Decoding Your Cravings: What Your Body is Really Trying to Tell You

Jul 10

Ever find yourself inexplicably drawn to a giant slice of chocolate cake or the salty crunch of potato chips? Our cravings can be intense and sometimes seemingly random, leaving us wondering what our bodies are really trying to say. In this blog post, we'll dive into the world of cravings, exploring their meanings and how to manage them healthily.

Cravings: Physical Needs or Emotional Desires?

Just like a hungry baby cries or a dog barks when they need to go outside, our bodies use cravings to communicate with us. These messages can be physical, like feeling tired all the time, or emotional, driven by stress or a desire for comfort. Here's a breakdown of some common culprits:

Physical Triggers

Nutrient Deficiencies: Your body might crave certain foods to compensate for missing nutrients. For example, a chocolate craving could indicate a magnesium deficiency and low fiber intake may cause increased hunger and carb cravings.15

Blood Sugar Imbalance: When your blood sugar dips, you might crave sugary or high-carb foods for a quick energy boost.7 This can happen if you skip meals or rely heavily on processed carbohydrates.
Dehydration: Sometimes, thirst can be misinterpreted as hunger, leading to cravings for seemingly unrelated foods like sweets or fruits.7 Dehydration can also affect your energy levels, further intensifying cravings for sugary or high-carb foods.
Hormonal Imbalances: Leptin (the “satiety hormone”) and ghrelin (the “hunger hormone”) imbalances can increase cravings and lead us to overeat.
Pregnancy and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS): Hormonal changes can intensify cravings, especially for sweets and carbs.
Lack of Sleep: Insufficient sleep can increase cravings for sweet and high-calorie foods as the body seeks alternative energy sources.
Physical Activity: Increased activity can reduce cravings, while inactivity may increase them.
Highly Processed Foods: These can cause addiction-like symptoms and cravings.
Eating Frequency: Eating craved foods less frequently can reduce cravings.11

Mental Triggers

Stress and Emotional Eating: Stress increases cortisol levels and can trigger cravings for comfort foods that provide a temporary mood boost.11 These foods often activate the reward system in the brain, leading to feelings of pleasure and momentarily reducing stress hormones.
Personality: Impulsivity and addictive personalities may experience more cravings.
External Cues and Social Environment: Associating certain foods with specific contexts (e.g., popcorn at the movies). Habits formed around specific activities, like eating ice cream while watching TV, can trigger cravings. Similarly, surroundings, such as workplace snack options or a partner's baking habits, influence frequent cravings.11
Internal Cues and Mood: Emotional states, such as sadness or anxiety, can lead to cravings and irregular eating behavior. For example, many people overeat carbs and processed comfort foods when they’re sad but don’t eat at all when they’re anxious, or vice versa. Both behaviors, bingeing and restricting, can dysregulate our hormones and cause cravings.

Craving Clues: What You're Reaching For

While cravings can be individual, some general patterns can help you decipher their meaning:

Salty Cravings: These could indicate a lack of electrolytes or dehydration.7 Electrolytes are minerals that help regulate fluids and nerve impulses in your body. Sweat loss during exercise or hot weather can deplete electrolytes, leading to salty cravings.

Sweet Cravings: A sign of low blood sugar or a desire for energy. When your blood sugar drops, your body craves readily available sources of energy, like the sugars found in processed foods and sweets.
Spicy Cravings: Spicy food can act as a natural mood elevator. Spicy peppers contain capsaicin, a compound that triggers the release of endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects.1
Fatty Cravings: Cravings for fatty foods can be a sign of a deficiency in healthy fats, like omega-3s. Healthy fats are essential for brain function, hormone regulation, and cell health.15
See the “Deep Dive” section below for an in-depth overview of specific cravings and their meanings.

Deep Dive: Common Cravings and What They Mean

1. Craving Sweets? 🍫

Physical Signs: You most likely need energy. Sugar cravings often hit when our energy levels are low. Instead of reaching for a sugary treat, try eating a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. These options can give you a natural energy boost without the sugar crash.

One exception to this would be if you frequently crave chocolate, which could mean you are low in magnesium, chromium, or B vitamins. Symptoms of these nutrient deficiencies include low mood, muscle fatigue, headaches, and difficulty sleeping. If you’re an honorary chocoholic, try dark chocolate (85% or higher) or cacao nibs for more minerals and less added sugar.6

Emotional Signs: Cravings like cake may indicate a need for comfort, a habit loop you’ve developed, or a dopamine deficiency (aka the “feel-good” hormone). Try fruit with protein, like Greek yogurt or cottage cheese with dark chocolate.2

2. Salty Snacks Calling Your Name? 🍟

Physical Signs: Cravings may indicate dehydration, low electrolytes, or adrenal weakness, often sought for stress relief and physical release. Listen to your body for signals of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances - common symptoms include frequent headaches, nausea, inability to concentrate, dizziness, fatigue, and the most obvious one, dark-colored urine. Make sure you're drinking enough water throughout the day - aim for AT LEAST half your weight in ounces of water daily and consider how much you are sweating or exerting yourself.
Emotional Signs: Stress can also trigger these cravings, so consider incorporating stress-relief practices into your routine, like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing techniques. Take regular breaks throughout your day to pause, close your eyes, and breathe. Set a reminder every couple of hours to take a minute and focus on your breath going in and out of your body. This will calm your nervous system and center you, even during hectic days.

3. Craving Dairy Products? 🧀

Craving dairy products like cheese and milk may indicate a need for certain nutrients or an imbalance in brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine.

Cheese Cravings

Physical Signs: You may be low on fats or other important nutrients, particularly calcium. Ensure you're hydrated and consuming essential omega-3 fatty acids from fish, eggs, avocados, and nuts (walnuts are highest in omega-3s). When in doubt, take a high-quality omega-3 fatty acid daily supplement to ensure you’re getting enough healthy fats every day, specifically from EPA and DHA.
Emotional Signs: Cheese is rich in tyramine, which helps produce dopamine and norepinephrine, affecting mood and motivation. Cravings may result from low levels of these neurotransmitters.13

Milk Cravings

Physical Signs: Cravings might signal thirst, hunger, or a need for vitamins like A, B-12, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
Emotional Signs: Milk contains L-tryptophan, which aids in serotonin production, promoting happiness and regulating sleep. Craving milk might indicate low serotonin levels or poor sleep hygiene. Get L-tryptophan from animal proteins (chicken, turkey) or plant-based foods (tofu, quinoa).3 Aim for at least 7 hours of sleep and establish a relaxing bedtime ritual.

4. Can’t Stop Thinking About All The Carbs? 🍞

Physical Signs: You could be having blood sugar fluctuations and/or be low on energy. Opt for whole grains and fiber-rich foods for sustained energy. Root vegetables, like potatoes, and cruciferous veggies, like broccoli, are also great sources of fiber, healthy carbs, and a bunch of other beneficial nutrients that will help regulate your hormones and kick those pesky cravings to the curb.
Emotional Signs: Carb cravings can be a sign of needing comfort or a serotonin boost.

5. Dreaming of a Juicy Steak? 🥩

Physical Signs: You may be low on iron or protein. Incorporate nutrient-rich foods like lean meats, fish, beans, or leafy greens. Cravings for meat may also indicate deficiencies in B12, zinc, or iron, particularly common in individuals with certain blood types that affect meat digestion.6 Symptoms include brittle hair or nails, loss of muscle mass, and fatigue.
Emotional Signs: Protein and essential nutrients in red meat are needed for synthesizing mood-regulating neurotransmitters So while you’re craving a big juicy sirloin, your brain may actually be craving feelings of comfort, happiness, and peace. Alternatively, if you are getting adequate protein and nutrient-dense foods in your diet but still find yourself yearning for steak, the sight or smell of meat, or even memories of eating meat, can trigger cravings.6
Tips: Although red meat has been given a bad rap for its high saturated fat content, it’s nourishing to have a steak occasionally, especially if you’re deficient in iron, zinc, or vitamin B12. Limit your intake to one to two times per week, and fill in your protein gaps with lean meats, such as chicken or turkey, beans, legumes, eggs, Greek yogurt, etc. For vegans and vegetarians, satisfy meat cravings with protein-rich plant-based foods like lentils, beans, tofu, and nuts, and iron-rich foods like dark leafy greens and fortified cereals.10

6. Craving Citrus or Vinegar? 🍋

Physical Signs: Cravings for acidic foods may signal low stomach acid levels, affecting digestion and nutrient absorption, which, in turn, leads to nutrient deficiencies and other cravings.6 This creates a vicious cycle, a kind of chicken-or-egg situation where it's unclear which came first, but both elements reinforce each other, as you can see. Incorporate fermented foods and add lemon or lime to your water for digestive health and hydration.

7. Always Craving to Spice Things Up? 🌶️

Physical Signs: Ironically, overheating is the most common physical trigger for this craving. Craving spicy foods when hot may help cool your body due to capsaicin, a key component in chili peppers that triggers sweating, aiding in thermoregulation.1
Emotional Signs: When you're stressed or anxious, your body produces more cortisol (aka the “stress hormone”), which can trigger cravings for spicy foods. The physical sensation of eating spicy food can act as a psychological distraction and coping mechanism, releasing endorphins that can temporarily alleviate feelings of stress and anxiety.1 Cravings for spicy foods may also correlate with a desire for excitement or stimulation, possibly linked to feelings of dullness or boredom.6

8. Unusual Cravings (Ice, Clay, Chalk, Dirt)

Possible Signs: People who struggle with these cravings frequently have an eating disorder called pica where people crave and eat nonfood items like dirt, pebbles, clay, and more. This condition is more common in children, pregnant women, and individuals with developmental conditions or certain mental health issues. It might be tied to mineral deficiencies, particularly iron.14
Tips:

Load up on iron-rich foods! Eat dark leafy greens (e.g., spinach and kale), sweet potatoes, green veggies (e.g., broccoli and green beans), nuts, seeds, chicken, beef, tuna, shrimp, and other iron-rich sources.
Boost iron absorption by combining heme iron (meat) with non-heme iron (fruits and vegetables) and pairing iron-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods (citrus fruits, tomatoes, peppers). Foods like coffee, tea, and calcium-rich items can hinder absorption so it’s best to avoid these with iron-rich meals.5
If you’re pregnant, avoiding these cravings is especially important as they could result in serious health complications for both the mother and fetus. Check your iron levels and talk to your doctor about taking an iron supplement if necessary.

Tuning In and Taking Action

Understanding your cravings is the first step to managing them healthily. Here are some tips to help you tune into your body's signals, balance your hormones, and curb cravings:

1. Keep a Food and Mood Journal 📓

Track what you eat, your cravings, and how you feel before and after eating. This can help you identify patterns and underlying triggers. Journaling your eating and emotional patterns can provide insights into the relationship between your cravings and overall well-being. Review your journal regularly to identify triggers and adjust your diet and lifestyle accordingly.

Here’s a printable Hunger-Fullness Food Journal you can use: https://www.rocky-fitness-coaching.com/s/Hunger-Fullness-Food-Journal.pdf

2. Stay Hydrated 💧

Drink water regularly to prevent dehydration and reduce false hunger signals. Aim for at least eight glasses of water (~2L) per day, or more if you're exercising or in hot weather.

3. Eat Balanced Meals Throughout the Day 🍽️

The worst thing you can do if you experience frequent cravings is starve yourself or skip meals! Intense hunger pangs and deprivation will only make matters worse. Aim for three healthy meals and one or two snacks daily. Start with breakfast 60-90 minutes after waking and eat every 3-4 hours. Balance meals with whole-grain carbs, lean protein, healthy fats, and high-fiber foods.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these nutrient-dense alternatives: Oatmeal with toppings, whole-grain waffles, spinach salad, Greek yogurt with berries, and chocolate chip oat date cookies.
Indulge in these yummy savory meals to curb salt and other cravings: Whole-wheat tortilla with eggs, smoked salmon toast, baked potato with turkey and beans, air-popped popcorn, and homemade kale chips.

4. Manage Stress 🌿

Incorporate stress-reducing practices like meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises into your daily routine. These practices can help reduce cortisol levels and emotional eating. Consider setting aside time each day for self-care and stress management activities.

Don’t forget to take time to B R E A T H E.

5. Prioritize Sleep 💤

Ensure you get enough sleep to prevent hormonal imbalances and reduce cravings. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night, and establish a consistent sleep schedule to regulate your body's natural rhythms. Practice good sleep hygiene by creating a relaxing bedtime routine and avoiding stimulants like caffeine and electronics before bed.

6. Move Your Body 🏋️‍♀️

Engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly. Short bursts of intense exercise, such as HIIT and functional strength training, can help reduce appetite and cravings.9

Read more about the benefits of “exercise snacks,” or micro workouts in my latest blog post!

7. Listen to Your Body 🧘‍♀️

Pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues. Eat when you're hungry and stop when you're satisfied. Practice mindful eating by savoring each bite and eating slowly to allow your body time to signal when it's full.

Summary

Cravings are complex and multifaceted, often stemming from a combination of physical and emotional triggers. By understanding the underlying causes of your cravings and adopting healthy habits, you can better manage them and improve your overall well-being. Remember, it's okay to indulge occasionally, but focusing on a balanced diet and self-care practices will help you maintain a healthier relationship with food and your body.

Stay curious, stay hydrated, and listen to what your body is really telling you! If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out. We're here to support you on your journey to a healthier, more balanced life.

Ready to Decode Your Cravings and Transform Your Health?

At Rocky Fitness, we believe in a holistic approach to nutrition and wellness. Our personalized coaching services are designed to help you understand your body's signals, conquer cravings, and achieve your health goals.

Book your FREE discovery call today and let's start your journey to a healthier, more balanced life together. Don't wait – your best self is just a call away!

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References:

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[2] Avena, N. M., Rada, P., & Hoebel, B. G. (2008). Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects of intermittent, excessive sugar intake. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.04.019

[3] Begum, J. (2022, November 22). Top foods high in tryptophan. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/foods-high-in-tryptophan

[4] Begum, J. (2023, September 25). Slideshow: Which fruits have the most sugar? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-fruit-sugar

[5] Dunkin, M. A. (2010, January 27). Iron-Rich foods. WebMD; WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods

[6] Identify what your food cravings mean - East Valley Urology Center of Arizona. (2020, July 14). East Valley Urology Center. https://evucenter.com/identify-what-your-food-cravings-mean/

[7] Kaiser Permanente. (2023, April 22). Food cravings: What they mean and how to curb them | Kaiser Permanente. Healthy.kaiserpermanente.org. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/health-wellness/healtharticle.food-cravings

[8] Larrieu, T., & Layé, S. (2018). Food for Mood: Relevance of Nutritional Omega-3 Fatty Acids for

Depression and Anxiety. Frontiers in Physiology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01047

[9] Levy, J. (2023, June 12). Ghrelin: How to control this hunger hormone to lose fat. Dr. Axe. https://draxe.com/health/ghrelin/

[10] Munuhe, N. (2021, June 15). Craving meat: 8 reasons for this intense urge and what you can do about it (K. Fleming, Ed.). BetterMe Blog. https://betterme.world/articles/craving-meat/

[11] Petre, A. (2020, September 30). What do food cravings mean? Facts and myths, explained. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/craving-meanings

[12] Torres, S. J., & Nowson, C. A. (2007). Relationship between stress, eating behavior, and obesity. Nutrition, 23(11-12), 887-894.

[13] TYRAMINE: Overview, uses, side effects, precautions, interactions, dosing and reviews. (n.d.). Www.webmd.com. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1589/tyramine

[14] Villines, Z. (2019, October 23). Pica: Definition, causes, treatment, and pregnancy. Www.medicalnewstoday.com. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326751

[15] What do your cravings mean? (2016, October 7). Holland & Barrett. https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/the-health-hub/food-drink/nutrition/what-do-your-cravings-mean/

Raquel Santos