Are cravings nutritional deficiencies?

cwolfman13

Not usually....pretty sure when someone is craving a cooky it's not because they're sugar deficient.

ruqayyahsmum

cwolfman13 wrote: »

Not usually....pretty sure when someone is craving a cooky it's not because they're sugar deficient.

so im not alcohol deficient? damn

lemurcat12

I also think that outside of rare circumstances a craving tends to be more psychological or habit driven. When I first started this I'd crave something (what it was would vary) in mid afternoon and sometimes in mid morning, since I'd been used to eating then. I either ignored it or forced myself to eat something else then, like carrots or a few nuts, and it quickly went away after a few days. Occasionally if I know something I like is coming for lunch at work or someone has brought a particularly tempting snack for the break room I'll crave that.

On the other hand, I'm on vacation in a hot climate right now (it's quite early in the morning) and I have found myself craving fruit (which I like at any time) much more than usual. Part of this is obviously that much better fruit than I have had access to in the winter in Chicago has been available, so it's just delicious and tempting, but I know I also crave fruit when I'm thirsty, as it's juicy. So not really a nutritional deficiency, but along the same lines.

I am skeptical of the nutritional deficiency thing, however, as I'm MUCH more likely to crave fruits and veggies when I'm in the habit of eating them than when I'm not (and in theory would be more likely to be deficient). Years ago before I had the habit of eating veggies I rarely craved them and now I often do.

Sabine_Stroehm

lemurcat12 wrote: »

I also think that outside of rare circumstances a craving tends to be more psychological or habit driven. When I first started this I'd crave something (what it was would vary) in mid afternoon and sometimes in mid morning, since I'd been used to eating then. I either ignored it or forced myself to eat something else then, like carrots or a few nuts, and it quickly went away after a few days. Occasionally if I know something I like is coming for lunch at work or someone has brought a particularly tempting snack for the break room I'll crave that.

On the other hand, I'm on vacation in a hot climate right now (it's quite early in the morning) and I have found myself craving fruit (which I like at any time) much more than usual. Part of this is obviously that much better fruit than I have had access to in the winter in Chicago has been available, so it's just delicious and tempting, but I know I also crave fruit when I'm thirsty, as it's juicy. So not really a nutritional deficiency, but along the same lines.

I am skeptical of the nutritional deficiency thing, however, as I'm MUCH more likely to crave fruits and veggies when I'm in the habit of eating them than when I'm not (and in theory would be more likely to be deficient). Years ago before I had the habit of eating veggies I rarely craved them and now I often do.

THIS ^^