Cookies and Bread
In a University of Chicago study, a few sleepless nights were enough to drop levels of the hormone leptin (which signals satiety) by 18% and boost levels of ghrelin, an appetite trigger, by about 30%. Those two changes alone caused appetite to kick into overdrive, and cravings for starchy foods like cookies and bread jumped 45%. So to eat less starchy foods, get more sleep at night.
Chocolate
Chocolate cravings means your body is deficient in magnesium. About 80% of the population is suffering from not having enough magnesium. That would explain why so many people purchase chocolate every day. If you can hold off on the chocolate try to eat other foods high in magnesium, such as nuts, seeds, fish, and leafy greens. If you just have to eat chocolate, dark chocolate is the best choice.
Fries or Chips 
A craving for fries or chips usually means your body is lacking sodium and/or serotonin or experiencing a blood sugar imbalance caused by high levels of cortisol. Salty foods mean stress is higher on your adrenal gland as well. Avocados are a great source of vitamin B which helps de-stress the body and keep the immune system strong. Another way to reduce stress is prayer, meditation, or exercise. Craving salt may also be partly due to being dehydrated. When dehydrated, the body loses water, electrolytes, and salt, and by ingesting salt, water retention can be increased.
Meat
All my burger and steak lovers out there, red meat cravings mean you are suffering from iron deficiency. Menstruation women are susceptible more to having low iron. Beans are a great source for iron. It could also mean your body is low in zinc. Lentils, spinach and pumpkin seeds are a great source for zinc.
Cheese 
Intense cheese cravings can mean a number of things. The first but not as common source could be a lack of calories. Cheese is high in calories, and even a one ounce serving gives you about 100 calories. If you’ve been following a calorie-restricted diet you may have noticed that your desire for cheese has been on the rise because your body knows it will quickly make up the deficit. Cheese cravings could also mean a fatty acid deficiency. Instead of cheese grab walnuts or flaxseed oil. The most common source for you craving cheese could be a deficiency in calcium. Calcium is one of the most important minerals for the body. Eat kale, collard greens or broccoli instead of cheese for calcium.
The truth is most cravings are really a sign that we are dehydrated. Some nutritionist have the number as high as 80% of Americans on a consistent basis are suffering from dehydration. So drink more water!!
Siddiqu “The Personal Trainer” is a CPT, motivational speaker, author of How Are You Fat and Saved?! He is also the Co-creator of the largest bootcamp in Chicago The No Excuse Bootcamp and the exercise series “You Would Think I Invented Sweat” for booking information or more fitness tips visit www.chicagofit4life.com