Okay - here's a question: when we crave something - REALLY crave it, not just 'Oooh, I'd LOVE some chocolate' - it's usually either savoury or sweet. WHY? I've heard it said that cravings are often an indicator of something missing in our diet... okay, so maybe someone is craving something salty for that reason.

So... WHY would we crave, say, peanut butter?

Theories welcomed, but any info gratefully received!!

i crave sweets....
michellenew

that what you crave is usually something missing from your diet. I have also read that when we crave certain foods like before we get our period it is certain minerals or chemicals that our body is lacking at that time. Chocolate has some natural serotonin in it which is a mood-elevator. One way that you can make food work for you to your advantage is to read some books on what foods affect what part of your body. That way you can actually eat according to both what you need physically which by the way does affect our emotions.

For example, if you are tired it is better to eat an apple than to have something with caffeine. As for peanut butter, if you eat it without sugar, then craving it isn't a big deal. You are getting healthy omega 3 fat and protein from the peanuts. It is one of the approved snack foods on South Beach Diet. Again, moderation is key.

If you work with your body then you will be able to feed it not only what it needs but also what it wants.

I crave peanut butter on days when I haven't eaten enough fat.

I crave pasta.... mmmm. I swear I could have it every day for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. BUT, as we all know, moderation is the key... so I only have it once a week (and the Whole Wheat version at that!). Maybe that means I'm not having enough carbs?

I just crave eating. Peanut butter is a big trigger, but I can abuse just about any food. OK, I've never really abused tuna For some of us, I really doubt cravings are about any particular deficiency but more about the act of "filling up" and feeling good momentarily. Especially if you crave sugary carbs which are known to hook on to dopamine receptors in the brains of some people, much like alcohol does. Comfort foods...they are called that for a reason

Mel

Sugary carbs here, preferably round with a hole in 'em. I'm pretty sure they're not a missing nutrient. I agree with Mel -- it's comfort food.

Something to think about is exactly WHAT are you craving.

I used to say I craved potato chips. Really what I was craving was salt and crunch. It didn't HAVE to be potato chips - I'd just trained myself to automatically eat potato chips when I had that craving, so they became mixed in my mind.

I know now that when I get that craving, a little air popped popcorn with some seasoned salt satifies the craving equally well. Or even some crunchy baked veggie chips. Or baked pita chips with hummus. All of those satisfy my crunchy-salt craving w/out being nearly as bad for me as chowing down on a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips.

So sometimes I think that what you're craving is not REALLY what you're craving. It's just what you've trained yourself to think of when the craving kicks in.

I used to crave salty foods really badly. And I mean SALTY. I'd buy a bag of McDonalds fries and dump half a shaker of salt on it. My doctor finally made the connection that my cravings coincided with my blood pressure. I always had low blood pressure (80/60 was normal, if not high for me!) and I would start craving salt when I was getting ready to bottom out. Since I gained weight, my blood pressure has risen to normal (110/70-80) but I still crave salt when I feel dizzy, weird, or generally like I did when I used to tank. Go figure.

When I have a real craving it's usually for something salty.

Recently I've seriously been craving cereal - specifically cheerios. I had a bowl of cheerios with a sliced banana in it for lunch this afternoon and it honestly tasted like one of the best meals I've had in months!

When I crave something it's either salty or sweet. I try to eat some crackers or fruit instead of chips and ice cream!! Occasionally I do have some baked chips or some WW ice cream!

I was just reading in a Glamour magazine at the gym (you know how people leave them behind?) that if you crave sweet things, you could be low on protein. They had reasons for other craving groups too, like salty and all, but I don't usually crave salty things so I didn't retain that info. I don't know if you can access the article on line...might have been an old issue if someone left it in the cardio room!

I also remember reading somewhere, years and years ago, that if you crave chocolate right before you get your period you could be deficient in magnesium, but I have no clue if that's accurate or even if I'm remembering it correctly. I also remember something about eating cashews if you were craving chocolate.

Kara