You may think food cravings during pregnancy are just an indulgence but, alternative therapist, Pat Thomas believes they have a purpose.

Food cravings and aversions are a normal part of life, but seem to intensify during pregnancy. Nutritionists believe that the craving is not for the food itself, but for what it contains and the effect it has on your body. Cravings can also be the result of a dietary imbalance. A high grain diet often produces wild cravings for fats and sweets. Those high in protein can bring on cravings for sugar, and high sugar consumption can make some individuals crave salt.

A craving is not a bad thing; it's a message from your body. If you are in tune enough, you will be able to respond to it appropriately. If a craving is allowed to turn into a regular binge, it could affect your health and the health of your baby.

During pregnancy you need all the right nutrients in the right proportion to stay healthy and help your baby to grow. It may be helpful to try and understand where cravings come from and the best ways to deal with them.

Here are some common cravings and what they may be telling you:

• Apples Calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium. This is a pretty healthy craving. If you have a high-fat diet, your body may be craving the pectin for its ability to lower cholesterol.
• Melon Potassium and vitamin A are its main nutrients. Canteloupes are also high in vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, biotin, and inositol - so go ahead, give into it.
• Cheese Calcium, phosphorous and aluminium. Eat more broccoli and other green vegetables as a lower fat alternative.
• Eggs Full of protein but also sulphur, amino acids, selenium and, in the yoke, fat. The white contains useful fat-dissolving choline. Often it's not the eggs, but the accompaniments (bacon, sausages etc) which are unhealthy. Vary your protein sources to include oily fish like salmon and mackerel and dried beans to ease the craving.
• Milk Calcium is the obvious choice. But milk also contains useful amino acids such as tryptophan, leucine and lysine. As long as you're not allergic, allow yourself an extra glass.
• Olives, pickles Sodium - your pregnant body needs more of it. Your body may also crave salt to balance excessive sugar intake.
• Peanut butter/nuts B-vitamins, protein and fat. You need more of each when you are pregnant. A diet rich in oily fish will help diminish the craving and be lower in calories.

Diet dilemmas

Food cravings during pregnancy can sometimes present ethical problems as well. Many pregnant vegetarian women find they get uncontrollable cravings for meat. During pregnancy your requirements for protein are greater and a craving for meat may be a message from your body that it needs more first-class protein. There is no easy answer to this. Some women give in to the craving over the short-term and revert to strict vegetarianism after the birth. Others find that including fish or balancing pulses and grains in their diet boosts their protein intake. Including more eggs, milk or cheese in your diet is another way to provide good protein.

Finally, some women experience uncontrollable cravings for chocolate while they are pregnant. Chocolate is a complex food, which can bring about a complex series of biochemical reactions in the body. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, can be a useful source of magnesium and iron. So if you are craving chocolate, you may be slightly anaemic. Less sugary sources of these minerals include nuts, seeds, dates and figs (for magnesium) and red meat, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans and oatmeal (for iron).

Eating chocolate also stimulates the release of 'feel good' brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) in the body; this combined with the immediate sugar boost, may help a woman who is tired or depressed to feel better, albeit for a short time.

Most commercially produced chocolate, however, is laced with additives and other undesirable synthetic chemicals (many of which are not listed on the label). So if occasionally you just have to give into the craving, try having organic chocolate as a somewhat healthier alternative.

A more positive approach to feeling good, however, would be to pursue a regular course of exercise and relaxation. If you're depressed you may want to consult a therapist to help you.

At the other end of the scale are aversions. As long as your diet contains a wide variety of foods, the odd aversion is unlikely to cause problems. However, if you suddenly develop an aversion to a food that is major source of nutrients for you, make sure you substitute other foods which will make up the deficit.

It is not uncommon for omnivorous women to suddenly develop an aversion to red meat during pregnancy. Like their vegetarian counterparts, as long as they are eating plenty of other protein foods (fish, cheese, nuts, tofu) and leafy green vegetables they too will be getting the iron and protein they require.

Meet other mums-to-be who are due at the same time as you.