Introduction: "Taste" is like a personal business card for everyone. Some people love the sweetness of cakes and candies, while others prefer the spiciness of Sichuan hot pot... But in reality, taste is not just a preference for a certain flavor; it may also hide the "code" for nutritional imbalances. Recently, the U.S. "Food Information Network" pointed out in an article that taste is closely related to physical condition. Craving sweets indicates a lack of energy in the body; loving meat might mean an iron deficiency; eating too salty is a sign of over-fatigue. As an old Chinese saying goes, "What you crave is what you lack." Now, numerous nutritional studies have confirmed that this saying has some truth to it.
3 Truths About "Cravings"
Dr. Harvey Winkler of the University of Calgary in Canada has conducted extensive research on people's food cravings. He found that 96% of women and 68% of men have experienced "cravings." In general, we listen to our inner voice and satisfy our appetites. "Actually, 'cravings' are significantly different from episodic hunger. When you are hungry, you want to eat anything; but when you crave something, you particularly want to eat a specific food."
The strongest cravings are between 3-6 p.m. Dr. Marcia Levin Pelchat of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in the U.S. found that sudden, intense cravings for a specific food most often occur between 3-6 p.m. This is because our blood sugar is dropping at this time, and we start to feel sluggish. To regain energy, eating becomes a choice for many. Additionally, research has found that pleasant memories of food and a sudden drop in temperature or dim lighting can also trigger a feeling of "must eat."
Stress and the pre-menstrual period make cravings most likely. Multiple studies have shown that when stressed, people's resistance to food decreases, and they tend to overeat. Sweets, in particular, can stimulate the brain to secrete more serotonin, alleviating our anxiety. The increased appetite before a woman's period is also related to this. Women eat to relieve the bad mood or depression caused by premenstrual syndrome.
Five foods are the most alluring. "I often hear people complain that they eat too many high-sugar foods. The most frequent ones are chocolate, cookies, ice cream, chips, and cheese," wrote Dr. Elaine Magee on the U.S. "WebMD." Although these all seem like sweets, they actually indicate a strong craving for fat.
Taste Means Nutritional Deficiency
Chinese people often say, "A child's palate is set by the age of three." In fact, besides conventional reasons like geographical environment, dietary habits formed from childhood, and genetic factors, a preference for a certain flavor can also be a signal of nutritional imbalance or health problems.
Constantly craving chocolate. This may mean a deficiency in B vitamins, especially B6 and B12. B vitamins help the body's metabolism; once deficient, people are prone to fatigue and low mood. Chocolate can release serotonin to make people feel happy.
Solution: Eat more foods rich in B vitamins, such as fruits like tomatoes, oranges, grapes, and pears. Additionally, milk, beans, nuts, and spinach are rich in B12. B vitamins can enhance the taste of food; newly harvested corn and rice taste better because they are rich in B vitamins.
Loving sweets. Dr. Alan Hirsch, director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, U.S., states that a strong craving for sweets indicates a lack of energy in the body. Sweets mainly provide the body with sugar, which is one of the most direct ways to replenish energy. It should be noted that loving sweets can also be a sign of abnormal insulin metabolism.
Loving meat. This indicates a deficiency in amino acids or insufficient minerals like iron. Many people cannot resist the alluring aroma of meat and fats, leading to overeating and metabolic diseases.
Solution: You can use aromatic foods like mushrooms and sesame as substitutes. Shiitake mushrooms contain various vitamins, polysaccharides, and other phytochemicals that can prevent chronic diseases; sesame is also rich in various vitamins, protein, and antioxidants. In addition, peanuts and soybeans are also good choices.
Wanting salty food. It's not because they lack sodium, but because of too much stress. The more stressed and tired people are in life, the more they love salty food. And heavy flavors can dull the taste buds, leading to a vicious cycle of eating more and more salt. Some studies have also found that women who often eat low-calcium foods tend to prefer salt more than others. Experiments have shown that a lack of potassium, calcium, or iron can cause subjects to crave salt intake.
Solution: In fact, vegetables themselves contain a certain amount of sodium. Even if you don't add salt when cooking, you can still taste a bit of saltiness if you pay close attention.
In addition, the "Food Information Network" article also pointed out that cravings for fried foods and sesame might be due to a calcium deficiency; cravings for barbecue might be due to a lack of carbohydrates; cravings for nuts and beans might be due to a lack of sulfur-containing tryptophan; and cravings for carbonated drinks might be due to a calcium deficiency. "The biggest problem now is that people eat too casually, eating too much of what they like and not eating at all what they don't," said Professor Zhang Hude of the Health Preservation Room at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, feeling very helpless about the dietary preferences of his fellow countrymen. He said that traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the five flavors corresponding to the five organs. Regardless of the type of food, overindulging or avoiding it will cause a "chain reaction" in the internal organs, which is not good for health.
A Few Tips to Beat "Cravings"
Whether it's a regular meal or a sudden "craving," we must never forget health when satisfying our taste buds. In an era of nutritional surplus threatening global health, it is especially important to know how to "hit the brakes" in the face of cravings. Dr. Elaine Magee offers the following suggestions:
Eat at least 20 different foods a day. Picky eating leads to nutritional imbalance. Nutritionists recommend eating at least 20 different foods a day to ensure a balanced diet. Generally, carbohydrates are digested faster than protein and fat. It is recommended to eat more foods rich in dietary fiber, such as corn, celery, brown rice, soybeans, oats, buckwheat, bitter melon, fruits, etc., and reduce meat intake. A variety of foods will also help you concentrate.
Choose small-packaged foods. If you want to beat cravings, the best method given by Dr. Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, is to get tempting foods out of sight. If you really can't resist eating, you must control the amount. It is recommended to choose small or individually packaged foods, and opt for relatively healthy options like low-calorie and whole-wheat foods.
Bring fruits and vegetables to work. You can prepare a portion of fruits and vegetables the night before and bring them to the office the next day. When you want to eat something, use it to "save the day." This way, you can satisfy your food craving while also getting rich nutrition. For example, a tomato, an apple, or a plate of salad. It's also a good idea to go out and buy some fresh fruit during your lunch break.
Chat with colleagues for a while. When you're in a bad mood and a craving strikes, you can chat with colleagues, walk around for a bit, or ask a friend to give you a shoulder massage to distract yourself and relieve stress.