Yearning for chocolate, desperate for carbs?
16.10.2015 15:30
An insatiable urge for something sweet, a yearning for your favourite chocolate bar or a salty bag of crisps.
Sweet or savoury, it makes no odds, we have all been there - consumed by our cravings.
But rather than simply dash to the sweet draw, open up the fridge to indulge in your favourite chocolate treat, stop and take stock.
What is your craving trying to tell your body?
Experts say the powerful desire for a certain type of food is the body's way of sending the message that it is missing out on something.
By sending these messages, the body ensure it maintains the balance of minerals and vitamins, as well as energy levels.
To take a closer look at what your cravings really mean, a team of nutritionists reveal all...
Pining for a piece of cake, hankering after a bag of Haribo?
Whatever your vice, your urge for a sweet treat is triggered by your body's sugar levels peaking before crashing back down.
Dr Marilyn Glenville, a leading nutritionist, explained: 'As you eat, your blood sugar goes up and insulin is released.
'If you are eating refined sugar and carbs they will hit your bloodstream fast and cause an imbalance in blood sugar.
'Your body will release more insulin to deal with this rapid rise in blood sugar.
'Once dealt with, the blood sugar levels will drop, but because you’ve generated the release of so much insulin, the levels will drop too low and you will soon feel like snacking on a bar of chocolate.
'The more sweets you eat, the more you will crave them – it is a catch 22.’
To curb your sugar cravings, Dr Glenville, author of Fat Around The Middle, advises taking Chromium.
Chromium is a trace metal, found in the body in the form of trivalent chromium, which may play a role in normal insulin function.
A well-balanced diet rich in fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and grains should enable you to include sufficient levels of chromium in your daily diet.
Foods including broccoli, green beans and grape juice are rich in chromium.
Dr Glenville said: 'This mineral that helps balance insulin levels and keeps afternoon sugar pangs at bay.
‘Make sure you eat a healthy breakfast, which contains protein as well as carbohydrates (scrambled eggs with rye bread) and continue later during the day with vegetables; this helps to maintain a steady flow of blood sugar.
'This means, that by the time you get to 4pm, your blood sugar should not have dropped so much that you need that quick sweet fix.’
For those struggling to eat a balanced diet, nutritionist Sharon Morey, of Quest Vitamins advises taking a supplement that contains chromium and green coffee extract.
This is one we can all say, 'be there, craved that' - chocolate.
But while you may be lusting after a smooth Lindt ball, or three, a bar of Dairy Milk or a Reese's peanut butter cup, there is one thing your body really needs.
'Magnesium,' explained Shona Wilkinson, head nutritionist at www.nutricentre.com.
Experts have estimated around 80 per cent of the population is lacking magnesium in their daily diet.
Ms Wilkinson said: 'Magnesium not only can support the immune system by preventing inflammation but it also plays a crucial role in balancing the nervous system and easing anxiety.
'It is also important for good bone health.'
Foods rich in magnesium include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, wholegrains, avocado, yoghurt, bananas and dark chocolate.
So what should you do when your craving for chocolate takes hold?
Ms Wilkinson advises indulging your craving, but ensuring you opt for a dark chocolate treat.
Meanwhile, nutritionist Cassandra Burns added: 'If you feel like you are not eating enough fish, green leafy vegetables and nuts to keep your magnesium levels balanced, try to include a supplement.'
But if this sounds like you, and you're hankering after a packet of crisps - step away from the savoury snacks.
Ms Wilkinson said: 'If you crave salty food, it could mean that your sodium levels are too low, usually due to dehydration, after exercise, illness or drinking alcohol.'
Sodium is a vital mineral, which helps to maintain water balance in the body, which helps regulate blood pressure.
'You can quickly replenish your sodium levels by snacking on dried anchovies or salted popcorn, which are naturally high in the mineral.
'You can also find small amounts of sodium in celery and carrots, which should help curb your craving,' she added.
Carbs, glorious carbs - bread, rice and pasta.
At some point in our lives the inevitable happens and nothing else will do but a comfort meal, complete with a hefty portion of stodgy carbohydrates.
But when it hits, resist the temptation to gorge on refined, white varieties of your favourite carb.
Instead, the desire is your body telling you it is low in the amino acid, tryptophan.
The amino acid is an essential part of everyone's diet, and helps regulate the production of the horomone serotonin.
Dr Glenville told Daily Mail Online: 'Carb cravings are a sign of low levels of the amino acid - tryptophan, which is necessary for the serotonin production – a ‘happy’ brain chemical.
'It plays crucial role in sleep and wake cycles as well as digestion.
(dailymail.co.uk/)
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