As a certified health coach , I work with clients on feeling in tune with their bodies and needs, as well as having the right attitude when it comes to cravings and pleasure. When you deprive yourself, it can lead to some nasty cravings, as it's your body's way to telling you that it's lacking in particular areas, such as nutrition or taste.
If you notice you're drooling upon a glance at a medium-rare steak and fries, you might want to pull up a chair, order one for yourself, and enjoy every bite. Here are seven signs that your body is craving meat and could use a dose of solid, animal protein every now and then.
Whether it's red meat, chicken, or turkey, all offer incredible health benefits in moderation, so eating them regularly could be a great way to keep the body satisfied and nourished. If you're low in energy, you might also be low in iron, which is a key nutrient found in meat products, explains Elizabeth Shaw , M.
Focus on eating chicken, fish or beef if you're a meat eater, or pairing high iron plant based foods, like spinach and dark leafy greens, with a Vitamin C-containing food to increase your dietary iron sources," says Shaw. When you're deficient in Vitamin B12 , which is only found naturally in animal protein vegans and vegetarians might want to supplement with B12, as plant-based diets can't satisfy this need , your hands might tingle due to weird nerve sensations.
Some people think that craving protein or other specific foods means that you're deficient in certain nutrients or that you have an underlying condition, like iron deficiency, but that's not necessarily true.
If you crave protein all the time, it's usually because that's what you're used to eating or it's what you like to eat. Research also shows that men tend to crave protein more than women, who usually have cravings for things that are richer in carbohydrates, like cookies or chocolate.
Cravings for protein don't necessarily indicate that you have an underlying condition, disease or nutrient deficiency. Usually, protein cravings develop if you're used to eating a lot of high-protein foods and you restrict them. Men are also more prone to protein cravings than women, who tend to crave carbohydrates more often.
Before jumping into the reasons why you may be craving meat or protein, it's helpful to understand the difference between a craving and true, physiological hunger. A food craving is defined as an intense desire to eat a specific food, usually something that you define as a "comfort food. Hunger may be accompanied by a growling stomach, feelings of fatigue or lightheadedness due to low blood sugar.
It also comes on because you haven't eaten food in a while and your stomach is actually empty. True hunger doesn't come and go like food cravings, but usually persists until you eat something.
Unlike food cravings, true hunger can also be satisfied even with a healthy meal or snack, rather than just the specific food that you're craving.
According to a report that was published in Appetite in June , the types of foods that you crave are often a result of individual differences. In other words, there's really no reason why you may be craving steak while your partner is craving a chocolate chip cookie. Another report from a June issue of Obesity looked at different theories about food cravings. Researchers speculated that sometimes certain cravings are the result of conditioning or what type of diet you're on.
If you're on a high-carbohydrate diet and trying to restrict protein-rich foods, you may start craving chicken, whereas if you're on a high-protein diet and limiting carbohydrates, you're more likely to start craving pasta or dessert foods, instead. Cravings for certain foods also come from different internal cues and emotions. For example, when you're angry you might start craving protein, but when you're sad, you may reach for chocolate. External cues can also trigger certain types of cravings.
While nutrient deficiencies may be the cause of certain cravings, this is only true in the minority of cases. Generally speaking, cravings are more likely caused by various external factors that have nothing to do with your body calling for specific nutrients. Although food cravings are common, they can lead to overeating and negative health consequences.
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In some cases, cravings may reflect an insufficient intake of certain nutrients. Pica One particular example is pica, a condition in which a person craves non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt, soil, laundry or cornstarch, among others. In fact, individuals deficient in sodium often report strong cravings for salty foods. Summary: Cravings for salty foods and non-nutritive substances like ice and clay may be caused by nutrient deficiencies.
Cravings have been anecdotally linked to nutrient deficiencies for quite some time. However, there is evidence that this is not always the case. Specific and Nutrient-Poor Food Cravings Cravings are generally very specific and often not satisfied by eating anything other than the craved food. Summary: The arguments above provide science-based evidence that nutrient deficiencies are often not the main cause of cravings.
Other Likely Causes for Your Cravings. Cravings are likely caused by factors other than nutrient deficiencies. Context associations: In some cases, the brain associates eating a food with a certain context, such as eating popcorn during a movie.
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