By Jenna Jackson

We all have cravings, there’s no doubt about that. Many think that cravings are a lack of willpower, derailing our new years resolutions or new lifestyle choices.  It is, in fact, our body’s way of telling us what we need more or less of in our diet. Take some time in the stillness of winter to connect with that innate intelligence of your body. There are many healthy options to relieve these cravings, it’s just a matter of decoding and listening to your body.

Salty:

Raw Pink Himalayan Salt

Craving the salty flavour is your body craving minerals. When we are on the go, our adrenal glands use up a lot of our body’s minerals. These minerals include sodium, magnesium, zinc and also some essential vitamins such as the B’s, vitamin C and vitamin D. So! Include more salt in your diet through GOOD forms of salt. Try incorporating, seaweeds, organic tamari, and miso paste. When salting your meals, reach for Himalayan pink salt, sea salt, and Celtic sea salt rather than iodized table salt. These natural salts have more than just sodium in them, but a plethora of trace minerals. The negatively charged ions in real salt play an important role in hormonal, chemical and electrical processes in the body, especially when combined with water. Not to mention, having trace minerals in your diet helps you hold onto water, eliminating frequent urination and aiding hydration. Furthermore keep a wide variety of coloured fruits and vegetables in your diets to maintain vitamin C levels. Also include nuts, seeds, whole grains and pasture raised meats to keep zinc levels up.

Chocolate: 

Who doesn’t crave chocolate? It makes complete sense that most of us do crave chocolate because this means we are deficient in magnesium. Magnesium is said to be the most common deficiency today. Although magnesium is in a lot of foods, most of us are so deficient we could benefit from supplementation. Magnesium bis-glycinate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium and helps with so many common symptoms: headaches, muscle cramping, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, dysmenorrhea (chronic premenstrual cramps), muscle soreness and poor recovery from activity. Some foods high in magnesium include; dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, whole grains, beans and legumes, fish, avocados, bananas and dark chocolate!

Ice cream, peanut butter and cheese:

Do not fear these cravings, it’s ok! Craving these things mean you aren’t getting enough fat in your diet. Fat is the only macronutrient that can signal to your brain that you are full. So, if we aren’t getting enough fats at each meal then we are reaching for the ice cream pail shortly after dinner! Good fats are found in good quality meats, grass fed butter, grass fed cheese, ghee, coconut oil, avocados, flax oil, olive oil, hemp hearts. If you are a vegan/ vegetarian you are slightly more at risk for not getting enough fat in. Don’t be afraid to add a scoop of coconut oil or extra hemp hearts to your smoothie or morning oatmeal, coat your steamed veggies in olive oil, or add a little extra flax oil to your salad dressing.

Sour:

The sour flavour stimulates appetite, digestion and digestive secretions. If you are craving sour foods or vinegar it could mean your stomach acid is low. It can also mean you have a possible iron deficiency. The sour flavour stimulates Hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach; HCl specifically helps us absorb iron and B12. Listen to this craving. Have a splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in your water before a meal, or include a healthy dose of these in your salad dressing. Increase blood building foods like beets, dark berries, dark vegetables, good quality meats and legumes high in iron; red meat, organ meats, lentils, and chickpeas.

Sweet:

It is so tough to not crave sweets. Our body is literally designed to crave the sweet taste. To our bodies, sweet means easy, direct energy. It is important we get the right amount of the sweet flavour, just a different kind than the one we are accustomed to. We want to include more of the full sweet flavour in our diet. Full sweet foods include carbohydrate rich foods in their whole form: grains, legumes, nuts/seeds and root vegetables. These naturally sweet foods have something else to offer us other than sugar: vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. According to Ayurveda, all food is considered sweet; our taste buds have just evolved over time but can be reset. Balance your blood sugar by adding in more fiber rich foods and more full sweet foods so your sugar cravings for empty sweets are curbed. Use whole, natural forms of sugar such as honey, maple syrup, molasses and see if you can adapt your taste buds into loving the full sweet taste.