Have you ever wanted dark chocolate so much that you didn’t catch a single word during that meeting just salivating over the thought of it?

Or a burger so desperately that you were willing to drive an hour just to make sure you got it?

Have you ever left everything you were doing, and at the most inconvenient time, and during the worst weather conditions, to get to a coffee shop no matter how far, just to get a cup of coffee?

If so, then you are probably familiar with food cravings.

Cravings are not quite the same as hunger…and in fact they couldn’t be more different. Hunger is controlled by the stomach, but cravings are controlled by the brain. Hunger is all about your survival mechanism, but cravings are all about your body communicating with you.

For example, the next time you have a craving – let’s say for something sweet – you can ask yourself: “Is it just sugar I am craving? Will l I be satisfied by sucking on a sugar cube? Or is it something more specific? Perhaps chocolate?”

If the answer is indeed chocolate, it is your body’s way of letting you know you may be deficient in magnesium (raw cacao is one of the highest natural sources of magnesium). If you know this, you can then find all the foods that have high content of magnesium and slowly add them to your diet, which then gets rid of your sweet food cravings.

Of course, the list goes far beyond sugar cravings, chocolate and magnesium. Below is a chart of all the common food cravings, flavor cravings and eating habits you may experience, the reason behind each craving and all the foods you can eat to fix the craving!

Craving this: Reason is: Restore with this:
COMMON FOOD
Cheese – Essential Fatty Acids deficiency Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)- Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts

Calcium deficiency – Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
Pasta, white bread, pastries Chromium deficiency Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato
Bread and toast Nitrogen deficiency – Foods containing proteins, i.e.. Green leafy veg, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains
Red meat Iron deficiency – Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Popcorn – Stress hormone fluctuations Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C
Crisps – Chloride deficiency Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt
Essential Fatty Acids deficiency – Omega 3′s (EPA and DHA)- Flax oil, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts

FLAVOR
Burned Food Carbon deficiency – Fresh fruits
Acid foods Magnesium deficiency – Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit
Salty Foods – Chloride deficiency Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan sea salt
Stress hormone fluctuations – Meditation, breathing exercises, exercise, leafy greens, vitamin B and C
SWEETS
Chocolate – Magnesium deficiency Raw cacao nibs/beans/powder, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, greens, fruit, magnesium
Soda, fizzy drinks – Calcium deficiency Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
General sweets – Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Fruit, high fibre foods (beans, legumes), complex carbs (grains), chromium (cinnamon)
Tryptophan deficiency – Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins
Chromium deficiency – Onion, romaine lettuce, tomato, cinnamon, grapes, apples, sweet potato
Sulphur deficiency – Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion
Phosphorus deficiency Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils

STIMULANTS

Coffee or black tea – Sulphur deficiency Cruciferous vege (kale, cabbage, etc), cranberries, horseradish, asparagus, carob powder, garlic, onion

Iron deficiency – Beans, legumes, unsulphured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
NaCl (salt) deficiency – Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt, Apple Cider vinegar, kombucha
Phosphorous deficiency – Whole grains, pinto beans, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, lentils
Alcohol, recreational drugs Calcium deficiency – Sesame seeds/ tahini, broccoli, kale, legumes, mustard and turnip greens
Glutamine deficiency – Cabbage, beetroot, beans, spinach, parsley, vegetable juice
Protein deficiency – Green leafy vegetable, nuts, seeds, legumes, grains, beans
Potassium deficiency – Citrus fruits, bitter green leafy veg, banana, tomato, pineapple, black olives, seaweeds

Avenin deficiency – Oatmeal, granola, cereals, whole grains
Tobacco – Silicon deficiency Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches
Tyrosine deficiency – Fruits (esp. avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, vegetables

EATING HABIT

Lack of appetite Chloride deficiency Celery, olives, tomato, kelp, Himalayan or Aztecan sea salt

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency – Whole grains, peanuts, seeds, beans, green and yellow vegetables
Niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency – Peanuts, sunflower seeds, wheat bran and wheat germ
Manganese deficiency – Walnuts, almonds, pecans, whole grains, green leafy veges, pineapple, blueberries
Often overeating Tryptophan deficiency – Spirulina, pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds, raw cacao, oatmeal, sweet potato, spinach, raisins
Tyrosine deficiency – Fruits (esp. Avocado and banana), whole grains, oats, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, Vitamin C, veges
Silicon deficiency – Horsetail herb, nuts, seeds, oats, millet, barley, onions, whole wheat, beetroot. Avoid refined starches
Often snacky No balanced diet, missing nutrients – Do a detox, substitute junk food for healthy meals
MORE BIZARRE
Crunching on ice Iron deficiency – Beans, legumes, uninsured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Laundry starch Iron deficiency – Beans, legumes, uninsured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption
Cigarette butts – Iron deficiency Beans, legumes, uninsured prunes, figs+ other dried fruit, seaweed, spinach, cherries, Vitamin C for iron absorption.