We all crave stuff! Some of us are really fortunate because they crave for the things that are actually healthy. But let’s be honest here for a bit, shall we? Actually how many of those do we actually know? In my case, none.
Speaking for myself, and almost all the people that I know of, we tend to jump towards the unhealthiest kind of food when we have cravings. Chips, fastfood, chocolates, candies, pizza, you name it and we’ve probably have it somewhere in our craving list.
Being honest sisters, life is already too hard on us. We go through a lot of troubles, and worrying about how eating bad will affect us in so many ways is something we do, without a doubt have at the top of the list. I think it about time that we stop doing so an give our lives a healthy kickstart.
Let’s face it, we can not control what we crave for, but we do have control over what we eat! So thankfully to science, we now know that it’s not actually the food that the body craves, but it’s the certain elements inside it. This means if we get the said element in something that’s a little bit healthier than the food we are craving, we can tackle the craving without having to eat anything that is not good for our body.
So here are some healthier alternatives to some of the most common food cravings! Dive in and enjoy
CHOCOLATES!
This is perhaps the one thing that all of us have craved for several times in our lives. There’s no denying in the fact that chocolate does make everything better. But eating excessive amounts of chocolate can be a major factor that contributes to our weight gain.
What scientists have to say, regarding chocolate cravings is that it actually symbolises the body’s need for the element Magnesium. So healthy alternatives that can suppress chocolate cravings are nuts, fruits and veggies and raw cocoa. Eating any of these would satisfy the craving without having to suffer the guilt.
OILY FOODS!
As messy and oily as they may seem to us, oily foods are undeniably one of the most tempting things that a person eats. Be it a huge bucket of deep fried chicken or a dish full of french fries, it vanishes in minutes as it is too good to stay on the plate. Well this craving is nothing but just another trick our mind plays when the body is in need for Calcium. Now all of us know what are the most abundant sources of calcium but for your ease I’ll list a few down, organic milk, cheese and green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of calcium.
SALTY FOOD!
While it is not a very common, a craving for salty foods is very dangerous for health. Consuming large amounts of salt to suppress the craving may lead to elevated levels of sodium in the body, which in turn leads to high blood pressure. This craving symbolises the body’s need for two components. First is the Chloride ion and second is the Silicon. Both of these are trace elements but are very essential for the body. So to satisfy the need for Chloride, you can eat fatty fish or goat milk. However the need for Silicon is fulfilled by eating either cashew nuts or seeds.
CARBS!
Breads, pizzas, pasta are some of the most common cravings. Not just women, but also men fall prey to the craving for carbs. It would not be wrong to state that carbs have made their way out of the “cravings” list straight to the “everyday meals” list. Be it a game day. a slumber party, a party in general or just a guys night in, it is considered incomplete if the pizza is not on the menu! We crave carbs when our body lacks Nitrogen. Nitrogen deficiency is really easy to overcome. It is present in anything that is a good source of proteins. Meat and fatty fish contain Nitrogen in a hearty amount. So it is very easy to find it on hand whenever you are craving carbs. Some other good sources of nitrogen are beans, chia seeds and and nuts.
SUGARY FOODS!
Most of us have a sweet tooth. We wake up in the middle of the nights and make a trip to the kitchen just to find a piece of candy, a leftover donut or a can of soda. I’m one of those people who keep a Candy Survival Kit on their nightstand, just so I don’t have to rush to the kitchen or the pantry in the middle of the night. This is one of the most common yet the trickiest form of craving as it could be the sign for the necessity of many different elements. To name a few, Carbon, Chromium, Phosphorus, Sulphur, and Tryptophan. So you might have to test and try many alternatives to suppress it, but you don’t need to worry because all the alternatives are healthy!
Let’s reflect on these elements individually and talk about all the thing you can eat to suppress the craving in the healthiest way possible.
CARBON:
This is perhaps the easiest to tackle. All you need is to eat a piece of fresh fruit and you are good to go. Now we all have some kind of fruit on hand every time, so whenever we have a craving for sugary foods, we should try to eat any fruit we have at home.
CHROMIUM:
Chromium is abundantly present in broccoli, grapes, chicken and cheese. Eating any of these may help satisfy the craving without having to worry about the harsh effects on health and body.
PHOSPHORUS:
Mostly found in high protein foods, phosphorus is another trace element essential for a healthy body. Most common sources include, Beef, chicken and fatty fish. It is also found in eggs, cheese, nuts, vegetables and grains.
SULPHUR:
Another element that triggers the craving for sugary foods when it is not available in the desired amount in body. Foods that can be ingested to stop this craving are horseradish, cabbage, cauliflower and cranberries.
TRYPTOPHAN:
Tryptophan is another essential element that the body needs, but it can not create tryptophan itself, hence triggering the mind to elicit a reaction where the person have to provide the body with tryptophan. Now this is another reaction which triggers the sugary cravings, so what a person can eat instead to stop the cravings are cheese, raisins, sweet potatoes and spinach.
So next time you crave something just taly it from our list of healthy alternatives and eat what’s best for your body.
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