What Do Your Cravings Mean?

A group of friends and I were discussing the other night what we crave. When I was younger it was sweets! CHOCOLATE in particular! But I've noticed in the past few years that has changed. I have a bag of Hershey's Assorted Favorites in my pantry that has been there for almost a month. And yet, I can't hardly keep it stocked with popcorn! So have my tastes changed? Or is it something else? The October 30, 2006 issue of First magazine had an article that answered my question! Here's what I found out. "Cravings are not a sign of weakness," asserts UCLA's David Heber, M.D., Ph.D., author of the L.A. Shape Diet. "The drive to eat a certain item is triggered by a physiological need, such as a nutrient deficiency or a neurochemical imbalance." The best news: Researchers have identified the cause of the most common female cravings. So what is YOUR body saying?

• If you crave CHOCOLATE you may have a Magnesium Deficiency. As many as 60 percent of women don't get the recommended 320 mg of magnesium daily. To correct a deficiency (and reduce the fatigue it triggers by a whopping 89 percent), sneak magnesium sources such as nuts, seeds, fish, shellfish, spinach and other leafy greens into your daily diet.
• If you crave COOKIES & CAKE you may have Low Glucose Levels. For many women, stores of this energy source are depleted by dieting or exercise. The result: a carb attack! That's because when glucose levels are low, the body turns to food to keep blood sugar steady. To prevent the urge to munch, consider taking garcinia cambogia, also called hydroxycitric acid, 30 to 60 minutes before meals. This fruit extract is so effective at optimizing glucose levels that taking a total of 1,000 mg daily cuts snacking by 41 percent, according to Dutch scientists.
• If you crave BURGERS & STEAKS you may have Low Iron Reserves. Even women who consume iron-rich meat, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruits and legumes are at risk because often the iron isn't adequately absorbed by the body. To double your iron absorption, experts at the University of Guelph in Canada recommend pairing acidic foods like citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes and cruciferous veggies with foods that are rich in iron.
• You crave CHEESY FOOD you may have A Fatty-Acid Shortage. To banish fat cravings, eat three servings of fish per week or take a supplement containing 2 or 3 grams of EFAs daily. Bonus: Keeping EFA levels up reduces the risk of anxiety and bouts of the blues by 24 percent, according to research at the National Institutes of Health.
• You crave POTATO CHIPS you may have Cortisol Surges. Three out of four women struggle daily with cravings brought on by tension-induced spikes in the stress hormone cortisol. Try taking a one-minute time-out to pray, meditate, or breathe deeply before reaching for those chips. Even a short break can reduce stress-hormone production by as much as 25 percent. And that my cut the risk of bingeing in half.
• Have the urge to eat PAINT CHIPS OR PAPER? You could be among 25 percent of women who've had pica. This condition is often triggered by a mineral shortage, says Ellen W. Cutler, D.C., coauthor of MicroMiracles. The fix: a mineral-rich multivitamin.