What Your Cravings Are Really Trying to Tell You — Especially in Perimenopause
If you’ve ever found yourself raiding the pantry for chocolate, chips, or bread — especially during perimenopause or menopause — you’re not alone.
Cravings are one of the most common (and frustrating) symptoms I see in women over 40. But here’s the truth most women don’t realise…
Cravings aren’t a sign of weakness or lack of willpower.
They’re messages from your body — little SOS signals that something deeper is out of balance.
When your hormones are fluctuating, your body’s demand for certain nutrients changes too. Stress, poor sleep, or skipped meals can make those signals even louder. Once you learn to decode them, cravings become one of your body’s most powerful tools for understanding what it really needs.
Let’s break it down ????
Craving: Chocolate
When that block of chocolate starts calling your name every night, it’s often your body asking for magnesium — the mineral that helps with relaxation, mood, and hormone balance.
Why it matters:
Magnesium is vital for over 300 processes in the body, including hormone production and stress regulation — yet most women in perimenopause are deficient.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- 85%+ dark chocolate or raw cacao powder in a smoothie
- Almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, or spinach
- Add magnesium glycinate or citrate supplement (speak to your health professional first)
Craving: Bread, Pasta, or Carbs
You’re not crazy — your body is chasing a serotonin hit.
When oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate, serotonin (your happy hormone) can drop, leading to cravings for comfort carbs.
Why it matters:
Refined carbs give quick serotonin spikes but cause energy crashes. Balanced carbs provide lasting calm.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Sweet potato, quinoa, oats, or pumpkin
- Add quality protein to each meal to stabilise blood sugar
- Try a walk or herbal tea when that 3pm slump hits — it helps regulate serotonin naturally
Craving: Sugar or Sweets
This one’s all about blood sugar balance and energy crashes. When you skip meals or under-eat protein, your blood glucose dips, making your body scream for fast energy.
Why it matters:
Chronic low blood sugar triggers cortisol and insulin surges, worsening hot flushes, fatigue, and mood swings.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Protein + fibre snacks like apple with nut butter, yoghurt with berries, or boiled eggs
- Add cinnamon to meals for blood sugar balance
- Include magnesium-rich foods to calm sweet cravings
Craving: Salty Foods
If you’re reaching for chips or crackers, you might be low in electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and chloride — or dealing with adrenal fatigue.
Why it matters:
Hormonal changes, stress, and hot flushes can all deplete electrolytes, leaving you tired, dizzy, or craving salt.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Add Himalayan or sea salt to meals
- Snack on avocado, olives, celery, or drink bone broth
- Try electrolyte water — especially after exercise or on hot days
Craving: Fatty or Fried Foods
This is your body begging for healthy fats — the building blocks of hormones.
???? Why it matters:
Low-fat diets can starve your body of essential fats needed for oestrogen and progesterone synthesis.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, or salmon
- Add good fats to every meal to improve satiety and hormone function
Craving: Meat or Savoury Foods
If you’re suddenly craving steak, it could mean you’re low in iron, zinc, or protein — all essential for energy and motivation.
Why it matters:
Low iron is incredibly common during perimenopause, especially with heavy bleeding or fatigue.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Lean red meat, chicken, eggs, lentils, or tofu
- Add vitamin C-rich foods (like citrus or capsicum) to improve iron absorption
☕ Craving: Coffee or Caffeine
When fatigue hits, caffeine can feel like a lifeline — but what your body actually needs is energy, not stimulation.
Why it matters:
Caffeine temporarily boosts cortisol, which can worsen anxiety, sleep issues, and hormone imbalance.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Have water first thing in the morning before coffee
- Try green tea for gentle energy and antioxidants
- Support energy naturally with iron, B vitamins, and protein
Craving: Butter or Creamy Foods
You’re craving essential fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) — often depleted by low-fat diets or hormonal shifts.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Avocado, nut butters, olive oil
- Coconut or Greek yoghurt
- Add salmon or egg yolks for vitamin D and brain support
Craving: Alcohol
After a long day, that glass of wine might feel like the only way to switch off — but your body’s really asking for relaxation, magnesium, and dopamine.
Why it matters:
Alcohol depletes magnesium, disrupts sleep, and raises cortisol — the exact opposite of what you’re chasing.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Sparkling water with lime, or kombucha in a wine glass
- Herbal teas like chamomile, valerian, or passionflower
- Magnesium before bed to relax the nervous system
Craving: Crunchy Foods
Craving crunch? That’s often stress relief in disguise. Crunching releases jaw tension and nervous energy.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Air-popped popcorn with olive oil
- Crunchy veggies with hummus
- Nuts or roasted chickpeas for texture and minerals
Craving: Ice Cream or Dairy
These cravings are tied to comfort and calcium needs — or sometimes dehydration.
✅ Healthy swaps:
- Greek yoghurt with fruit
- Smoothie with banana, protein, and almond milk
- Frozen berries or homemade banana ice cream
Final Thoughts
Cravings are your body’s way of speaking to you — not punishing you.
Once you start listening, you can feed your hormones what they need, instead of fighting against them.
When you learn to nourish your body properly — with balance, awareness, and consistency — you’ll find the cravings fade, your energy stabilises, and your mood feels grounded again.
And that’s exactly what I teach inside my 12-Week Coaching Programs — how to calm the chaos of hormones, get lean, and feel like yourself again.
Book a Strategy Session today to discover which program (1:1 or group) will best support you:
Because thriving through menopause isn’t about restriction — it’s about understanding your body and giving it what it truly needs.
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