You may be compelled to consume chocolate, pretzels, Italian bread with butter, French fries, or macaroni and cheese without any control. Have you ever questioned your cravings for these or other particular foods? There may be more than one solution, and not all specialists will concur on it.

There is no doubt that the brain plays a role in eating cravings; in fact, the hippocampus, caudate, and insula are thought to all be implicated. When we have a craving for a certain meal, these areas are stimulated.

Interesting information regarding food desires has been found through research. For instance, dieting or restricted eating typically increases the likelihood that you will crave particular items, whereas fasting reduces the intensity of those acute cravings. In a study on the subject, it was discovered that while "fasting makes yearning, like hunger, reduce," "attempted restriction or deprivation of a particular food is related with an increase in craving for the unavailable food."

If you notice one or more of your cravings on this list, it may be worthwhile to investigate and even try out the theory that food cravings are caused by nutritional inadequacies.

Bread and/or pasta. You need nitrogen. Get it from high-protein foods such as legumes, nuts, seeds, lean organic meat.

Carbonated drinks/soda. You need calcium. Get it from green leafy vegetables, organic milk and cheese, sesame seeds.

Chocolate. You need magnesium. Get it from raw nuts, seeds, and legumes.

Coffee and tea. You need phosphorous and sulphur. Get phosphorous from organic beef or chicken, as well as nuts. Get sulphur from cruciferous vegetables, garlic, and red peppers.

Fried and/or oily foods. You need calcium. Get it from green leafy vegetables, organic milk and cheese, sesame seeds.

Salty foods. You need chloride and silicon. Get them from fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.

Sugary foods. You need carbon, chromium, magnesium, phosphorous, sulphur, and tryptophan. Get carbon from fresh fruit. Get chromium from broccoli, organic cheese or chicken, grapes. Get magnesium from fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Get phosphorous from vegetables, grains, nuts, organic dairy, eggs, chicken, or beef. Get sulphur from cruciferous vegetables and cranberries. Get tryptophan from organic cheese, raisins, spinach, and sweet potatoes.