Craving Chocolate

Most everyone knows what it feels like to crave chocolate. Have you ever stopped to think of why you have cravings and why you crave what you crave? Your cravings are one way your body tells you that you are lacking an important nutrient, vitamin or mineral.

Since cravings are a result of a need that your body is trying to make you aware of, how do you interpret those cravings? It can be very difficult. Women generally have more cravings during pregnancy because their needs are greater for their rapidly growing baby.

If you experience chocolate cravings you may or may not have noticed that your cravings come in spurts. You crave chocolate for several days in a row. It may be just one day, but your cravings will show a pattern. Most people that are craving chocolate are low in Magnesium. Can you believe it?! Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Your brain may relate your need to chocolate because that is the food you are giving your body magnesium from most often, thus your brain relates that taste to a magnesium source.

When I say that most everyone knows what it feels like to crave chocolate, it is because, sad to say, the average American diet is greatly lacking in a balanced supply of magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral necessary for healthy body functions. It is needed for bone and muscle, cardiovascular and even blood sugar functions. It is difficult to determine your magnesium levels from a simple blood test, since 50% of your magnesium is found in bone. The rest is found in body tissues and only 1% in your blood.

Your first thought after realizing the cause of your cravings may be that chocolate is a much more appealing source of magnesium! Yes, you can get magnesium from chocolate, but don't be deceived!!!! God's creation is always the best choice!

There are many foods that are rich in magnesium. Knowing a few of your favorites would allow you to purposely incorporate more of the magnesium rich foods into your diet when you start craving chocolate. You can get magnesium in pill form. The absolute best source of magnesium is green leafy vegetables since they also contain large amounts of calcium and iron. Magnesium is needed in order for your body to properly use calcium.

A few excellent food sources of magnesium are fish, especially Halibut, blackstrap molasses, green leafy vegetables, such as beet greens, collard and turnip greens, brussels sprouts, spinach, romaine lettuce, kale, kelp, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, several kinds of beans and nuts, whole grains, dates, raisins, and peaches.

You can indeed get magnesium from chocolate but this is not a healthy way of getting your magnesium levels up. The saturated fat and caffeine in chocolate will work against you. The type of fat in chocolate, when consumed in too large of quantities causes your body to produce cholesterol. When the cholesterol levels are unbalanced, your body will form gallstones, or your blood pressure may rise. As many know from experience, too many gallstones lead to surgery.

The next time you crave chocolate, I hope you remember that your body is doing you a favor and telling you that you need more magnesium. It's not that difficult to get extra magnesium into your diet or take a tablet before bed. It just takes a little planning and soon you may notice that your cravings have disappeared!