What Your Cravings Could Be Telling You About Your Body [List]

What if I told you that the things you crave the most may be a signal of something your body needs in order to function properly?

Our bodies are amazing machines, and all the pieces that “run the show” are out of sight - unlike a car whose dashboard lights signal when something isn’t functioning well, our bodies don’t have a dashboard of error codes blinking at us in the morning. Our bodies do have ways of communicating what it needs though, you' just have to learn how to interpret them - and it’s easier than you think!

Cravings are one of the ways the body communicates with us. And since the body is a lot like a car or computer in that when one organ or “system” isn’t working properly, it affects how the rest of the “machine” or body works. The key here is to interpret the craving from just being a random craving to hearing what your body is telling you.

Here are some examples of cravings, and what they often mean:

I was scrolling through TikTok and came across a woman who was talking about how she has always hated tomatoes but all of a sudden was eating them like a fiend. She created a series all about it and it started going viral. Read above to find out why she was craving them!

TOMATOES: Tomatoes are rich in many nutrients the body needs when it’s low iron/anemic.
Take this: Standard Process FerroFood, digestible food-based iron. It won’t constipate you like the Iron supplements you find in stores.

SUGAR: Craving sugary foods and sweet treats can be a sign of a fungal overgrowth in the large intestine, called Candidiasis. Re-balancing the gut is the best long-lasting solution. This should always be done alongside a professional, as the gut microbiome is delicate and if done incorrectly can cause more issues down the line.

Do this: Work with someone knowledgeable in gut health, a naturopath, or integrative medicine doctor to rebalance the gut flora. A Health Coach specializing in gut health (like me!) can help get you started!

SUNSHINE: Craving sunshine or always trying to find the sun in spots around the house or back yard could mean low Vitamin D. Craving sunshine and foods that help produce vitamin D in the body, could mean your immune system is fighting an underlying autoimmune condition, or that you’re living in a place with less sunshine and need to supplement in order to keep your body working optimally
Take this: Vitamin D + K2 (gotta have them both!).

CHOCOLATE: Very commonly in the US, craving chocolate means you’re lacking magnesium, which helps with stress (ever crave chocolate when you’re stressed? Now you know why), muscle relaxation, and better sleep.
Take This: Magnesium: There are different types, so make sure you’re taking the right kind!

COFFEE: Either because of a sulfur or iron deficiency or a dependence on artificial stimulants to compensate for the body not working properly.
Do this: Speak with a health coach about what areas of the body might be draining your natural energy. In its optimal state, the body won’t need caffeine to power through the day.

ICE/ CRUSHED ICE: Guy loves CRUSHED ICE and regularly chomps on it - low iron. On an emotional level, this could be repressed frustration or anger, as well
Do this: Have your doctor test your iron and ferritin levels, and/or examine areas of your life that may be causing underlying frustration or anger.

SALT/SALTY SNACKS: You’re probably just thirsty! That salty craving is often the body’s way of signaling that it needs hydration or electrolytes.
Try this: Have a glass of water, and add some unsweetened electrolytes to it to replenish!

RED MEAT: Iron. Adults need about 18mg of iron each day.
Do this: Eat legumes, meat, beans, and spinach. If you need to supplement, I usually recommend FerroFood because it’s all food-based iron which is easy to digest (and doesn’t cause constipation like the drug store/pharmacy Iron supplements!

NON FOOD ITEMS/PICA: While this isn’t completely understood by science, it’s often the body’s way of saying it needs fundamental nutrients/minerals you aren’t getting or need more of.
Do this: Talk to your doctor and have your mineral and vitamin levels checked, and tell them you’re craving otherwise inedible items.

FIZZY DRINKS: Could very well mean a calcium and/or magnesium deficiency. Fizzy sodas contain phosphorous in them, which actually leeches calcium from your body! 😬
Do this: Try a blended magnesium supplement (helps with anxiety, constipation, and muscle tension too!) and have your calcium levels tested!

WATER: If you’re craving an abnormal amount of water and peeing a lot, it could be a flag for diabetes or pre-diabetes, or that the water you’re drinking doesn’t have electrolytes and minerals in it (often the case with filtered water), so it’s not actually hydrating you properly and you’re therefore thirsty due to dehydration!
Do this: Add electrolytes to your water, and if it doesn’t solve the problem, talk to your doctor!

Do you have a craving not listed here? Leave it in the comments and I’m happy to give you my 2 cents on what your body could be telling you!

Be well,

Mia