When You Crave That, Eat This: What Your Food Cravings Really Mean

Cravings can be an important insight into your body's needs. In its most simplest form: I'm craving water therefore I'm thirsty. Cravings can also be devilish little tricks. When your body is saying it wants cupcakes it may actually need the mineral chromium and your cravings will dissipate if you munch on some grapes instead.

So to help you see through your cravings contrary ways, look for your craving on this list to find out what your body is really asking for.

Chocolate: If you're craving chocolate, your body is more than liking asking for magnesium. You can find magnesium in sources like raw nuts and seeds, legumes and fruit.

Sweets: Got a hankering for a cupcake? You may need chromium which you can get from broccoli, grapes, cheese or dried beans, carbon which you'll find in fresh fruit or phosphorus which you'll find in eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes and grains.

Bread: If you're always craving bread, you may need more nitrogen in your diet. Make sure you're eating enough high protein food like nuts, beans, tofu and eggs.

Coffee/tea: If you're craving coffee or tea, you may need to up the amount of phosphorous-containing foods you eat such as eggs, dairy, nuts and legumes or add a little more salt (apple cider vinegar on your salt will also work) or iron (seaweed, greens, black cherries).

Soda and other carbonated drinks: If you've got a fizzy drink addiction, you might solve it just by eating more calcium. Try increasing your intake of mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes and sesame.

Salty foods: A penchant for super salty foods (french fries are my weakness) could mean a lack of chloride which you can get from raw goat milk or, if you'd really rather not, unrefined sea salt.

Pre-menstrual cravings of any kind: If you suddenly get hit with cravings at a certain time of the month, your body is probably asking for zinc. Try eating more root vegetable and leafy vegetables and see if that makes a difference.