Why You Need to Manage Stress Before You Change Your Diet (And Other Wellness Truths)

Whenever Keri Glassman, our founder and renowned dietitian and thought-leader in the nutrition space, has the opportunity to talk about the 8 pillars of a nutritious life and how they work together to create a healthy and balanced life, she’s all over it. So when she was asked to be a guest on the super-informative and mega-fun podcast, Quiet the Diet with Holistic Dietitian, Michelle Shapiro, it was a no-brainer. During Keri and Michelle’s episode, the two dove into juicy wellness topics like managing stress, embracing habit changes, and finding true food freedom. Keri mused about how much has changed in the nutrition space over 20 years, why it’s so important to take an open-minded approach to nutrition, and the things that could be standing in the way of our quest to live truly healthy lifestyles. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t lose weight no matter how strictly you stick to an eating plan, Keri will tell you exactly why. Tune into the podcast by clicking below and be sure to share it with a friend who needs to hear this info too.  (Featured Image: Unsplash)

What the Latest Science Tells Us About How Often You Should Eat Each Day for Your Best Nutritious Life

Diet trends come and go even quicker than fashion trends, it seems. But just like high-waisted jeans are back (hallelujah!), so too is the 1970s low-carb, high-fat eating plan. Instead of being called “Atkins,” this time, it’s “keto.” But regardless of the trends that go in and out of vogue, certain things will always remain true: Your health is about much more than calories alone The quality and quantity of your diet matters It’s not just about how much you eat, how often you should eat makes a big difference as well So today, we’re diving into the hot topic of how often to eat—either to lose weight or maintain it while maximizing your health. First, we’ll compare the trendy concept of intermittent fasting, which involves larger meals within a smaller time frame, to the mini-meal strategy that promotes spreading out your intake into several small nuggets from morning ‘til night. Then we’ll explain how to make any program you choose work for you. Because the one thing we don’t need a study to tell us? It’s essential to find a sustainable eating plan that you’re comfortable sticking with for a lifetime. (AKA not a diet. Sorry, Dr. Atkins.) RELATED: The Final Answer on How Much Fat to Eat Each Day Option A: More Frequent, Smaller Meals This strategy doesn’t mean you’re eating every hour on the hour. Instead, it’s the common lifestyle pattern of consuming three balanced meals (each around 600 calories or so), plus 1-3 snacks (of about 200 calories each). Nutrition pros who promote this lifestyle say that eating more frequently keeps your “gas tank” full enough for sustained, even energy all day. That way, you won’t end up starving by mid-afternoon after fasting all morning, and somehow find yourself at the vending machine at 2 p.m. looking for a quick candy fix. On the plus side, about 94% of Americans snack daily, according to survey data from Mintel, so this meal and snack strategy would feel natural for many. Plus, the between-meal snacks offer additional ways to sneak in extra nutrition, such as a serving of vegetables and a serving of protein (an apple with an ounce of cheese, for example). Snacks also often mean that you’re never too hungry come meal time, allowing you to take your time and select the quantity and items of food you’re really interested in—not that you feel like you need to fend off the hangries. When consuming calories across six occasions rather than three per day, blood sugar control may improve as well, according to a study published in Diabetes and Metabolism. Additionally, Research from the National Weight Control Registry also proves that eating breakfast is a common habit among those who lose weight and keep it off—something that might not be possible if you’re following a certain style of less-frequent meal eating (intermittent fasting, for instance). On the negative side, we’re surrounded by not-so-nutritious snack options everywhere—from supermarket checkout lanes, to gas stations, to office break rooms. And more frequent meals and snacks means more chances to overdo it on the calories. (If you’re a big snacker, just remember that snacks—just like the rest of your meals—should be real food.) RELATED: The Top 5 Snacks for Weight Loss, According to Science Option B: Larger, Fewer Meals This theory suggests that eating two or three larger meals, perhaps constrained to a particular window (if following some form of intermittent fasting) would lead to less mindless grazing and better weight control. First, the positives: Research in the journal Nutrients found that eating less often may reduce chronic inflammation, and as a result, chronic disease risk, while increasing the lifespan and improving circadian rhythms for better sleep. Eating two or three main meals within a 12-hour window—and sticking to that habit daily, if possible—appeared to be linked to lower risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease, per research in the Journal of Biological Rhythms. That said, there are some negatives here as well. Hunger is real, and feeling hungry often can trigger prolonged stress. That stress will counteract any anti-inflammatory benefits of this eating pattern. Additionally, setting strict “rules” that don’t fit your lifestyle, such as banning snacks if you’re used to having them, can lead to worsened mood, yo-yo dieting, and possibly, disordered eating. Eating fewer meals doesn’t necessarily equate to eating fewer calories, either. One study in the journal Metabolism discovered that those who ate one huge meal a day ate just as many calories as those who ate three smaller ones, and those who skip meals show blood sugar changes that hint to increased risk for Type 2 diabetes over time. The Mixed Messages on How Often to Eat If you’re looking to lose weight, the question of how often to eat gets more complicated. A recent editorial from the American Society of Nutrition suggests that overeating—at any time of day—has little impact on weight gain at all. The authors suggest that the real culprit is our modern-day standard American diet (SAD) that often includes carbohydrates that fall high on the glycemic index. These high-carb diets cause sharp spikes in insulin secretion and suppression of glucagon. This, in turn, tells our fat cells to store calories rather than use them, which the body reads as, “I should be hungry since I don’t have enough calories for my muscles!” In this scenario, your how-often-to-eat radar is essentially hijacked by hormones, and your gut tells you to eat more often than you may have if you were fueling up with, say, high-fiber fruits and vegetables with a serving of protein and healthy fat. Multiple studies have analyzed the impact of eating several smaller meals versus eating bigger ones to see if the mini meals, as some have suggested, ramp up the body’s thermic effect of food (TEF). Eating a meal does raise our metabolic rate a bit, since our bodies work to digest food, but the current scientific consensus appears to be that eating six small meals versus three large

2021 Nutrition & Wellness Trends To Try

Last year around this time, we were all wondering how the new decade would look. We were hopeful (daresay thrilled) about all the exciting things to come. Well, never in a million years would we have predicted what the year 2020 would be like. We  went on a journey together, and we all learned something new. We baked (a lot) of banana bread. We learned new hobbies. We perfected the art of Zoom meetings (business on top, sweatpants on the bottom), and we felt a lot of feelings. For better or worse, 2020 taught us a lot. And, as the year comes to a close, health is top of mind for many. We need a fresh start—and that means prioritizing our mental and physical wellbeing.   Each December, health, wellness, tech, and fashion companies alike report on what they predict we will all clamour for during the following year.  Last year, it was CBD, kale, spiked seltzers, and the Keto diet. This year, mental health, immunity, and climate diets are at the top of the 2021 list. We’ve rounded up eight of the top trends we think will be big this year—with an added bonus. Our founder and expert RD, Keri Glassman, weighs in on just how effective they may be.  Here’s to a fresh, healthy New Year! 2021 WELLNESS TRENDS Supercharged Wearables We love our fitness trackers (thanks to Apple Watch and Fitbit); but, in 2021 wearables are kicking it into high gear to track far beyond steps and sleep—i.e. respiratory rate and metabolic health. There are a couple companies who are making waves with their tech. Whoop, worn by athletes and olympians has been helping to track COVID-19 symptoms throughout the pandemic. Levels developed a bio-wearable, metabolic sensor that tells users how food is impacting their blood sugar levels.   We are likely to see more companies getting on board with supercharging their devices as the year progresses. Keri’s Take: People like tracking things. The more information we have about our habits, the more we can change those habits. Most of us are used to using more tech—so if we can do it to take our health up a notch, even better!  Postbiotics are the new Prebiotics We’ve all heard of probiotics, that “good” or “friendly” bacteria that keeps our microbiome healthy. Postbiotics (although they’ve been around forever) are new to the trend scene. A little bio of this important bacteria: postbiotics are leftovers of the fermentation process carried out by probiotics in the intestine. So, as probiotics feed on prebiotics, postbiotics are produced. Essentially, they are the “waste” of probiotics (I promise it’s not as gross as it sounds!) Postbiotics are found in any food which has been fermented by live bacteria such as kimchi, sauerkraut, tempeh, yogurt, and even pickles. Keri’s Take:  We already know that the link between the gut and overall health is huge, and we are just at the beginning. I believe we’ve only learned a tiny fraction of what we’re going to learn in regards to the microbiome. Understanding postbiotics is another step in terms of understanding how our gut influences our health.  Eat Your Microgreens We recently wrote about the benefits of starting an indoor herb garden, and microgreens were the #1 thing botanists and farmers were really excited about. While they aren’t new to the scene for nutritionists, they may be something others haven’t tried. Microgreens are basically baby plants that are loaded with nutrients. Studies have found they can help to boost immunity, aid in gut health, and can even lower cholesterol. You’ll see these microgreens in juices, smoothies, as garnishes, or on top of pasta or pizza!  Keri’s Take:  Microgreens are more nutrient dense than their more “mature” adult counterparts. This is a very simple way to add a mega dose of nutrient density to a meal along with a boost of flavor.  Spice, Spice Baby According to Pinterest Predicts (its annual trend forecast), spicy foods are going to be taking over 2021—or as they put it, “bland is banned.” They’ve shared that searches for the “jalapeño pepper jelly recipe” and “hot honey recipe” have been on the rise which doesn’t surprise us (We’re putting Mike’s Hot Honey on basically everything!). This is a trend we can get behind. Not only has it been found to aid in weight loss, capsaicin, found in most hot spices works as an antioxidant, protecting cells from harmful free radicals that can cause cancer. Keri’s Take: I’m a huge fan of spices, in general. You get flavor which adds satiety; and, are virtually calorie free with the added bonus of antioxidants. So, whether it’s a hot and spicy kick like capsaicin adds or other spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, I”m usually all for it. Your Morning Buzz Isn’t In the Cup Whole Foods’ annual trend report revealed that coffee isn’t just going to be enjoyed in your favorite mug. Java is going to be giving a “jolt” to a variety of foods. You’ll find it in granola bars, smoothie boosters, and even booze.  Soon, you just may be enjoying a cup of coffee with some coffee yogurt parfait topped with coffee granola.  Keri’s Take: I’m all for this trend if you don’t go overboard with it. Coffee is the #1 way Americans get their antioxidants. It often gets a bad wrap because so many of us add sugar and unhealthy creamers to our morning cups. But, in its whole form, coffee actually has a variety of health benefits. Mental Health Foods Otherwise known as the Brain Health Diet, experts have been studying how food impacts your mental health for years. After the year we’ve all had, our mental health is top on the list of priorities (finally!).  While a proper self-care routine is necessary, what we eat has a huge affect on our mental health.  Nutrition plays a critical role in helping to fight disease and activate our body’s defenses at every stage in our lives. And, even more, foods can actually

Intuitive Eating: How Tuning Your Relationship with Food Can Change Your Life Forever

Excerpted from Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki + Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety and Stress by Kelsey J. Patel, reprinted with author’s permission. Copyright © 2020 by Kelsey J. Patel. I’m someone who loves to eat. I will regularly have a pizza with my kids or a dinner out with friends with wine and dessert, but I also know when my body is craving clean, natural food or I need a break from overindulging. Sometimes I can tell I just need to keep things simpler. I’ve learned to do this through intuitive eating. Here’s how you can try this natural way of tuning your relationship with food.   Every time you are ready to eat, sit quietly for a moment before eating even one bite. Remind yourself there is no rush. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath. Get to a calm space, then gently ask your body: What is the best meal for my body right now? RELATED: Mealtime Meditation: 15 Minutes for Mindful Eating Wait for the answer. You might also ask: Will this food nourish me right now? Wait for the answer. Remind yourself that there is no rush. When you have an answer, open your eyes and, maintaining a feeling of inner peace and calm, prepare your meal. If the answer is that you don’t need food right now, ask your body: What do I really need or want right now? You may feel that your mind wants a distraction from something you’ve been procrastinating about or don’t want to do, you’re seeking some sort of reward, or you are trying to avoid facing or admitting to a feeling. Notice what it feels like beneath that false hunger. If you determine that the cause is something other than real hunger, stay in this place of focus and self-care. Let yourself take time to find an answer. Do you need to feel a feeling instead of pushing it down? RELATED: The Step-by-Step Guide to Mindful Eating This is something to work on over time. It might feel difficult at first, but know that whenever you give in to the urge to eat when you aren’t really hungry—but just don’t want to feel your feelings—you will reinforce the message that food is an emotional crutch, rather than the beautiful, vibrant source of physical energy it really is. Instead of eating when you aren’t hungry, turn to any of the practices in this or the next two chapters (or any of the rituals in part 3). Excerpted from Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki + Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety and Stress by Kelsey J. Patel, reprinted with author’s permission. Copyright © 2020 by Kelsey J. Patel.   Kelsey Patel is one of LA’s leading wellness and reiki experts, and an expert in burnout. A spiritual coach, Reiki master, and wellness expert, Kelsey has helped thousands struggling with burnout and anxiety. Kelsey worked on Capitol Hill in the U.S. Senate for 4.5 years and as Director of crisis PR for a Fortune 500 company for several years prior to discovering Reiki as a last resort for her stress-induced back pain. Kelsey’s own journey has led her to help many others find balance and burn bright instead of burning out.  Her teachings and practices, along with private client work to some of Hollywood’s biggest names, have been highlighted in various publications such as The New York Times, Reader’s Digest, US Weekly, SELF Magazine, Bustle, Well + Good, Marie Claire, GOOP, the Chalkboard Magazine and more. Her public workshops, corporate seminars and private coaching are all aimed at helping people bring joy, balance, fulfillment and purpose to their daily lives and work.  She is previously the owner of Pure Barre Beverly Hills, where she learned first hand the intricacies of owning and operating a business. She is now the owner of the Magik Vibes product line, and host of the podcast of the same name. She is also the co-host of the podcast Breakup With Your Bullshit, alongside Ryan Weiss. Her first book, Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki + Self-Care to Heal Burnout, Anxiety and Stress, released on April 28, 2020 and is available now. 

How I Broke Up With Food Guilt and Started Loving My Body

Like most people born in the ’80s, I was a member of the clean plate club. I’d ask questions like “how many more bites?” and was always told to finish what was on my plate. My mother made sure that we had balanced meals consisting of protein and greens. I kept up my plate-cleaning practices as I got older, but as a young adult, that quickly meant lots of takeout, fast food, and microwave dinners—all things that have a place in a healthy non-restrictive diet, by the way. But those things became my diet. My eating habits didn’t change until I started working out in my late twenties. I was beginning to hear nutrition buzz words around the gym, like macros and BCAAs. Being too embarrassed to ask, I’d Google these new-to-me terms to figure out what they were. Slowly, I started thinking more about the food I was putting into my body. I lost around 40 pounds over the course of eight months by eating better and working out regularly. This interest in health eventually led me to a new career a few years later. As I transitioned out of working in mental health, I pursued further education in nutrition and health coaching. I’m now a holistic health coach with a practice focusing on women and families. (I’m Nutritious Life Certified, too!) Even still, I was constantly living in fear that I would fall back into my old habits. After living a mostly sedentary life, I was terrified I would lose my motivation and enjoyment of eating well and exercising regularly. I constantly looked at myself in the mirror. I scrutinized the roundness of my hips, measured various parts of my body, and chastised myself because the inches weren’t coming off. Then I got pregnant… I exercised throughout my pregnancy, but I really leaned into my carb-y cravings. I had gained weight in places I wasn’t expecting, and the weight didn’t fall off as easily as I had hoped. After I had my baby, I recorded my measurements on my bathroom mirror and took pictures of myself every single week. I’d cry and become angry when I didn’t hit my weight-loss goals, and I had a constant inner dialogue of self-harm and hate. Rationally, I knew that obsessing didn’t matter. I knew that the doughnut I had for breakfast wouldn’t cause me to spiral out of control. But I would still beat myself up about it afterward. Worse, it seemed that the more I learned about food and nutrition, the more extreme I became. I realized things were getting out of hand when I was about 24 weeks pregnant with my second son. I told myself that I was going to have a healthier pregnancy. Eat more vegetables but indulge consciously. And I was doing a really good job! I was indulging in extra calories, exercising, and enjoying a fair amount of fruits and vegetables. But I still had a full meltdown when I realized I was gaining more weight than I had anticipated. I was devastated. My turning point… I knew that my reaction was abnormal, so I reached out to a friend, who met my downward spiral with love and support. She gave me some amazing advice: don’t look at the scale. She reminded me of what I was carrying (my son!) and why I needed the weight. I already knew this, but I needed to hear it from someone else. After my pregnancy, I fell back into some of the same habits. But at some point, I just let it go. Diving further into my own wellness journey and seeing the cycle of body dysmorphia and obsessive control over my eating habits and size made me feel a bit ill. Seeking help from my friends, my doctor, and my therapist best friend helped me break the vicious cycle. I’d ask myself what I needed in the moment: water, food, rest? And if the answer was food, what kind of food? Of course, I still have times when I look in the mirror and chastise myself for not having the perfect body, but I don’t let it consume me. I share my feelings with someone, or just say them out loud and move forward. Every day, I work to focus on what I’m grateful for, how my body feels, and what my body and my heart need. And during pizza night, I focus more on the laughter and time I’m spending with my family than feelings of food guilt. I know everyone’s journey is different, and trust me, I’m still a work in progress, but self-acceptance is well worth the effort.  (Photo: Shutterstock)

Can You Be Body Positive and *Still* Want to Lose Weight?

By Keri Glassman, RD and founder of Nutritious Life The body positivity movement is in full force: The #bodypositive hashtag has been used over 11 million times on Instagram, and the shift inspired both designers and advertisers to cater to more diverse body types in their clothing and campaigns. With 30 million people suffering from an eating disorder in the U.S. alone, this is undeniably a good thing. We need to embrace our bodies, not shame them and wish they resembled the images we see in high-fashion ads. RELATED: 5 Common Myths About Eating Disorders Still, many people want to drop pounds with the support of their dietitian or health professional, and as one of those dietitians, I wholeheartedly support people in this endeavor. For those above a healthy weight, shedding pounds can undoubtedly improve markers of health, reducing their risk of heart disease and certain cancers, ultimately lengthening their lifespan. So yes, weight loss is a good thing for many people, but that doesn’t mean you need to abandon body positivity in the process. In fact, I’d argue that practicing more body-love can help you hit your weight loss goals.  How high self-esteem promotes healthy habits Research suggests that higher self-esteem may lead to healthier choices. A Pediatric Obesity study shows that kids who are bullied are more likely to gain weight. You might think teasing would be a motivator of sorts, eventually leading to weight loss…But the truth is, weight loss is so much more complicated than that. The authors note that body dissatisfaction may lead to unhealthy behaviors, like binge eating, and say that stress hormones might play a role too. (Of course, bullying has a slew of way more serious side effects, including self-harm and suicide.) I’d say the same reasoning also holds true for adults who are mean to themselves. Think about it: If you like and value someone, you’re more likely to treat them well, listen to them, and honor their needs, right? Well, the same goes for your body. The best weight loss plans emphasize making choices because you love your body, not because you hate it. It means saying no! to fad diets and starving yourself, and yes! to empowered eating and healthy foods that give you energy, the whole philosophy behind the Nutritious Life Eat Empowered pillar. RELATED: The Step-By-Step Guide to Mindful Eating You’re allowed to have complicated emotions about your body Look, our relationships with our bodies are complicated: One day we might love the way we look (say, after an empowering workout), and the next we might feel more meh (ahem, Day 1 of your period). That’s okay, and it’s all part of the process. It’s unrealistic to love the way you look every single day, but in your more negative moments, I hope you can embrace some more #bodyneutrality and practice forgiveness. Ultimately, it’s okay to make changes to your diet and exercise regimen—for health or for vanity—as long as you do it the healthy way. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen any body-positivity posts telling people to eat endless amounts of sugar and stop working out. Body positivity is about finding workouts you truly love, eating well, and being honest about your needs in the moment. It’s not about throwing your goals out the window. It’s about finding balance and being nice—and those are things we can all practice, weight loss goals or not. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Bobbi Brown’s Personal Beauty-From-Within Strategies

The makeup maven has a simple motto: “Healthy skin is beautiful.”

How I Took Control of My Health When Faced With Mysterious Food Issues

It’s a scary feeling when something negative is happening to your body and you don’t know why.

How I Use Intuition to Eat (and Live) Healthier

I learned to listen to my body—and you can too.

How Becoming a Mother Taught Me to Be an Intuitive Eater

Turns out three-year-olds know a little something about listening to their bodies.

From Comfort to Culture: How Food Meaning Drives What’s on Your Plate

By Naomi Arbit, PhD, NLC You know which vitamins your dinner delivers and how much protein is on your plate. But have you ever thought about what that salmon or broccoli you’re enjoying means to you and how that meaning might affect your food choices? According to new research, connecting with how you derive meaning from food could change how and what you eat—and therefore impact your overall health. The Background What do we mean when we say “food meanings”? My research team and I have defined it as encompassing the ways food is embedded in non-food related aspects of people’s lives and worlds. In fact, seeing and evaluating our food in terms of the calories and nutrients it provides is a relatively new way of orienting to food. For much of human history, food was evaluated in terms of its spiritual value, purity, ecological availability, and social and cultural implications. Think about the importance of the sacrament, or the laws of kashrut and halal, all of which heavily emphasize the spiritual or religious symbolism of foods. RELATED: How Yoga Star Caley Alyssa Follows an Awareness Diet Even in our modern food system, there are ways of connecting to food that transcend its nutritive and health aspects. For instance, in recent years there has been increased attention on food’s moral and environmental implications, its cleanliness, and its aesthetic, artisanal, or creative taste profile. These approaches all capture different food meanings, and this is important because, as our research has shown, the meaning that food holds for people matters greatly when it comes to food choice. When you see food only in terms of calories, nutrients, taste, availability, and convenience—which is how the majority of Americans relate to food—you miss connections between food choice and the important aspects of a person’s life and world. The Research In our research, we found five primary domains of food meanings: aesthetics, health, moral, sacred, and social. We are currently investigating cultural identity as well. Our key finding is that the domain that is a source of meaning for you will very much inform which foods you eat, as well as the potential environmental situations where you might be cued to eat more. RELATED: The Best Portion Control Hack to Avoid Overeating Connecting food to important aspects of your world may help you orient yourself more appropriately to the multitude of food options available, make better food choices, and generally feel less anxious about selecting foods. It is important to note, though, that not all domains are associated with healthier dietary intakes. While the sacred, moral, and health meanings are generally associated with healthier dietary patterns, in the US, the social and aesthetic meanings are associated with slightly less healthy dietary patterns. This will differ from person to person and across cultures, but the key point is that the meaning matters. What This Means For You A meaning-based approach to food takes into account what food means to you and why, and makes the relationship more conscious, to inform the selection of better food choices and increase your overall wellbeing. For example, people who derive meaning from the social aspects of eating might use their knowledge of this to more purposefully structure their meals around social occasions and reduce their food intake in non-social settings, such as when snacking. RELATED: Try These Strategies to Eat Healthy While Dining Out Similarly, people who find meaning from the moral aspects of their food choices might think about deliberately aligning their food choices with their ethical principles, if they are not already so aligned. This might involve eating more local or organic food, vegetarian or vegan food, or simply less meat. Overall, a shift away from the caloric and weight-loss implications of food choice to the meaning-conferring benefits of people’s relationships with food might not only alleviate some of the anxiety around food and eating, but can help people orient to food in a healthier, more constructive way.  

What Do Your Food Cravings Really Mean?

Q: Why Do I Get Food Cravings, and What Do They Mean? A: Food cravings may sometimes arise from old habits or memories (like the smell of your grandmother’s chocolate chip cookies…mmm). However, while most of the research is young and doesn’t show a direct link between specific cravings and nutrient deficiencies, there is some evidence pointing to food cravings as your body’s natural, instinctive way of letting you know you that you need more of an important nutrient. Listening to your biology isn’t easy in today’s world, but it’s crucial here, especially since cravings may direct you towards a false fix, like processed foods and sugary treats, which will temporarily alleviate the craving but won’t get at the root of the issue. I stopped by The Doctors recently to share a few of the most common food cravings and what your body may be telling you when you have them, and I’ll break them down for you, here. Crave This, Eat That The Craving: French fries What It Means: If you’ve got a hankering for fries or other salty snacks like potato chips and pretzels, you could be slightly dehydrated. Hey, it’s always great to drink more water, so start there. But it could also mean you need calcium, since studies have shown a marginal deficiency of the mineral could stimulate the desire for salt, and others have shown women on low-calcium diets crave salty food more. How to Satisfy It: If you indulge the craving, the salt will temporarily increase calcium levels in the blood, essentially tricking the body into thinking it’s taking in calcium when it’s not. Instead, reach for calcium-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, almonds, tofu, sesame seeds, and sardines. The Craving: Chocolate cupcakes What It Means: An overactive sweet tooth may be a signal that you’re magnesium deficient, according to research. And while magnesium deficiency is not proven to cause PMS symptoms, some studies have shown increasing the amount of the mineral your diet can decrease PMS symptoms such as irritability, fluid retention, and headaches. I don’t know about you, but for me, those symptoms often lead to cravings for a bottomless tub of chocolate ice cream. How to Satisfy It: A diet rich in foods such as spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains will ensure that you don’t become magnesium deficient. Then, you can eat sugary treats as conscious indulgences, when it’s really worth it, rather than constantly fighting the urge. The Craving: A juicy burger What It Means: Here’s a case where your body’s sending you a clear signal. A strong craving for meat may mean you’re iron-deficient. In fact, studies show that in pregnant women and others with iron deficiencies, food cravings serve to prevent or alleviate the nutritional deficit. How to Satisfy It: Go ahead, grill up a grass-fed, organic burger, since red meat is the best source of iron. You can also get it from fish and poultry, or if you’re a vegetarian, in tofu, legumes (lentils and kidney beans), nuts (cashews and almonds), seeds (pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds), oatmeal, dried fruit (apricots and raisins), and vegetables (mushrooms and potatoes). Just keep in mind that it’s harder for the body to absorb iron from plant-based sources. To help, pair iron-rich foods with foods rich in vitamin C, as it will help your body absorb the iron. The bottom line? Listen up! Your body has got a lot to say. Your food cravings may be telling you a lot more than, “Do not pass go, head straight for the nearest Shake Shack.”