occasional episodes of poor mood and brain fog.
What To Eat:
- Tuna
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Walnuts
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Chia seeds
- Some algae like spirulina.
- Vitamin B12
Signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency: A person with vitamin B12 deficiency has signs such as anemia, low energy, craving for meat or often finds himself bruising easily.
What To Eat:
- Organic grass-fed meat
- Venison
- Veal
- Bison
- Pasture-raised chicken, turkey and eggs
- Folate
Signs of Folate deficiency: Folate is naturally found in various foods. Folic acid, the synthetic form of folate is often added to processed grains. Craving processed grains may be a symptom of folate deficiency. An individual with a history of cardiovascular diseases, miscarriage or one who experiences fatigue, loss of appetite, low energy, anemia and has frequent mood swings and irritability may also have similar signs as for folate deficiency.
What To Eat:
- Dark leafy greens such as spinach and arugula
- Beets
- Bell peppers
- Cauliflower
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Lentils
- Avocados
- Okra
- Brussels sprouts.
- Vitamin D
Signs of Vitamin D deficiency: If a person is getting sick very often, has a low mood, suffers from bone loss, back pain and feels tired and fatigued, he is likely to have low vitamin D levels.
What To Eat:
- Fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, and salmon,
- Beef liver
- Egg yolks
- Selenium
Signs of Selenium Deficiency: A person with Selenium deficiency observes a decline in cognitive health, immune health, thyroid functioning, heart disease and infertility. Selenium deficiency makes a person feel excessively tired and craves salty foods.
What To Eat:
- Brazil nuts
- Tuna
- Garlic
- Turkey
- Spinach
- Nori
- Seaweed
- Sunflower seeds
- Lentils
- Antioxidants
Signs of an antioxidant deficiency: A person with antioxidant deficiency has symptoms like fatigue, low energy levels, seems irritable and moody and low immune function. Individuals with low antioxidant levels in the body crave sweets.
What To Eat:
- Organic fruits and berries
- Vegetables rich in Chlorophyll
- Lemons and limes
- Grapefruits
- Tart cherries
- Vegetables like onions, garlic, broccoli, cauliflower, and broccoli sprouts.
Manage your Cravings
It may seem difficult to suppress your cravings when they are at their peak. But, instead of listening to the false alarm, eat the foods that are causing the deficiencies to satisfy the cravings. Eat a healthy, nutrition-rich diet to not only stop your cravings but is also helpful in giving the body the right nutritional needs.
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