Our desires to eat certain foods are often like undercover agents. In reality, they are not at all what you thought they were. We have collected the five most powerful “food drugs” and learned what, under their guise, our body really requires.
Chocolate
Most of us associate craving for chocolate with a lack of endorphins – the “hormones of happiness.” In reality, everything is different. Chocolate is rich in magnesium, and the urge to eat a bar is often associated with a deficiency of this trace element in the body. The healthiest way to satisfy your chocolate cravings is to make a smoothie with organic cocoa powder or eat a couple of dark chocolate bars. However, this alone is not enough: to maintain the required amount of magnesium, the body needs nuts, seeds and grains, as well as fish and greens.
Salty food
A sudden urge to buy a packet of chips or a jar of pickles is a sure sign that it’s time to test your stress tolerance. Researchers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City have found a direct relationship between the stress hormone surges adrenaline and salt cravings. As soon as the highly agitated volunteers meditated or performed breathing exercises, their desire to eat something salty was reduced by half.
Red meat
When pictures of juicy steaks or burgers are literally maddening, our body signals a lack of iron. Add more legumes, figs, prunes, and rice bran to your diet. If you feel that you cannot do without meat, follow the golden rule – leave no more than 15% for it in the diet. And don’t forget about vitamin C: it is needed for better absorption of iron. Oranges, red peppers, tomatoes, or berries are the best companions for iron-rich foods.
Cheese
Nutritionists attribute the popularity of cheese and pizza to a lack of fatty acids. This problem is common to most of us. Eat more nuts and fish – an ideal source of essential Omega-3 acids. Another great source of fatty acids is flaxseed oil. Two or three meals a week of fish dishes, a daily handful of nuts, a teaspoon of flax seeds in a smoothie – and your passion for cheese will fizzle out.
Fatty food
If a sausage with fat or mayonnaise salad suddenly seems very attractive, then you should add calcium to the diet. Replace fatty foods with healthier foods: Broccoli, legumes, sesame seeds, dark leafy greens, and dairy are the most proven sources of calcium.
In general, do not forget about the universal advice of nutritionists – to understand if you really want a particular food, drink a glass of water. In 80% of cases, our gastronomic desires are explained by a simple lack of fluid in the body.
