Dr. Oz: What Do Our Cravings Mean?
Dr. Oz discussed what our cravings for sweet, salty, and fried foods really mean. It turns out these cravings aren’t always what they seem. Dr. Oz put a survey online to see what the top foods people crave the most are. At the top of the list were sweets, followed by chocolate, carbs, and fried and salty foods.
Dr. Oz spoke to registered dietitian Ashley Koff about our cravings. She said that cravings mean your body wants something, but it’s important to recognize what that something really is and observe how you answer it.
Dr. Oz: Why Do We Crave Sweets?
Dr. Oz talked to registered dietitian Ashley Koff about why we crave sweets, salty foods, chocolate, and carbs. (Kelvin Wong / Shutterstock.com)
Dr. Oz also talked to Donna, who craves sweets. She said all day long she looks forward to her dessert. Her favorite dessert is a “cappuccino cupcake with mocha frosting and chocolate sprinkles with a dollop of creamy center that’s sinful and sweet and savory and scrumptious and delicious, and I need one right now.” That was very specific, Donna!
It turns out sweet cravings really mean that your energy and blood sugar is dropping. Your body is telling you to eat sweet things to raise your blood sugar.
Ashley Koff recommended putting organic ricotta cheese on a pear, with chopped pistachios and cinnamon on top. This is good because there’s protein in the ricotta and a good mixture of fat and sugar on top. Donna said this was only a little satisfying, but she said she could substitute once a week.
Dr. Oz: Why Do We Crave Chocolate?
Dr. Oz then talked to Andrea, who is a self-proclaimed serious chocoholic. Dr. Oz showed a feed of her Facebook photos and she’s smiling with a piece of chocolate in every one of them. She said she loved everything about chocolate. It turns out we’re actually craving magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that helps our body’s cells turn down our stress response. So when we crave chocolate, we’re actually craving magnesium.
Ashley Koff recommended eating chocolate-covered sunflower seeds and chocolate-covered almonds. Ashley said you could also put some almond butter on top of a reasonable portion of chocolate.
Dr. Oz: Why Do We Crave Carbs?
Dr. Oz wondered why we crave soft pretzels, warm bagels, and pastas. Ashley Koff said we crave these things so we can raise serotonin levels to feel happy again. But Ashley Koff said the carbs we choose aren’t good for us, which is what she calls “carbage”.
Ashley Koff said what we need is slow carbs and foods with Omega-3s. She recommended toasted Edamame Guacamole on a corn tortilla, with hemp seeds on top.
Dr. Oz: Why Do We Crave French Fries?
Dr. Oz introduced the French Fry Crew, several women who get together one a week to eat French fries. But they don’t just eat French fries, they eat a New Jersey-style French fry called Disco Fries. Disco Fries are regular fries smothered in gravy and covered with melted cheese. All of them said if they had to have a last meal before they died, it would be Disco Fries.
Ashley Koff said the key here is portion control. She said they can still have some, but they should have some celery with Tzatziki sauce and hot sauce. Celery is 95 percent water, but it naturally contains salt. The fries are made from potatoes, so Ashley was okay with them. Potatoes are a good source of potassium. Ashley made her French fries with salsa and cheese, which the French Fry Crew was pleased wit. She called her fries “Fiesta Fries.”
tiffany says
Seriously? Disco fries? This is not new. It is called POUTINE!! Look it up, check it out. Mozzarella cheese curds with gravy on top of fries. Welcome to something Canadians have all the time.