By Alex Sherman of The SNSPost & The Green Life Pages

I began the pescetarian diet (fish and veggies) about six months ago, but lately I have decided that consuming only vegetables and fish isn’t that important to me. I have been talking about taking a new approach to my eating habits and that basically includes eating more raw vegetables, some fish, some white meat, and less carbs. Oh, I also plan on snacking A LOT, the traditional three meal schedule isn’t going to apply anymore.

Carbs are the real problem, they are the light at the end of the tunnel for me and millions of others. My relationship with carbs is cruel, my body doesn’t like them afterward but while eating them I am on cloud 9. I am breaking away, but not completely. My partner has a simple rule in life: “everything is good in moderation” and I intend on applying that to my diet.

My main problem is the random cravings that will hit at any given time, and they are never good. Sometimes I want a hunk of chocolate, some pizza, or perhaps even some ice cream. I am not sure why I don’t crave celery or carrots, but I’m sure I am not alone with this.

So here is a list of common cravings that our body’s have, turns out they can be transformed into something good. So get your head out of that gallon of ice cream and take some notes!

Chocolate

What you need- Magnesium

Healthy alternatives- Raw nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruit

Tobacco

What you need- Silicon, tyrosine

Healthy alternatives- Vitamin C supplements, orange, lemon, lime, green or red fruits and/or vegetables. Nuts, seeds, and avoiding refined starches is also beneficial with these cravings

Lack of Appetite (while not a craving it isn’t a good thing)

What you need- Vitamin B1, B3, manganese, chloride

Healthy alternatives- Seeds, beans, tuna, halibut, chicken, walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries, goat milk, unrefined sea salt, and legumes

Overeating 

What you need- Silicon, tryptophan, tyrosine

Healthy alternatives- cheese, liver, nuts, seeds, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach, citrus, vitamin C supplements, and avoid refined starches

Pre-menstrual Cravings

What you need- zinc

Healthy alternatives- Red meats, supplements, seafood, leafy vegetables (spinach), root vegetables

What you need- Chromium, carbon, phosphorus, sulfur, and tryptophan

Healthy alternatives- broccoli, grapes, dried beans, cheese, chicken, fresh fruit, eggs, fish, nuts, legumes, grains, cranberries, horseradish, kale, cabbage, raisins, sweet potato, and spinach

Bread or Carbs

What you needs- Nitrogen

Healthy alternatives- High protein foods like fish, meat, nuts, or beans

Cravings for solid food instead of liquids

What you need- Water

Explained- Your body has been dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. I recommend drinking water with a fresh squeezed lemon or lime. The live enzymes in the FRESH SQUEEZED citrus fruits only remain active for ten minutes so drink up. This will help replenish lost minerals and vitamins and restore your body. Also, room temperature water absorbs at a better rate than cold water.

Acidic Foods

What you need- Magnesium

Healthy alternatives- Raw nuts, seeds, fruits, or legumes

Salty Foods (Mmmm!)

What you need- Chloride

Healthy alternatives- Unrefined sea salt, raw goat milk, or fish

Coffee/Tea

What you need- Phosphorus, sulfur, sodium (NaCl), or iron

Healthy alternatives- Chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes, nuts, red peppers, garlic, onion, sea salt, apple cider vinegar (good on a salad), seaweed, green leafy vegetables, and black cherries

Carbonated Drinks

What you need- Calcium

Healthy alternatives- Mustard or turnip greens, broccoli, cheese, sesame, and legumes

Burned Foods (Interesting…)

What you need- Carbon

Healthy alternatives- Fresh fruits

Chewing Ice

What you need- Iron

Healthy alternatives- Fish, poultry, seaweed, black cherries, or green leafy vegetables

Oily Snacks or Fatty Foods

What you need- Calcium

Healthy alternatives- Sesame, legumes, cheese, kale, broccoli, mustard or turnip greens

Alcohol or Recreational Drugs

What you need- Protein, sulfur, sodium (NaCl), or iron

Healthy alternatives- Poultry, seafood, dair, nuts, oatmeal, granola, mustard or turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes cheese, sesame, raw cabbage juice, potato peel broth, or seaweed

Cravings can be controlled and new habits can be formed. They say a new habit can be formed if the action is repeated over a five day period. Your health is your ultimate wealth, work hard on maintaining and improving it. Never succumb to despair or failure because tomorrow is another chance at succeeding!

Alex Sherman is a young entrepreneur with a passion for the environment and blogging. He spent his youth in the North Georgia mountains exploring the woods and learning about the wilderness. This passion and respect for our environment motivated him to join local environmental organizations, such as S.E.A.T. He used the tools and experience motivated him to create the Green Life Pages. He’s a very strong believer in the power of networking and education, through both he believes we can achieve a greener, healthier, and more informed planet.

Related articles

• If You Crave This………. (getfitanna.wordpress.com)
• Food is information and NOT just for pleasure! (drlisroy.com)
• Calcium :The Best Foods For Bones: Fruits and Vegetables (blissreturned.wordpress.com)