We’ve all had them: Cravings.  Having the temptation for that fatty food, salty snack, or sugary sweet has always made us victims to their urges.  However, cravings are actually important to our body’s function.  Cravings are programmed in our bodies as a neural indication that we lack some vitamin or mineral.  Unfortunately, we attribute these cravings with the wrong foods – often not nutritious.

Benard Jenson, PhD and Cheryl M. Deroin, NMD have both contributed to this topic with research dating as far back as 1983.  Their efforts combine in creation of this chart below.  The chart is very simple to use.  First, identify the craving that you are having with one of the cravings in the first column.  Then, determine which vitamin or mineral deficiency your body is incurring.  Finally, you are given healthy food choices to fill the deficiency.  It’s time to beat your cravings the smart way!

The Craving Decoder

If you crave this…	What you really need is…	And here are healthy foods that have it:
Chocolate	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Sweets	Chromium	Broccoli, grapes, cheese, dried beans, calves liver, chicken
	Carbon	Fresh fruits
	Phosphorus	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes, grain
	Sulfur	Cranberries, horseradish, cruciferous vegetables, kale, cabbage
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweet potato, spinach
Bread, toast	Nitrogen	High protein foods: fish, meat, nuts, beans
Oily snacks, fatty foods	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Coffee or tea	Phosphorous	Chicken, beef, liver, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, legumes
	Sulfur	Egg yolks, red peppers, muscle protein, garlic, onion, cruciferous vegetables
	NaCl (salt)	Sea salt, apple cider vinegar (on salad)
	Iron	Meat, fish and poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Alcohol, recreational drugs	Protein	Meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, nuts
	Avenin	Granola, oatmeal
	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
	Glutamine	Supplement glutamine powder for withdrawal, raw cabbage juice
	Potassium	Sun-dried black olives, potato peel broth, seaweed, bitter greens
Chewing ice	Iron	Meat, fish, poultry, seaweed, greens, black cherries
Burned food	Carbon	Fresh fruits
Soda and other carbonated drinks	Calcium	Mustard and turnip greens, broccoli, kale, legumes, cheese, sesame
Salty foods	Chloride	Raw goat milk, fish, unrefined sea salt
Acid foods	Magnesium	Raw nuts and seeds, legumes, fruits
Preference for liquids rather than solids	Water	Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Preference for solids rather than liquids	Water	You have been so dehydrated for so long that you have lost your thirst. Flavor water with lemon or lime. You need 8 to 10 glasses per day.
Cool drinks	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
Pre-menstrual cravings	Zinc	Red meats (especially organ meats), seafood, leafy vegetables, root vegetables
General overeating	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tryptophan	Cheese, liver, lamb, raisins, sweat potato, spinach
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green, red fruits and vegetables
Lack of appetite	Vitamin B1	Nuts, seeds, beans, liver and other organ meats
	Vitamin B3	Tuna, halibut, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seeds and legumes
	Manganese	Walnuts, almonds, pecans, pineapple, blueberries
	Chloride	Raw goat milk, unrefined sea salt
Tobacco	Silicon	Nuts, seeds; avoid refined starches
	Tyrosine	Vitamin C supplements or orange, green and red fruits and vegetables
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Water is the most important and fundamental need of our body.  It’s for that reason that understanding dehydration is so vital.  To fully be prepared, you must be aware of three factors:

1. What causes dehydration?
2. How can you treat dehydration?
3. How can you prevent dehydration?

Body Water

Generally, our bodies are hydrated when our body water is at normal levels.  A normal body water level is 60% of body weight.

Of that body water, 2/3 is Intracellular Fluid (body water within cell membrane) and 1/3 is Extracellular Fluid (body water outside of cell membrane: blood, interstitial fluid, etc).

Levels of Dehydration

Depending of the severity of dehydration, the course of action will be drastically different.  There are three levels of dehydration:

1. Mild – 0-5% loss of body water
2. Moderate – 5-10% loss of body water
3. Severe – 10-15% loss of body water

Go any further than 15% of body water loss, and the situation becomes life-threatening.  It is at this point that dehydration gets its reputation for being fatal.

Three Main Types of Dehydration

What most people do not know is that there are actually three different types of dehydration. Each of these types has very different causes and treatments.

Isonatremic (isotonic) Dehydration

This is the most common type of dehydration as it occurs in about 80% of cases.  Isonatremic dehydration is when the loss of water and sodium (electrolyte) are relative in magnitude for both the Intravascular and Extravascular systems.

Treatment:

Mild-Moderate: Slow and steady rehydration of water or electrolyte solution.
Severe: Contact Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Hyponatremic (hypotonic) Dehydration

This type of dehydration is much less common (5-10% of cases), but much more severe.  Hyponatremic dehydration is an electrolyte imbalance in that more salt is lost in relation to water.  Fluid then transfers from the Intravascular space to the Extravascular space in attempt to balance the salt loss.  However, this only accentuates the problem because there is now a great imbalance between the Intravascular and Extravascular spaces.

Treatment: Contact Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Because this is such a difficult problem to treat, a professional must treat the victim.

Hypernatremic (hypertonic) Dehydration

Similar to hypernatremic dehydration, this type is less common (5-10% of cases), but very severe.  Hypernatremic dehydration is an electrolyte imbalance in that more water is lost in relation to salt.  Fluid then transfers from the Extravascular space to the Intravascular space in effort to dilute and balance the highly salt-concentrated Intravascular space.  The result is an overcorrection and swelling of the Intravascular space.

Treatment: Contact Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Because this is such a difficult problem to treat, a professional must treat the victim.

The Solution

The best and easiest way to treat dehydration is by preventing it altogether.  This is as simple as drinking water when you’re thirsty.  And for high-activity situations, such as sports or exercising, a slow and steady flow of water or an electrolyte drink is best.  Remember: Hydration is essential for any organ or muscle to function, so stay hydrated!

Before you can embark on a fit and healthy lifestyle, it is important to understand your body type.  The three main body type categories include: Ectomorph, Endomorph, and Mesomorph.  These body types are influenced entirely by genetics and can significantly determine the rate at which your body loses fat and gains muscle.

The Ectomorph

The Ectomorph has a body shape that is smaller and more delicate in appearance in comparison with the other types.  Common references to the ectomorph include “hard-gainer” or “ruler-shaped.”

Fat Burning Rate: Fast

Muscle Growth Rate: Slow

Energy Endurance: High

Advantages/Disadvantages

+Fast metabolism prevents from easy fat accumulation

+Leaner figure emphasizes muscle growth making smaller gains more noticeable

-Very difficult to add muscle weight

Fundamental Exercise Plan

The ectomorph will need to focus on high intensity lifts that work as many muscles as possible.  That means compound exercises like bench press, squats, dead lifts, and pull-ups are a must.  Isolation exercises that work smaller muscles need not apply.  Those muscles will be stimulated in part with the compound exercises.  Each exercise should be done in 2-3 sets with 6-8 repetitions.  Each set should be done with enough resistance to just make it to the 8th repetition before failure.

This high intensity plan stimulates muscles to naturally grow in the fastest way possible.  The high intensity releases the body’s own growth hormone that is essential for efficient muscle gain.

Cardio training should not be overlooked as it is still essential for healthy heart functioning and normal blood pressure.

Basic Nutrition

This is the component where I notice that most trainers have it wrong.  Eating an abundance of calories without any limitation at all is a huge mistake.  Sure, your metabolism burns at an extremely high rate.  Yes, you will need to consume more calories than the other body types.  However, any extra calories consumed over the calories burned through activity or the body’s Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) will be stored as fat.  So, do yourself a favor and do not buy “high calorie shakes” or “weight gainers.”  You cannot chug yourself to muscle mass.  Instead, eat as much calories as your exercise and body burns.  Remember, you will need to increasingly consume more calories to keep up with the increasing mass of your muscles, as muscle mass increases your BMR.

A balanced diet rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates will aid in muscle recovery.  Drink plenty of water and get at least 7 hours of sleep at night.  Muscle mass grows in the recovery phase as you sleep, not while you’re in the gym.

The Endomorph

The Endomorph more commonly has more fat storage, particularly around the midsection.  Commonly referred to as fat, overweight, or obese.

Fat Burning Rate: Slow

Muscle Growth Rate: Fast

Energy Endurance: Low

Advantages/Disadvantages

+Can gain muscle mass as well as the mesomorph

-Very difficult to burn fat

-Usually less energy

Fundamental Exercise Plan

When doing resistance training, the focus should be on low resistance with more repetitions.  For each exercise, 4-5 sets and 10-12 repetitions is ideal.  This will not only burn more calories, but will develop muscle as well – essential for fat loss.

Cardio training is top priority for this body type and should be performed after resistance training.  That means low intensity training on a treadmill, stair climber, bike, or cross trainer is a must.  Focus should be aimed at a low intensity workout with long durations.  Track your heart rate and stay within 50-65% of your maximum heart rate according to your age.

Basic Nutrition

A balanced diet rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates are necessary for healthy body function.  Foods high in protein and fiber would make great choices, as they should be the majority of your caloric intake.

Note: The aim of the endomorph is to lose and/or control body fat, as it is the most difficult task.  This will require a consumption of calories less than the combined burned calories from activity and BMR.  You can calculate the amount of calories that you will need to consume by using the Personal Health Tool.

The Mesomorph

The Mesomorph, in the area of fitness, is the most genetically blessed of the three body types.  Men of this type are usually muscular with broader shoulders, and women are typically of the coveted hourglass frame.  Commonly referred to as an athletic build.

Fat Burning Rate: Fast

Muscle Growth Rate: Fast

Energy Endurance: High

Advantages/Disadvantages

+Able to grow and retain muscle mass more

+More muscle mass enhances the cardio training’s effectiveness resulting in more calorie burn

-Rare body type

Fundamental Exercise Plan

For this particular body type, it is personal preference.  If muscle growth is desired, follow the plan of the ectomorph.  If general cardiovascular health and toning is desired, follow the plan of the endomorph.

The only potential threat here may be the overconfidence in body look leading to a lack of any kind of physical fitness.  This laziness could result in poor cardiovascular health among other things.

Basic Nutrition

A balanced diet rich in proteins and complex carbohydrates is the norm here.  In the same manner as the Exercise Plan, there is some flexibility.  If body fat loss is desired, follow the nutrition plan of the endomorph.  If body composition maintenance is desired, follow the nutrition plan of the ectomorph.

To calculate your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR) and get an idea of how many calories you should be consuming, use the Personal Health Tool.

Combination Body Types

You may be reading this and notice that your personal body type does not accurately reflect any of these body types.  That is likely because most people fall under a combination of two types.  Some examples include Endo-Mesomorphs or Ecto-Endomorphs.

The solution to this ambiguity is simple.  Just find which body type extreme most describes your own.  For example, if it is difficult for you to lose body fat, follow the endomorph.  If you find it difficult to put on any weight at all, follow the ectomorph.

Whatever body type you find to most reflect your own, it is important to know and understand it.  There is one fundamental thing that you can never change about your body – and that is your genetics.