We all get them. They’re the intense urge to find and eat chocolate (or chips, cookies, ice cream) even though we aren’t necessarily hungry. When we get a craving, no other food will suffice. Food cravings can emerge when we least expect it. And, they often make themselves known at the wrong times, like when we truly need a glass of water, an apple, sleep, or less stress.
 
A simple Google search will show you that you are far from alone. I found the results astounding!
 

• Craving carbs – 14,200,000 results

• Craving salt – 59,500,000 results

• Craving chocolate – 72,900,000 results

• Sugar cravings – 239,000,000 results

• Craving alcohol – 315,000,000 results

• Food cravings – 410,000,000 results

 
How do hunger & cravings differ?
Hunger is the feeling we have when our stomach is empty. Our appetite regulates our desire to eat food. Cravings are different. According to Harvard Health, cravings are “an intense urge to eat a certain food—ideally right away.”  We can help to alleviate our hunger with a variety of foods or ingredients. Cravings are typically for a single type of food. Following a meal, you aren’t hungry, but you may still have a craving for a food.
 
Are food cravings normal?
Food cravings are a normal part of human physiology, hard-wired in neuroscience and hormones (and a few other biological aspects). They tend to be quite specific and are usually directed toward sweet, salty, or fatty foods. Food cravings, by no means, reflect your value as a person. And you can triumph over food cravings.

Typical Triggers for Food Cravings –
Behavioral and Nutritional

 
Behavioral Triggers for Food Cravings

• Food euphoria - when the food we eat taps into the “feel good” centers that are hard-wired in the neurons of the brain. Those foods that are highly crave-able also stimulate the release of hormones that influence metabolism, stress levels, and appetite.

• Feeling stressed can make our food cravings even more powerful, especially when that stress is chronic. Increased levels of stress hormones such as cortisol ignite our “fight or flight” instincts so we search for food to have the energy we need to fight or flee. Eating the craved food provides us with some relief from that stress and helps us to cope with, or even distract from, stressful feelings — yet the coping and distraction are temporary. HPA Axis issues, aka adrenal insufficiency, often trigger salt cravings.

• Lack of sleep can heighten cravings due to its impact on our hormones. The hunger hormone, ghrelin, can be increased with a lack of sleep while simultaneously decreasing our satiety hormone, leptin.

• Day-to-day habits may also play a part in cravings. Having a habit of eating a ‘sweet’ after dinner, for example, reinforces that desire for the ‘sweet’; your body expects it. Additionally, if we eat when watching TV or scrolling social media, this habit can perpetuate our cravings.

 
Nutritional Triggers for Food Cravings

• Dehydration can serve as a common cause for salt cravings or hunger in general. Additionally, low electrolyte levels can also lead to cravings for salty foods.

• Lack of protein can lead to increased hunger overall and more particularly to craving protein or carbs and sugars. A diet with plenty of protein-rich, high-tryptophan foods, such as seafood, eggs, and poultry may be helpful in boosting mood and managing cravings.

• Lack of carbs frequently leads to a desire for sugar. You may find eating ½ sweet potato or ½ cup overnight oats significantly reduces that desire for sugar.

• Glycemic dysregulation or imbalances in blood glucose levels can lead to sugar cravings. And, if your blood sugar is low, you may crave something sweet to better balance your glucose level. Additionally, eating foods with a high glycemic index that lead to higher blood sugar levels tend to lead to more carb cravings and this is heightened if combined with a low mood.

• Gut microbiome; there are specific bacteria strains that increase our endogenous production of the ‘un-hunger’ hormone glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1). Increasing your endogenous production of GLP-1 may be helpful in reducing food cravings.

Other Potential Causes of Food Cravings

• Medications – Various medications can increase appetite and food cravings – those meds most known for this include antidepressants, antihistamines, corticosteroids, antipsychotics, and anti-seizure medications.

• Yeast/fungal overgrowth - Candida is a yeast that consumes the sugar we provide it with and then demands more and more and more – leading us to crave more and more sugar.

• Magnesium – Low magnesium levels can impair glucose metabolism and increase blood sugar levels, causing the body to crave sweets. Furthermore, chocolate cravings are common when magnesium levels are low.

How to Curb Food Cravings

• Drink water – Thirst may present as hunger or a craving. Staying appropriately hydrated decreases the likelihood of us incorrectly thinking we need to eat when instead we really need to drink water.

• Be (more) mindful – Mindful eating as defined by Harvard Health, “using all of your physical and emotional senses to experience and enjoy the food choices you make.” By mindfully paying attention to the thoughts and emotions that may fuel a craving, we can slow down and truly appreciate food. We can take smaller amounts, smell and appreciate the flavors, chew the food thoroughly, and relax between bites. Ask yourself if your food craving could be due to stress, boredom, anger, fatigue, or hunger. Consider a few minutes of deep breathing, listening to a meditation, calling. a friend, or go outside for a 5 minute walk to reconnect with your inner self before taking another bite. As you eat, continue your mindfulness practice by enjoying your food mindfully and without judgment.

• Balance meals – Focus on protein and fiber to feel satiate. To help better manage glucose control, when consuming your meals - eat your vegetables first that are fiber-rich, next your protein, and then your healthful carbohydrate foods.

• Have nutritious snacks available – Preparation and planning are key. If you have healthful options in your refrigerator, freezer, and/or pantry, you’ll set yourself up for success. If not, you may find that your healthful efforts get sabotaged.

• Be Active – Go for a walk, do some air squats, perform some yoga postures, hop on a bike, or whatever you enjoy – research has found that physical activity can reduce food cravings, particularly lessening your desire for foods that are less nutritious.

• Limit environmental cues – If you know that a certain sight, advertisement, location increase your desire for food cravings, do your best to avoid them when possible.

• Try non-food-related rewards – We have a tendency to reward ourselves with food, but depending on what we choose to eat, a food reward may set us up for disappointment. Instead, reward yourself with a walk, nap, hobby, book, or a massage.

• Manage stress – Simply avoiding stress sounds fantastic, but likely not at all realistic. Life can be stressful and we can’t entirely escape stress. That said, we can strategize to help us better manage our stress, which can lower our stress hormones and reduce food cravings.

• Aim for adequate quality sleep – Lack of sleep leads to increased hunger and food cravings. Inadequate sleep can negatively influence our appetite hormones and stress levels. Do your best to get in 7 or more hours of sleep each night. And yes, I realize that may be easier said than accomplished.

• Strengthen your gut microbiome – Diversify your gut microbiome by eating healthful plant foods. Increase your GLP-1 levels with Pendulum’s new probiotic on the market, GLP-1, designed to reduce food cravings (available for 20% off via Fullscript).

While choosing to eat healthfully is a choice, empowering yourself to curb your cravings will certainly add to your success!

Be well,
Natalie