Have you ever asked yourself ”Why am I so hungry all the time?” If you feel this and don’t know why, here are a few things you can do. But first, let’s understand hunger vs cravings and how to tell the difference.
Hunger is a nutritional need for food to survive. It is a signal and not an emergency since the body has ways to regulate this. If we only had ghrelin (our hunger hormone) to manage hunger, then in times of stress or crises, we might forget to eat. In these cases, cortisol (our stress hormone), will make us go for food.
Cravings (dopamine is the craving hormone) help the brain remember where to get the food so that we don’t starve in times of famine. It creates a memory. Now, when we create memories around processed foods e.g., at a sports game, etc., and then go back to that event, we get this strong desire for the food again.
This is amplified because food companies add processed chemicals that light up the dopamine area of the brain as much as possible, so it’s extra hard to resist.
Dopamine will make you do whatever it takes to get the food, and we’ve created a society that is addicted to intense dopamine hits. A walk in the sunshine will give you a dopamine hit, but not to the extent that ultra-processed foods will. And it starts early. The kid’s menu creates this issue for children early on which is very hard for them to shake once they get older.
What about intuitive eating? Does that work? In the presence of a whole foods diet, yes it can. But intuition can be tainted and won’t work if you are eating processed foods.
For instance, if there are certain processed foods that when in the house, you can’t stop thinking about them, this creates an invasive thought pattern and you’re better off not having them around. To set yourself up for success, you must take out ALL the processed foods and beverages first, and then you can apply intuitive eating.
How can you know the difference between nourishment (appetite) and dopamine (craving)? One way is to use the vegetable test. If you’re hungry, you’ll eat anything and be happy with veggies, but if you only want a specific food, then it’s more likely your cravings at work.
Here is a gentle approach to help you avoid falling for your cravings:
- Focus on timing of eating – stop eating 3 hours before bed and wait an hour after waking to have breakfast. Instead, go for a walk first thing in the morning to reset your circadian rhythm, which is tightly connected to appetite regulation.
- Eat enough protein at each meal, especially breakfast (or your first meal of the day). Your hormones are very responsive to your first meal as it sets the tone for appetite and cravings for the rest of the day. And protein will give you a dopamine hit without increasing your appetite.
- Be sure to see a Certified Nutritionist or other practitioner to test for and address any gut bacteria issues since an imbalance can make you crave the wrong stuff and absorb more calories from the food you eat.
Deciding that you want to make a change is the first key. Then if you’ve been trying to make these changes for a while and haven’t been successful, that is the time to reach out for help.
