If you've ever tried controlling the food you eat, you know that food cravings can easily be your worst enemy. But your body is sending you those signals for a reason! And if you have strong cravings for a certain junk food, that may be a sign that you're lacking in a certain vitamin or mineral. Discover how to control cravings for chocolate, candy, soft drinks, and much more with registered holistic nutritionist and BIE practitioner Evelina Hovich!

1. Your Weight Loss Plan: How To Control Cravings
Written by: Evelina Hovich on August 29th 2014
If you’re constantly craving certain foods, you’re probably deficient in nutrients! Discover more about how to control cravings from Toronto holistic nutritionist and BIE practitioner Evelina Hovich.
This is the second in a multi-part series on weight loss plans and strategies. Last time we talked about different natural, healthy ways to suppress your appetite. This time we’re focusing on vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and the cravings they cause.
We already established that when you have a craving for something, it’s not always the thing your body needs. In fact, sometimes when you’re feeling hungry, it’s actually water you need!
We also talked about how adding certain supplements to your diet can help you suppress your appetite. But you may have tried the tips in my previous article, and still feel hungry!
If you’re experiencing some enormous cravings for certain types of food, appetite suppression can only go so far.
But food cravings are often a sign of a deficiency in a certain nutrient. And one of the specialties of holistic nutritionists is in dealing with vitamin and nutrient deficiencies. So if you often experience one of the common food cravings listed below, there are supplements which can offset those cravings.

2. How To Control Cravings For Chocolate
Chocolate does have health benefits. It contains antioxidants, which are great for keeping the cells in your body healthy. Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals in your system which can end up breaking down your cells, which can cause all sorts of issues.
There is also evidence that it can help with chronic fatigue. A study by Dr. Steve Atkin, PhD, gave 1/5 ounces of 85% dark chocolate to a group of adults who suffered from chronic fatigue daily for eight weeks. At the end of the study, many of the participants reported feeling more energized after eating the chocolate, and didn’t experience any weight gain either.
If you’re wondering how to control cravings for chocolate, it likely has to do with a mineral you’re missing. Namely, magnesium.
Magnesium abounds in chocolate, but that doesn’t give you free reign to eat an entire tub of chocolate ice cream in one sitting! Most of the chocolate you find out there is full of refined sugars, milk fat, and other potentially harmful elements.
To get the magnesium in your diet, get your hands on some raw nuts. Almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts are a good place to start, though all nuts have a certain amount of magnesium in them. Raw seeds are also a good source. Chia, flax, pumpkin, and sesame seeds are all high in magnesium.
If you have a food allergy or sensitivity to nuts, you can try supplementing with magnesium as well.
And finally, raw cacao is full of magnesium as well. Raw cacao is made from cold-pressed cocoa beans, which not only removes the fat but keeps the other healthy bits inside.
Raw cacao is also rich in iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper, and manganese. So enjoy that chocolate taste guilt-free!
How To Control Cravings For Salt
For the longest time, sodium was seen as the enemy. Sodium was bad for you, sodium caused all sorts of problems. As a result, we saw low-sodium alternatives to all sorts of different foods which marketed themselves as healthier alternatives.
Now here’s the thing. Refined table salt IS bad stuff. It’s had all the beneficial minerals removed through the refinement process. These minerals help balance the negative effects of salt, and it’s why salty foods have been associated with high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health issues.

3. But natural salts like sea salt, Himalayan salt, and Celtic salt, are important in moderate amounts.
So the next time you’re feeling a craving for a salty snack like potato chips, try sprinkling some healthy natural salt on a healthier food. Cucumber and celery slices, or raw nuts, are great options.
How To Control Cravings For Sugar
Sugary foods are some of the worst dietary inventions human beings have ever created. Things like fill your diet with empty calories, reduce your brain functions, and have absolutely zero nutritional benefits.
In case you can’t tell, I’m not a fan.
In the previous examples, cravings pointed to a nutritional deficiency. But with sugar, there are no nutritional benefits. Nevertheless, your sugar craving is as real as anything else. And it’s still the sign of nutritional deficiency.
In this case, it’s chromium, carbon, sulfur, and tryptophan.
To get more chromium in your diet, eat some brewer’s yeast. That’s the primary source of dietary chromium. If you’re having trouble getting your hands on it, you can always supplement.
For carbon, eat some apples and bananas. Their sweetness will help you get your sugar fix while avoiding the processed refined sugars which are so harmful.
To get the sulfur you need, clear your calendar for the day and then eat some garlic and onions. Sulfur is partially what gives them such a pungent aroma, but it’s also what makes them so healthy for you.
Finally, tryptophan. You may not have heard of this stuff, but it’s important nonetheless. It’s one of the essential amino acids, and is in fact essential for life! Without tryptophan, your body has trouble creating serotonin, melatonin, and several other important chemicals in your body. You can get tryptophan from sweet potatoes and spinach, as well as through supplementing.
How To Control Cravings For Red Meat
Like anything, red meat is okay in moderation. But if you’re craving red meat, there’s a good reason for it.
You’re probably low in iron. It’s a common problem for many people, especially vegetarians and vegans. But while red meat is the most readily available source of iron, there are ways around it.

4. One is by eating spinach. Spinach has more iron in it than any other vegetable, making it an important part of any vegetarian or vegan’s diet.
You can also supplement with iron, but be wary of doing this. The process by which iron is absorbed in the body can end up blocking the absorption of other minerals. As a result, if you’re going to supplement with iron, it’s important to take it at a different time than the rest of your supplements.
On top of this, too much iron can cause health issues as well. Iron is a tricky element requiring a careful balance.
How To Control Cravings For Fatty Foods
French fries and pizza are quick, easy, and delicious. But they’re also full of empty calories, processed food, gluten, and other nasty stuff.
If you’re craving these foods, you may be deficient in calcium. Chow down on some broccoli, mustard, turnip greens, legumes, or take some calcium supplements.
Coincidentally, if you’re craving carbonated soft drinks you may be lacking in calcium as well. The same solution applies.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
Feeding cravings can lead to a nasty cycle. When you feed your cravings, it will offset the craving for a while, but it will soon be back with a vengeance! But following these steps can help you break the cycle of cravings and fill your diet with healthy nutritious food as part of healthy weight loss programs.
Believe it or not, the foods you’re craving may also be those to which you have a food allergy or sensitivity. Our bodies have a funny way of working sometimes! If this is the case, you may benefit from a treatment called bioenergetic intolerance elimination, or BIE. Speak to a qualified BIE practitioner to discover whether this treatment is right for you.
Thanks for reading! Yours in holistic health and wellness, this is Toronto nutritionist Evelina Hovich.
Evelina Hovich is a certified holistic nutritionist and BIE practitioner in Toronto, Canada. She has helped her clients optimize their health, and manage a variety of health issues including digestive problems, weight loss, food and environmental allergies, and more. To discover more about Evelina's services, read more of her articles, and find out how she can help you, visit her online: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google Plus