How to Beat Cravings with Simple Minerals!

Beating cravings is one of the trickiest parts of staying healthy. Cravings for sugar, salt, bread, pasta, chocolate, wine…it’s not easy!

But there is a simple answer that can give you up to a 90% reduction in that craving – and that is listening to your body’s cry for minerals.

Is a Mineral Deficiency the REAL Craving?

Most of us can become deficient in minerals at some point (or all the time) depending on our diet.

A standard Western diet that is super high in carbs, sugar and processed foods is almost certainly deficient in a wide range of minerals including magnesium, sodium, iron, calcium, and more. And these deficiencies lead to cravings for many of the foods we’re trying to avoid!

Example – How to Beat Cravings for Carbs

You are out at a friend’s house and they have laid out all your favourite foods, freshly made pasta with cream sauce is on the table, warm bread rolls next to it.

It smells and tastes AMAZING! You reach for a roll but before you get there your stomach growls and you realize it’s not actually the bread roll that you want, it’s the cream sauce.

This is a classic example of your body craving what it needs to be satisfied – in this case magnesium and sodium (the two main ingredients of cream are and water). You’re probably deficient in both so your brain has decided to send you a strong craving for one of the foods that contains them. But it’s not just the bread roll that is your problem – if you ate lots of carbs and salt, or sugar would probably experience the same craving even if there wasn’t any cream sauce on offer!

What Can Be Done About Cravings?

Anything to stop the craving. And minerals can do that for you.

Sadly (or luckily!) most of us are deficient in many minerals so it’s hard to know which is causing your craving but by taking a simple multi-mineral tablet, your cravings will become much less frequent and then disappear completely as you start getting the right minerals into your body.

How Do I Choose Which Minerals To Focus On?

Taking a multi-mineral tablet is the best way to go because it covers all your bases. But if you are feeling very strong cravings then you would want to try the following minerals (in order of importance):

Magnesium:

This is like an anti-crash pill for your body and without enough, we crave carbs, sugar and salt.

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of chemical processes in the body, including energy production. It’s needed for proper organ function and muscle health. And it also helps with a variety of other functions such as sleep quality!

Magnesium deficiency is very common because Magnesium exits our bodies through urine (we can only store a limited amount), a highly acidic diet causes our body to pull magnesium (a highly alkaline mineral) to neutralize the excess acid, and it then leaves through the urine.

Foods that contain magnesium:

• Fruit: especially Avocados
• Nuts and Seeds: including Almonds, Cashews and Sesame Seeds
• Fish (Oily): Mackerel, Sardines, Herring, Halibut
• Soy Beans (particularly Tofu)
• Dark green vegetables: broccoli, spinach, kale, etc.

Potassium:

Potassium is important for both the nervous system and the heart.

Without enough potassium, it can lead to cravings for salt and high-carb foods and can cause muscle cramping. If you are experiencing heavy leg cramps at night then your potassium is low!

Foods that contain Potassium:

• Root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and beetroot (as well as some fruits)
• Leafy Green Vegetables (particularly dark green ones)
• Oily Fish: Tuna and salmon
• Beans (especially Navy Beans)
• Nuts: Almonds, pecans and cashews.

Calcium:

Cravings for both oily foods and soda can actually be a lack of calcium. Calcium is important in helping prevent insomnia, pain (especially headaches), anxiety and heavy leg cramps.

Calcium deficiency can also explain cravings for carbohydrates like breads or pasta as they are often eaten with butter which contains Vitamin D – a co-factor in the absorption of calcium.

Try to view calcium as an essential mineral rather than just a way of preventing osteoporosis. If you are deficient in calcium then you may experience cravings for cheap oily foods, soda or cheese/dairy (due to the vitamin D)

Foods that contain Calcium:

• Almonds
• Sesame Seeds
• Tahini
• Dark Leafy Greens: Kale, Spinach and Collard Greens.
• Broccoli
• Oily Fish: Tuna, Sardines and Mackerel.

Zinc:

Zinc can be associated with cravings for food such as sweets, sugar and cereal. If you crave sweets then increasing your zinc intake can help!

Zinc deficiencies (along with iron) can also lead to cravings for meat. This is because zinc and iron are two minerals that our bodies crave in times of deficiency.

Zinc is particularly important for proper wound healing as it’s involved in the production of collagen, which is what helps your body repair wounds such as cuts or burns.

Zinc is also absolutely essential for the immune system, and without enough, cravings may be experienced for sugar. This is because our bodies often crave sugary foods in times of stress (which consumes a lot of zinc) and also to fight off illnesses (sugar can fuel immune-boosting white blood cells).

With a zinc deficiency you can therefore also look for mood-enhancers such as chocolate and wine, so keep an eye on this!

Foods that contain Zinc:

• Beans: including Pinto, Navy and Lentils.
• Nuts: including Cashews and Hazelnuts
• Seeds: Pumpkin, Chia, Sunflower, Flax.
• Broccoli
• Oily Fish like Sardines and Mackerel.

Iron :

Iron is needed for the transport of oxygen around the body and is therefore very important for energy production. If you are lacking in iron then it can lead to depression, irritability, unhealthy skin or hair.

Iron deficiencies can also affect your immune system so look out for cravings for high-sugar foods (as a way to fuel white blood cells) and also meat. If you are craving red meats then it may be that you have an iron deficiency and are looking for a way to boost your immune system!

Foods that contain Iron:

• Seeds including Pumpkin, Sunflower and Sesame Seeds
• Hempseed ( in smoothies and cereals)
• Oily Fish: Anchovies, Sardines and Mackerel.
• Soybeans (and Tofu) have iron too!

Phosphorus:

Phosphorus is essential in how to beat cravings for sugar, especially in the form of sugary sodas. This is because phosphorus-rich foods get converted into glucose to fuel our cells and without enough phosphorus, we look for a quick solution!

Foods that contain Phosphorus:

• Tahini (ground sesame seeds)
• Beans – including Navy Beans, Adzuki and Lentils
• Leafy Greens – kale, spinach, collard greens, beet greens
• Oily Fish like Sardines, Salmon and Mackerel.

Boron:

This is another mineral that can help with cravings for sugar. It promotes the presence of a hormone called calcitonin which helps to balance calcium and magnesium levels!

Boron deficiency is associated with cravings for dairy products, salt and sweets! So if you are craving any of these foods then it could be that you are deficient in Boron!

Foods Containing Boron:

• Avocados
• Prunes
• Grapes
• Broccoli
• Salmon

How to Beat Cravings: Choosing Your Mineral

Here are the simple steps in how to beat cravings. If you’re having the craving, focus on the minerals you need to stop it in it’s tracks:

• Salty Food = Boron, Potassium, and Magnesium
• Sweet Foods = Magnesium and Zinc
• Soda = Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Zinc
• Cheese/Dairy = Calcium, Iron (particularly important for vegans!)
• Dark Chocolate = Magnesium.
• Sugar = Boron, Phosphorus or Zinc.
• Red Meat = Iron or Zinc (or Manganese if stressed).
• Fried Food = Magnesium, or Iron.
• Wheat/Cereal = Phosphorus and Iron (and Zinc) .
• Desserts = Potassium!

If you struggle to beat a craving then it’s important to take the time to think about what mineral you are lacking in. It’s often a protein-carbohydrate combination that causes cravings so by focusing on these foods along with minerals you should be able to get your cravings under control!

Living Alkaline = Plenty Enough Minerals!

Hopefully, this guide has shown you how important minerals can be for your body, and that with a little more thought you can beat your cravings!

Magnesium is key, so don’t forget to add in dark chocolate or brazil nuts into your diet too! Incorporating more nuts, in general, will also help to take care of many mineral deficiencies. Ultimately though, it’s about balance.

If you look at the foods you need to address these cravings:

• Dark leafy greens
• Broccoli
• Avocado
• Nuts and seeds
• Oily fish
• …and so on…

You can see that all of these foods are high-alkaline foods!

By living alkaline you get an ABUNDANCE of the minerals you need to thrive, and cravings will quickly become a thing of the past.  These foods are all also so anti-inflammatory that this will also help to beat the cravings too.

It’s not about eating less but rather thinking more about the foods you are putting into your body and understanding what they are doing for you. The alkaline diet is all about balance and keeping enough of the right minerals will mean that cravings don’t get a chance to develop!

You can do this!

Ross

References:

https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/calcium-iron-foods-digestion-2798.html

https://draxe.com/boron-benefits/#axzz3nupdIg2J

http://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition-articles/10-minerals-what-they-mean-to-you#section10

http://www.livestrong.com/article/434222-what-minerals-are-useful/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mineral-deficiencies#section3

https://draxe.com/phytate-health-benefits/#axzz3n6X1G8UO

http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/minerals/lithium-health-benefits.html