Are you the type of person who craves chocolate? Or do you have cravings for salty snacks? What are the food cravings meanings of different foods, anyway?
The truth is that different cravings mean different things. In this article, we’ll explore the meanings of different cravings. But first, let’s give a food craving definition (because Webster’s definition doesn’t quite “hit the spot”).
I define a craving as an almost uncontrollable compulsion to have a certain food. So it’s not just that you like a certain food. It’s that you absolutely have to have it. In other words, what would your reaction be if I told you that you couldn’t have a specific food ever again? What would happen if I told you that you couldn’t have chocolate ever again? If you’re willing to go to a battle to the death over that food, it’s a craving (by the way, I don’t recommend doing a battle to the death with me. I’d win 😉
So I guess a “crave” synonym would be a yearning.
Original source: here.
But if I told you that you couldn’t have a specific food ever again, and you’d be as nonchalant about it as if I told you could never eat radishes again, you’re fine.
Now that you know the definition of a craving, let’s explore what different cravings mean.
What is the Craving Meaning of Chocolate?
Let’s start with the most common one. Chocolate. Chocolate is one of the richest sources of magnesium, hands down (according to nutritiondata.self.com). You know the foods that nutritionists typically point to as being high in magnesium, like green leafy vegetables? Well, they are, but chocolate beats them all. In 100 grams of broccoli, there are about 21 mg of magnesium. In 100 grams of spinach, there are about 79 mg of magnesium. In 100 grams of lettuce, there are about 14 mg of magnesium.
And dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa): a whopping 230 mg. Even plain old milk chocolate has a respectable 63 mg per 100 grams. Even friggin’ chocolate spread (like Nutella) has 64 mg.
So if you want to stop eating vegetables, and replace them with chocolate, you have my permission to do so. After all, cocoa grows on a tree, so it’s practically a vegetable, right?
You wish.
But why do we crave magnesium? What does it do for us? Magnesium is a mineral that is required by the human body, and its overall effect is relaxation. It relaxes the nervous system, it relaxes the muscles and it relaxes the gastrointestinal system (you know what I’m saying?)
Ever notice how your cravings for chocolate intensify in times of stress? Ever think “I am craving for chocolate”? There’s that magnesium, helping you cope with stress and relax.
Why do women who experience cramping during their periods have a strong craving for chocolate? Because of magnesium. It helps relieve cramps by relaxing the muscles and the nervous system.
If you want to gain the relaxing benefits of chocolate without any of the drawbacks, why not just supplement with magnesium?
Yes, there’s way more to female physiology than a simple magnesium supplement, and I have written about it extensively in other articles, like my article on the PCOS weight loss diet, and exercise, Lyle McDonald’s book summary (The Women’s Book), and others.
Original source: here.
What is the Craving Meaning of Salty Snacks?
Some people have a craving for chips, salted nuts and pretzels over chocolate and candy and donuts. What do cravings for these things mean?
These foods are high in sodium. Is sodium that evil mineral that gives you high blood pressure? That’s how it’s portrayed in the media, and if you get too much, it can do that. But it also has many beneficial effects. For one thing, it helps you maintain proper hydration status. In other words, if you’re a person who feels chronically dehydrated, one possible explanation may be that you’re low in sodium, and actually need higher sodium in your diet to be able to retain enough water. That’s just one possible explanation. There are other explanations for constant dehydration.
Another thing that sodium helps you do is it helps the nerves talk to muscles, and it allows the muscles to contract.
So if you’re experience strong cravings for salty snacks, it means that you probably need help regulating your water balance, and there’s probably heavier demands on your muscles and/or nervous system (could be due to strength training, but could also be for other reasons).
What is the Craving Meaning of Fatty Foods?
If you’re a fan of cream, cheese, and other “rich” delights, it may be a craving for essential fatty acids.
Contrary to its name, fatty acids don’t make you fat (depending on quantity, of course), but you do need them for a number of functions, like:
- They make up the membranes of cells
- They coat the nerves. There’s a fatty coat around nerves called “myelin sheath.” It’s kind of like the rubber coating around electrical wires. Myelin sheath is made of fat
- A large part of the brain is made of fat (some sources say as much as 60%)
- Fatty acids are needed for hormone production
- Skin quality
So we need fat. But there are different kinds of fat, like monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, etc. And within each category, there are a bunch of subcategories of fat. But without getting too deep into nutritional biochemistry, just know that cravings for fatty foods are often a sign of essential fatty acid deficiency.
What can you do about it? With every meal, have some source of healthy fat. Some examples of healthy fats include:
- Nuts (cashews, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
- Fish
- Avocado
- Olive oil
- Grapeseed oil
…and others.
What is the Craving Meaning of Red Meat?
A craving for red meat is frequently a craving for iron. If you’re low in iron (either due to excessive losses, poor absorption, or low intake), you’ll start having cravings for red meat, which is very high in iron.
And the nice thing is that iron is very absorbable. Unlike the iron that comes from something like spinach, the iron in red meat has much better bioavailability.
What is the Craving Meaning of Alcohol?
A strong craving for alcohol means you’re an alcoholic. Just kidding.
I wonder how many people just hit that “unsubscribe” button.
Alcohol isn’t really rich in any nutrients, but it does have certain effects on different brain chemicals (called “neurotransmitters”):
- It increases the amount of GABA in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel relaxed. As the saying goes “studies show that having 2-3 glasses of wine drastically reduces your chances of giving a damn.”
- It decreases the amount of glutamate in the brain. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that amps you up. And there’s less of it as a result of alcohol.
What Causes Food Cravings?
Now you know the food cravings meanings of different foods, but what causes them in the first place? Is it simply nutrient deficiencies? That’s a big reason, bu there are other causes of food cravings as well, like:
- Texture: maybe you’re not craving a nutrient, but just a rich mouth feel, or a feeling for something crunchy
- Emotional experiences: perhaps one specific food has a strong connection to a person, place, or event. Something very positive happened whenever you ate that food in the past, so you’re trying to get that back. So sometimes when you’re wondering “what am I really craving?“, maybe it’s not a nutrient, but a person, and event, or an experience.
- If it’s a craving for food in general, maybe it’s just general hunger, and it’s time to eat.
Of course, there’s more to cravings than just figuring out the reason and plugging it. Some if it is just about building healthy habits.
