Interesting stuff! Especially the craving salty/vitC/chicken broth - that might be a clue to how it works.
I can think of two ways that might make some sense... Maybe you're shifting structure in a broad sense, and losing the thing in yourself that gives molecular structure to the water inside you (blood) - salt as an electrolyte regulates a lot of bodily functions, simply by having more or less saline blood. Another idea is that the action of changing an object mentally requires some flow of electricity, and the easiest donor of electrons ubiquitous in your body is the Cl- ion, again from salt. Idk, I'm spitballing ideas. Would you be interested in doing some experiments? Try things like eat a big meal before, eating normally once and then eating those foods you crave another time, and keep a log, and just test anything you can think of.
Unrelated, but I'm convinced my grandma is a legit psychic. I think she mentioned it once, but yesterday I think she proved it. While we were talking, she kept appearing to be distracted by something in the vicinity of my stomach. I thought it meant I'd gained weight... Well, I have a spot in my gut that's torn, and it causes pain. I know its torn there because I can see it in dreams or meditation. When I brought it up with the doctor, he just sat there and gaslit me, like he always does. Anyways, there's no pain today and I can see that its significantly healed. Still there, but better. So... I think my grandma did something with her mind. Lol, re-reading that is painfully ridiculous. But I do think these things can happen, so why not.
