Pregnancy and Postnatal Cravings: What Your Body is Telling You
Today, I woke up with an intense craving for avocado on toast. My legs had been feeling heavy and crampy, and I was unusually tired in the mornings, tuning into my body, I recognised these as a sign of needing more magnesium. This got me thinking about how our bodies communicate their nutritional needs through cravings, especially during pregnancy and postpartum.
Pregnancy and the postnatal period are times of immense change and adaptation for your body. These changes often bring about unique cravings that can signal specific nutritional needs. Tuning into these cravings and understanding what they might mean can help you ensure that both you and your baby are getting the nutrients you need.
Here’s a guide to some common cravings and the nutrients they may indicate a need for.
1. Chocolate
Nutrient Needed: Magnesium
Chocolate cravings are often a sign that your body is low in magnesium, a mineral essential for muscle function, nerve function, and energy production. Magnesium also helps with leg cramps and can improve sleep quality.
2. Coal or Dirt
Nutrient Needed: Iron or Zinc
Craving non-food items can be a sign of iron deficiency anemia or a zinc deficiency. Iron is crucial for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. Zinc is vital for immune function and cell growth.
3. Citrus Fruits
Nutrient Needed: Vitamin C
A craving for citrus fruits often indicates a need for vitamin C, which is essential for the growth and repair of tissues in the body and helps in the absorption of iron.
4. Red Meat
Nutrient Needed: Iron or Protein
Craving red meat like steak can signal a need for iron, particularly heme iron found in animal products, which is easily absorbed by the body. It can also indicate a need for protein, essential for the growth and repair of tissues.
5. Pickles
Nutrient Needed: Sodium
Craving salty foods like pickles can be a sign that your body needs more sodium, an essential electrolyte that helps maintain fluid balance and supports muscle function.
6. Dairy
Nutrient Needed: Calcium or Vitamin D
A strong desire for dairy products can indicate a need for calcium, vital for bone health, or vitamin D, which aids in calcium absorption.
7. Ice
Nutrient Needed: Iron
Craving and chewing ice, known as pagophagia, is often associated with iron deficiency anemia. Increasing iron intake can help alleviate this unusual craving.
8. Carbohydrates
Nutrient Needed: Complex Carbohydrates or B Vitamins
Craving starchy foods like bread, pasta and potatoes can indicate a need for complex carbohydrates, which provide sustained energy, or B vitamins, which are crucial for energy metabolism.
9. Nut Butter
Nutrient Needed: Healthy Fats or Protein
A craving for nut butters can signal a need for healthy fats, important for brain health, or protein, which supports muscle repair and growth.
10. Green Leafy Vegetables
Nutrient Needed: Folate or Iron
A desire for green leafy vegetables often indicates a need for folate, crucial for DNA synthesis and cell growth, or iron. I always recommend taking a high quality, methylated form of folate known as methyl folate.
Listening to Your Body
Cravings during pregnancy and the postnatal period are not just random. They are your body’s way of communicating its needs. Here are some tips for tuning into your body and responding to its signals:
1. Pay Attention: Notice the patterns in your cravings. Do they coincide with specific symptoms like fatigue or muscle cramps?
2. Seek Balance: Aim to meet your nutritional needs through a balanced diet rich in whole foods.
3. Consult a Professional: If you have persistent or unusual cravings, consult with a healthcare provider to ensure you’re meeting your nutritional needs. I offer treatments where we test exactly what nutrients your body needs.
4. Stay Hydrated: Sometimes, cravings can be confused with thirst. Ensure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day.
5. Moderation is Key: Indulge your cravings in moderation while focusing on nutrient-dense foods.
By understanding what your cravings mean and responding appropriately, you can support your body and your baby’s health throughout pregnancy and beyond. Your body knows what it needs!