Knife

Regaining health and fitness is an important goal for myself. I've had sporadic times in my life where I've been super healthy, but in this business, consistency is key. I've struggled with it. I've avoided it. I've made excuses why it doesn't happen in my life.
I have a list a mile long why I can't seem to lose weight and keep it off. It's everything from I really like food to I'm an emotional eater to I don't really know why I eat. One theory is all the stuff I crave is a sign of a vitamin deficiency. I didn't put much into this at first until I did more research into it and I think there might be some underlying truth.
Megan's Mind, a really great blog featuring alternative health, has a nifty chart about it here (http://megansmind-holisticwellness.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-do-your-food-cravings-mean.html?m=1)
Some examples include:
1. When people crave chocolate, they're deficient in copper and magnesium.
2. When people crave dairy products, they're deficient in calcium.
3. Nuts = essential fatty acids, proteins, OR organic sodium (NOT table salt);
4. When we have PMS and have those uncontrollable chocolate cravings, we are deficient in magnesium. During our periods, the amount of magnesium we need sky rockets (which explains those uncontrollable cravings). -- You can find magnesium in liquid or capsule form, or in any yellow vegetable, or in the carob chip (a substitute for chocolate).
5. Carbohydrates = Most people crave carbs when they get off work or after a long day at school, this is because your nerves are raw (from thinking and doing so much) and the first thing you will reach for are carbs! Take some liquid magnesium on your way home from work (they'll kick in by the time you get home so you won't eat those chips) and start taking a B vitamin complex. Carbs contain b-vitamins and in today's society they get stripped out throught he food process, so it's important to make sure you're getting enough.
6. Salty = TRUE sodium; (From NATURAL sea salt which contains iodine.); Your body gets absolutely NOTHING from table salt, that's why you want more chips when you find yourself at the bottom of the bag.
7. Sweet/Sour = Your liver is trying to rinse and clean;
8. Dill pickle juice = liver support; So eat DARK greens (kale, spinach, asparagus, etc.);

Note: when pregnant women get really hot, it means their thyroid thermostat is off and the liver is congested, so try eating sweet and sour foods.

9. Sweets = You are deficient in GOOD nutritional sugar. Try eating fruit instead of reaching for a piece of candy. Wait 15 minutes and see if you still crave it. Most likely, even if you do still want a piece, you won't eat the whole bag because of the nutritional sugar you got from the fruit.
10. DIRT = There are actually people out there that crave dirt! This means you're deficient in trace minerals. Get on a good multi-vitamin that contains trace minerals. I like naturessunshine.com or you can get one from a health food store. Otherwise, pull a carrot out of the soil, and eat it without rinsing it. But DON'T do this to the carrots that come pre-packaged from the store!
11. Fried Foods = Lacking GOOD oil;
12. Spicy Foods = Thyroid imbalance or lack of fire/sulfur in the body; Eat garlic, horseradish, etc.
13. Caffeine = Exhausted adrenals; Take licorice root and vitamin C.
14. Nicotine = Vitamin B deficiency and emotional issues;
15. Alcohol Cravings = (specifically alcoholism in the family line) = L Glutamine deficiency;
16. Meat = Amino Acid deficiency or phosphorus burn (i.e. what occurs when the light bulb goes off in your head; It's a result of thinking a lot); You crave protein to refuel.

I tend to crave chocolate, carbs and salty foods. I can't exist without caffeine. I smell fried food and I start drooling. I'm going to reframe cravings in terms of my body having a conversation with me. It's telling me that I need to add something to make it more efficient.

http://youtu.be/OJpC9JqSnJk