What Your Food Cravings Say About You

They speak volumes, decode your cravings

Listen to your stomach... err.. or dont’!

What do you crave?

The saltiness of potato chips, the silkiness of chocolates, the richness of cakes, the cheesiness of pizzas or the coolness of ice creams?

There is no sure shot way of telling why exactly you crave a certain food but nutritionists believe that food cravings hint at deficiencies or other health issues.

So while cravings may not be the best diagnostic tools, but read this post to decode what your stomach is trying to tell you.

Chocolate

Never underestimate the power of chocolate! (Photo: iStock)

All I want is love, peace, understanding and a chocolate bar bigger than my head; reads a portrait in my bedroom.

Is that your emotion? Are you getting your period, pregnant or having a sucky day?

The fact that chocolates are loaded up with high sugars and fats, people tend to crave them when they think it is totally okay to eat it. Chocolates have mood enhancers and they can lift your spirits, calm the raging hormones when Aunt Flo comes knocking or just be an excuse to indulge.

Cheese or Pizza

Current mood: No better feeling than a warm box of pizza on your lap? (Photo: iStock)

So this one time, I actually told my husband, I love you more than pizza and Facebook! If I had you at pizza, you’ll know what it means.

But experts say cravings for cheese and pizzas indicates a fatty acid deficiency which is very common. A cheese craving too often might also mean you’re not getting enough vitamin D and you don’t eat enough fat. Cheese is a great source of fat, your brain knows that and it’s only natural to hanker for this gooey, delicious slice of heaven.

Ice Cream

Keep calm and dig into an ice cream (Photo: iStock)

Ice cream is the perfect comfort food - the creamy fat, the high dose of sugar, the numbing cold coated with nostalgia from the summers of your childhood. Ever noticed when licking this cold goodness you often time-travel to endless, carefree summer holidays and no days of no responsibilities and consequences? Maybe the office deadlines are playing more on your mind than you think?

Salty Foods like French Fries

Is french fries with ketchup your favourite downfall? (Photo: iStock)

Are your dehydrated? Thirst can often guise itself as hunger for salty food because salt helps retain water. So check if you’re drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water in a day.

Salt craving in chips, fries can also be due to stress. Studies show the crunch you get when you bite a pretzel or a chip, helps alleviate stress. And a research by the University of Utah showed that people who take a deep breath or meditate before reaching for salty foods can reduce their stress hormones by 30% and the bingeing in half.

Meats like Steaks and Burgers

I am often told being a vegetarian is a big missed steak! (Photo: iStock)

You’re probably not getting enough proteins, especially if you’re working out a lot. On days when you weight train in the gym, try and eat one gram of protein for every pound you weigh. But if you’re trying to lose weight, then one gram of protein for every pound of your goal weight.

These make me very very happy (Photo: iStock)

But this craving can also indicate lower levels of vitamin B or iron. Cook your meats and burgers at home in a healthy way so you don’t have to deprive yourself of some comfort food.

The Craving Cure

Not that difficult it is ladies: make a more sincere effort to eat a well-balanced diet. Why? Because skipping meals and being on fad diets will make your body low in nutrition and you’ll go into a craving overdrive.
The golden rule to curb cravings: drink a tall glass of water. 80% office going people are chronically dehydrated. So before you reach for food, quench the temptation with water. Then wait for half an hour. More often than not, they’ll be gone. .