We’ve all been there: A nagging desire to reach for that bag of chips to kick that craving… Or is it actually hunger you’re experiencing?
If you mix up your hunger and craving cues, this lesson is for you! But even if you don’t have trouble differentiating between the two, we still encourage you to tune in—you may just learn something new.
Ahead, Dr. Cederquist and Nicole RD explain the difference between true hunger and cravings and why knowing the distinction is critical for your wellness journey. You’ll also learn how to manage hunger appropriately and tips to identify (and overcome) your craving triggers.
Dr. Cederquist: Many, if not all of us, have struggled with hunger and cravings. You know where the craving and hunger is so strong we find it hard to resist or feel a lack of willpower and control and give in to the temptation and then feel extremely discouraged. Fortunately, there's a way out of this continuous cycle and we're going to let you in on these secrets today.
Dr. Cederquist: Welcome back! I'm Dr. Caroline Cederquist and joining me again is Nicole Hartwick, a registered dietitian at bistroMD.
Nicole: Hi, everyone! The past few lessons we covered how protein and carbohydrates can really impact your hunger and cravings. But today we want to take a deeper dive into the differences between true hunger and cravings and how you can manage both.
Dr. Cederquist: So first let's address the difference between hunger versus the craving as these very often get confused.
Nicole: Yeah, I think it's important to really talk about the difference. So hunger is a physical need in which we might experience like our stomach growling, maybe we have a headache, low energy, or we feel shakiness because our blood sugar is low.
Nicole: Whereas cravings is a mental desire. It can be for a specific food or food group and is often triggered by emotions. So maybe when we're bored or we're stressed or feeling really tired and we tend to blame ourselves for constant cravings. But our appetite control system, our hormones, and our blood sugar frankly have been hijacked and dysregulated by the standard American diet, which is ultra-processed food that is higher in fat, sugar, and salt.
Dr. Cederquist: Absolutely, Nicole. And one hormone we really need to address is ghrelin, which I like to think of as ghrelin means go to the appetite. Ghrelin is specifically signals the brain to eat, increases our appetite, and therefore makes us hungry. So if we've gone without food for a while, ghrelin tells the brain it's go time to eat. And once we eat, ghrelin levels decrease.
Nicole: Yeah, so what increases our ghrelin, and therefore increases our hunger levels, comes down to multiple main reasons. First off is going too long without food intake. So when we eat matters, this is why at bistroMD we recommend eating adequate protein every two to four hours and maintaining a regular eating pattern.
Dr. Cederquist: Another cause for increased ghrelin is eating ultra-processed foods because what we eat also matters. Foods high in salt, sugar, and fat trigger our brain's reward pathways, which can increase our cravings. And the more we eat, the more we crave.
Nicole: A third reason is poor sleep can also impact your ghrelin levels and make us hungrier as well as increase our cravings for carbohydrates and sugar. And I will add that sleep apnea is one to also negatively impact ghrelin levels and our weight loss.
Dr. Cederquist: Fourth, stress can create higher ghrelin levels and also increase cortisol, which can affect blood sugar control. Both of these increase hunger.
Dr. Cederquist: Stress eating is another issue entirely. In order to soothe anxiety and emotions, we may reach for food even though we know we're not hungry and almost no one reaches for chicken or broccoli. We reach for salty snacks or sweets. These ultra-processed foods then trigger more hunger and more eating. It's a vicious cycle.
Nicole: Yes. And lastly, the loss of muscle mass with fad diets and yo-yo dieting can also negatively impact ghrelin levels. This is why we recommend adequate protein intake throughout your day for weight loss in our practice and it is the cornerstone of your bistroMD meals.
Dr. Cederquist: So what can we do to help manage hunger and cravings? There are eight things we can take action on to help.
Dr. Cederquist: The first is to maintain regular eating patterns. BistroMD meals and snacks are designed to help regulate your blood sugar and hunger hormones to get you back to a balanced state to decrease hunger and cravings. This can occur pretty quickly, such as within two to three weeks or less if you are getting the right balance of protein, carbs, and fats.
Dr. Cederquist: It's critical that if you are only doing the lunches and dinners or a five-day program, please build your other meals by following the do-it-yourself guide to ensure the macronutrients of the meals you create are similar.
Nicole: Secondly, consuming a balanced diet and limiting ultra-processed foods can also be helpful. When we eat adequate lean protein, controlled carbohydrates, and healthy fats, we can actually decrease ghrelin levels to help us feel more satiated. This is why the balance of these satiating nutrients is the foundation of your bistroMD meals and snacks.
Dr. Cederquist: Third, we want to manage our stress, whether it be with exercise, meditation, or therapy.
Nicole: Yes, and speaking of exercise, that can also help reduce ghrelin levels too.
Dr. Cederquist: And fifth, ensure adequate sleep and receive proper treatment if you have sleep apnea.
Nicole: Yes. Six, ensure the preservation of lean muscle mass by eating adequate protein throughout your day via three meals and two to three protein snacks daily.
Dr. Cederquist: Number seven is drink enough water, aiming for at least eight cups each day. Many of us can be mildly dehydrated and this also increases hunger signaling.
Nicole: And lastly, cravings sometimes can be a learned behavior, like sitting in front of the TV each night and snacking. The good news is that habits can be unlearned. So you can change the routine in the evening, maybe you go for a walk, do some crafting, or read a book.
Nicole: The key though is to stay consistent with these behaviors for them to stick as long-term habits. The reality is we all have cravings and indulging in them from time-to-time is absolutely okay. The bottom line is we don't want for you to feel restricted and deprived and we want for you to find what works for you.
Dr. Cederquist: Precisely, there is not only one way that works and I would often discuss with my patients two strategies that are completely opposite from each other with regards to cravings or with regards to foods that people may feel they have a hard time helping a healthy relationship with.
Dr. Cederquist: For example, some of my patients shared that they needed something sweet every night. “I want a square of dark chocolate after dinner. If I have it, I feel satisfied and not deprived. If you tell me to cut it out, dark chocolate is all I think about, even in the morning, which is bizarre.” So for that patient, we recommended they have a square or other portion-controlled amount of dark chocolate every night to signal the end of dinner and food for the day. And it worked!
Dr. Cederquist: For other patients, they would share that this did not work for them. “One square of chocolate? That makes me want to eat the entire bar of chocolate and then everything else!” For that patient, the strategy that worked was not to have this tempting food in the house where they could feel it calling to them and making them feel out of control. Instead, their strategy was to have treat foods like chocolate, or ice cream, or wine wherever it was outside of the house, where there was a defined portion and have it less frequently, like once a week.
Dr. Cederquist: Completely different strategies, but similarly great results. And you may find that different treat foods require different strategies, like you do well with a square of dark chocolate daily, but you can't stick to one portion of chips. One chip equals half the bag, or one portion of chips equals half the bag. So then for you, chips are only eaten outside of the house in a single-serving bag and you enjoy them. Think about what would work for you and set yourself up for success.
Nicole: Yes. You want to create what works for you. We are really trying to regain control of our appetite control system, our hormones, and stabilize our blood sugar. And this will take time, so stick with it.
Dr. Cederquist: We know you can do this. And with time, you can manage hunger and cravings once and for all. Thanks for joining us!
Nicole: Yes, bye!