1. Salty Foods

If you’re constantly craving salty foods, like French fries and potato chips, your body may be trying to tell you it’s low on calcium… or perhaps a combination of potassium, calcium, and iron.

2. Chocolate

Chocolate is a natural anti-depressant… when you eat it, even a small amount, your brain releases serotonin, a «happy» chemical, into your bloodstream. If you’re feeling blue, you might crave chocolate. If you want to indulge, remember that a tiny amount will satisfy this food craving, and that dark chocolate is a healthier choice. The chocolate craving may also indicate a lack of magnesium, just so you know.

3. Spicy Foods

Spicy food junkies tend to also be adrenaline junkies, so if you’re craving Thai or Indian or Mexican food with a little kick, it could be more indicative of a personality trait rather than a vitamin or mineral deficiency. You might also crave spicy food if it’s hot out, because eating spicy food makes you perspire, thus cooling your body temp.

4. Sweets

If you simply crave sweets in general, then you might be looking for a quick energy boost, since sugar is an excellent source of immediate, intense energy. This is one food craving that can easily be cured, without wrecking your diet. Try a handful of sweet berries, dried fruit, or pomegranate arils to satisfy your sweet tooth.

5. Sweet and Salty Together

Just like when you have a sweet food craving, when you crave sweet and salty together, chances are, you’re simply tired, and need a boost.

6. Carbs

If you’re craving carbs, there may not be a specific reason, other than a simple evolutionary imperative: as humans developed, we craved carbs to keep going, stocking up when we could, since, as foragers, we could never be sure of our next meal. Nowadays, with a wide array of foods in easy reach, we need to evolve a little more before this carb craving goes away. Until then, resist over-indulging.

7. Feeling Snacky in General?

We have food cravings for a variety of reasons, as you can see, but the urge to eat, to graze, can indicate a lot more than a vitamin or mineral deficiency. It can indicate boredom, depression, or even thirst.

Now that you know what these different food cravings mean, do you feel like you’re better able to combat them? Which of these food cravings haunts you? How do you combat it? Or do you have another food craving you’d like to talk about?

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