Do cravings mean anything?

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crzyone
crzyone Posts: 872 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm wondering if anyone knows if craving ice cream means that the body needs some nutrient/vitamin/etc that it is low in....??

I've always heard that some cravings mean that the body is really saying it "needs" something. For example, some people who are anemic crave ice. I was that way, too, until I started on iron tablets.

So, I've done REALLY well eating healthy the past five months but in the past couple of weeks I am really craving ice cream. Now this is unusual because, although I like ice cream, it's something I rarely eat. I eat it maybe two or three times a year and usually at a birthday party for kids in the family. So, WHY, all of a sudden am I craving ice cream, AND giving in to that craving????? I can really think of a dozen other things I LOVE a whole lot more than ice cream and would rather have but those are not the things I'm craving.

So, as I was binging on ice cream tonight I was trying to figure out WHY and just had this thought that maybe it was a sign my body needs something its not getting.

Any thoughts?

And, NO, I'm not pregnant.

If I knew what i needed, then I could replace that nutrient in some way and help the craved.

Replies

  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    I don't think so, it's just in your mind.
  • cirellim
    cirellim Posts: 269
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    Try looking for arctic zero frozen dessert, at only 150 calorie PER PINT anyone can find room for that into their daily allowance of calories. Definitely worth taking a look at!
  • savannahgro
    savannahgro Posts: 113 Member
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    I feel like someone posted this here before but here is a link and hopefully it helps/narrows it down for you.
    I'm sure a google search could help as well =)

    http://www.naturopathyworks.com/pages/cravings.php

    edit: Try frozen yogurt or just don't keep any ice cream in the house!
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    Try looking for arctic zero frozen dessert, at only 150 calorie PER PINT anyone can find room for that into their daily allowance of calories. Definitely worth taking a look at!

    Must mention it is pricey and not as creamy, but doe the trick :]

    I make my own ice cream now, that way i know what is in it :D
  • wbgolden
    wbgolden Posts: 2,071 Member
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    And, NO, I'm not pregnant.
    My thunder was preemptively stolen, dangit.
  • jeninne
    jeninne Posts: 412 Member
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    Believe it or not, in my daughter's case, we found out she has "allergies" to dairy and casein...she usually ate dairy like crazy
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
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    its been proven that your body does not actually crave anything. just that you are obsessing about it. mainly it is the time of the month for me. usually if i dont let myself eat it it becomes an issue and then i overeat it at some point and feel worse. i get the little icecream cups that are hundred cal
  • AI1108
    AI1108 Posts: 488 Member
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    I use this list sometimes.. it helps!

    http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9WV687/www.2ndwindbodyscience.com/what%2520your%2520food.php

    I've seen it posted on a few boards around here. it's worth checking out :)
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
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    I use this list sometimes.. it helps!

    http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/9WV687/www.2ndwindbodyscience.com/what%2520your%2520food.php

    I've seen it posted on a few boards around here. it's worth checking out :)

    interesting! I saw one saying you should eat "organ meats" for TOM cravings. Ewwie! xD
  • WifeNMama
    WifeNMama Posts: 2,876 Member
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    And, NO, I'm not pregnant.
    My thunder was preemptively stolen, dangit.

    You had a supply of thunder and didn't tell me?!? Hoarder.

    Regarding the ice cream, maybe your body is just reacting to having calorie intake restricted, so you are craving a high calorie food to compensate.
    Here's a healthy alternative, and SO yummy!

    Slice 3 bananas (or more) and freeze the slices on a cookie sheet. When they are good and hard, throw them in a food processor. They'll turn into crumbs and after a couple of minutes more they turn into consistency of icecream. Add cocoa, peanut butter and a bit of honey if it isn't sweet enough, and process until combined. Enjoy your awesome wonderful healthy chocolate peanut butter banana icecream!
  • aiyana1228
    aiyana1228 Posts: 100 Member
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    Ice cream is one of my red light foods. Here are a few alternatives that help me. Frozen grapes and bananas are amazing. I have always frozen whole banans but a friend was telling my today that he and his wife slice them and then freeze them. Has the same consistency as icecream. I also love sugar free popcicles (kroger brand are better than the name brand). I also will buy Bryers carb master ice cream. (sugar free) I just have to be careful to measure a half cup and get away from the fridge.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I think the cravings do mean something but interperting them is the challenge. A craving for ice cream does mean you need a quart of Ben and Jerrys. But it might mean you need some calcium or protein. I suggest looking at what you have eaten and see if there is any deficiency.

    Of course sometimes you just want something becuase you like it. And thats Ok. Just plan for the claories and indulge!
  • cheesebox
    cheesebox Posts: 4 Member
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    Nice site, by the way, Savannahgro...I am saving it to Favorites.

    I've been studying holistics awhile, both in and out of the classroom. First, you have to really tune in to what you mean when you say "craving." If it's the acting-like-a-junkie-until-you-get-some-ice-cream type of feeling, like...you'd tear yourself out of a straightjacket to get to it, then there's probably something you need in it. If your mind is obsessing over the thought of the food, you are probably just "missing" it. Bear in mind, though, that once you start up that old Metabolic Syndrome demon by dumping high-calorie stuff in, your insulin response will kick in, dropping your blood sugar like a stone. Your brain alone uses about 15% of all the glucose and oxygen in your bloodstream (a very significant amount), and it gets desperate if your blood sugar drops rapidly, so it sends out a signal to your stomach--and probably since it was satisfied by ice cream before, it will be again. So, back you go for another bowl.

    So, you see, your body may have started out craving something (from the list at the URL for Naturopathy) like calcium, and you gave it ice cream (from the craving fatty foods section). So now, your body may be pleased with the calcium you provided, but is now starting to act like an addict due to the sugar that slipped in alongside the calcium...(sneaky, that ice cream!!! :) )

    Our bodies are magnificent, intelligent creations, down to the very last cell!...the key is to learn how to pay close attention to what it's telling us, and then adjust accordingly. For example, you may reach out in a blind frenzy to get the initial ice cream, but once you eat it and come to your senses, evaluate why it happened (because that one calcium "fix" may not have been enough, so that calcium craving is bound to happen again, probably soon), and then provide yourself with better foods that will fill the bill.

    In conclusion, I agree with all the posts; however, I believe that, like everything else in life, it's not all one way OR the other. Yes, your mind can be a little devil and tell you fun stuff you WANT to hear, and yes, your body can be a little genius and tell you stuff you NEED to hear. Just tune into both your mind and your body, and you'll quickly recognize the difference.
  • cheesebox
    cheesebox Posts: 4 Member
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    Yes, this is a nice list as well. Thanks.
  • jayliospecky
    jayliospecky Posts: 25,022 Member
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    I've heard that ice cream is one of the ultimate craving foods because of the combination of sugar and fat. It gives you a really good "high," in a sense. I think some cravings mean something...others are probably partly due to the change your body is experiencing through a restrictive diet. I suspect I have a tendency to eat too little fat...probably why I sometimes want to binge. Most likely if I upped my daily fat, I would have less desire to binge on it after awhile. Of course, I'm not an expert (I don't think too many of us on here are) and a lot of this comes from bits and pieces of things I've read or seen on tv.

    That said, I think ice cream is good in moderation. Measure it carefully or buy it in pre-portioned treats, as others have already mentioned. If you think you can avoid eating multiples, that is!
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
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    If you had said almost anything other than ice cream, I might have said ok, you might be deficient in some nutrient - you know, like those people who eat dirt because they need magnesium or something lol

    but ice cream? That's just us wanting creamy sugary goodness, and let's not pretend otherwise :)
  • calliope_music
    calliope_music Posts: 1,242 Member
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    i think for me, it's usually the weird things that i crave that tell me that my body needs something....like broccoli, beets, fried chicken (i'm a vegetarian!) and spinach. lately i've been craving salt...my husband joked that i needed a salt lick. i think it was because i was really sick all last week and needed to drink more water...once i loaded up on water, the salt craving went away.
  • ljbhill
    ljbhill Posts: 276 Member
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    The only thing I've ever craved is.... wine! Needless to sat... THAT doesn't need an explanation of why. Lol.
  • crzyone
    crzyone Posts: 872 Member
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    Okay, it was just a thought. I DO believe our body craves some things, like ice when iron deficient. If I really liked ice cream then I would more understan the craving, but, true, it may just be the fat and sugar. I was just wondering.....I crave cucumbers, too, but I don't worry about that one!!!!!
  • chandainwv
    chandainwv Posts: 4
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    Yes they really DO mean something.
    here is the short list.

    If you crave this… What you really need is… And here are healthy foods that have it:

    Chocolate

    Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

    Sweets

    Chromium Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
    Carbon Fresh fruits
    Phosphorus Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grains
    Sulfur Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage
    Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach

    Bread, toast

    Nitrogen High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans

    Oily snacks, fatty foods

    Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

    Coffee or tea

    Phosphorous Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
    Sulfur Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
    NaCl (salt) Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
    Iron Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

    Alcohol, recreational drugs

    Protein Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
    Avenin Granola, oatmeal
    Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
    Glutamine Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
    Potassium Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens

    Chewing ice

    Iron Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries

    Burned food

    Carbon Fresh fruits

    Soda and other carbonated drinks

    Calcium Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame

    Salty foods

    Chloride Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt

    Acid foods

    Magnesium Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits

    Preference for liquids rather than solids

    Water Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.

    Preference for solids rather than liquids

    Water You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.

    Cool drinks

    Manganese Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries

    Pre-menstrual cravings

    Zinc Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables

    General overeating

    Silicon Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
    Tryptophan Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
    Tyrosine Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables

    Lack of appetite

    Vitamin B1 Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
    Vitamin B3 Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
    Manganese Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
    Chloride Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt

    Tobacco

    Silicon Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
    Tyrosine Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables

    its not bunk and its not obsession, its science.

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