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Do Our Cravings Highlight Our Nutrient Needs?
Many people believe that particular cravings may be a sign of a nutrient deficiency or needs in the body. For example, a craving for potato chips is indicative of the body needing salt, or a desire for a big juicy steak must mean there is a lack of iron in the body. This is totally fiction. Our cravings tend to have more to do with our emotional needs and desires and less to do with what our body actually requires. When you think about the common craving for sugary foods, this fact makes sense.
Our cravings are more likely evoked by the world around us. What we see, what we smell, where we are, what we are doing and how we are feeling can all determine what foods we reach for. Research has shown that men tend to crave hearty and warm foods such as pizza, pasta and baked goods, where as women tend to crave foods such as chocolate, ice cream, snack foods and lollies. Researchers hypothesise that the differences in men and women are instinctive. Men crave warm, filling foods as it is a reminder of the comfort and care they receive from mothers and wives. Women crave simple snack foods as they are viewed as hassle free and involve no preparation or clearing up.
It would also make sense that we crave the foods we don’t allow ourselves to eat. Putting a ban on certain foods, such as chocolate will only make the desire to eat them much greater. This then presents as a craving. Our body does not need chocolate to supply it with any particular nutrient, but our mind desires it because it is seen as ‘forbidden’.
There may be certain situations where cravings may highlight particular needs. If one is following a severely restricted diet, particularly one extremely low in carbohydrate, cravings can occur. Rather than a craving related to a particular nutrient, this is a craving driven by the body to encourage the individual to consume the much needed energy of a body in a starved state. Another example of a severe deficiency resulting in cravings is Pica, a disorder characterized by cravings to eat non food items such as chalk, clay, ice, paint, washing detergent and other items. It is said that in some cases of Pica, severe nutrient deficiencies of iron or zinc may be the cause. These however are extreme cases, and are not representative of the typical cravings we have on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, we can not blame our body’s needs for our particular cravings. It is certainly not your body telling you to eat chips and chocolate, it is your emotional self who is screaming ‘we need this!’ It can be hard to ignore such a strong feeling or desire, and it is okay to give in to cravings now and then. However, if your cravings are becoming a daily occurrence, perhaps it had become more a habit than a craving. Dietitians are the experts at helping individuals to balance their diets and help to curb or prevent cravings by ensuring both the body and the mind are satisfied with a varied healthy diet, including the occasional indulgent item.
Added to site on : Monday, 12 May 2014