What your different food cravings mean

Some people are under the impression that different food cravings mean just plain old cravings. That if you crave a big juicy burger you’re just hankering for one.

But cravings are a way of your body telling you something is missing.

Here are 6 types of food cravings and what they actually mean.

Chocolate

Your body is low on magnesium.

This is a mineral needed for protein synthesis, blood glucose control and regulating blood pressure.

You can also eat nuts, fish and leafy green vegetables.

This could also be the case if you’re craving sour foods like raw mangoes.

Salty foods

If you’re craving salty foods like popcorn or crisps you could be having stress hormone fluctuations.

You should add leafy greens in your diet and try breathing exercises, meditation and even yoga.

Then reward yourself with a packet of crispy, fresh well salted chilli lemon crisps… Actually don’t. I made that bit up.

Cheese

This shows that you could be having a fatty acid deficiency.

Fatty acids manage inflammation in your body and help prevent it. They are also vital in process to break down sugars into usable energy.

Eat walnuts, fish and flax oil seeds.

Or a pizza, maybe? You’d have to consult that with your nutritionist.

Red meat

No, craving meat doesn’t mean your carnivorous instincts are growing.

It actually could mean that you have an iron deficiency.

Which when left unchecked could lead to anaemia. Iron is used to manufacture haemoglobin. The stuff that makes blood run red. And that is what helps transport oxygen all over your body.

You should eat spinach, fish, and liver.

Craving termite soil or rocks could also mean the same.

Soda or alcohol

These do NOT mean that you start pestering your going-out buddies.

Craving Coca Cola or Tusker could mean you have a calcium deficiency.

Calcium is that nutrient that keeps your bones and teeth strong.

Take milk, eat sesame seeds, legumes, Sukuma wiki.

Sweets

If you’re really desperate for some gum or a lollipop or whatever candy you prefer, you could be hypoglycaemic.

That means you have low blood sugar which could have very dangerous repercussions.

Eat fruits, complex carbohydrates and cinnamon.

But I am not sure if the nutrition site I got this information from meant licking cinnamon like glucose after a primary school cross country P.E. lesson; or whether it should be added to your tea or some of your meals.