Are Cravings JUST Hunger?!
Are cravings just hunger? This is a very common question I get from a lot of clients and followers. There is a lot of misinformation out there regarding cravings, hunger and more. Please don’t fall into the trap of believing that “all cravings are *just* hunger” because this is not actually true.
While yes, sometimes cravings can be an indicator of hunger, here are the most common factual (fact + actual) reasons why we crave food, sugar or chocolate:
> Imbalance of Macros; either at a single meal or daily. Yes, it can be that simple! Consuming an imbalance of protein, fat and even carbs if you’re eating some “Choice” Carbs as I refer to them with clients, can be a huge factor with both hunger and cravings.
> Insulin resistance. Nutrients are blocked from entering the cell(s). If nutrients can’t get in, then how can we function? Cellular energy is significantly impacted as well!
> Hormone imbalances; this is a cascade… stress hormones (cortisol + DHEA), sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), hunger hormones (leptin, ghrelin). Variations of too high, too low OR, an imbalanced ratio to each other of any or all of the above can be contributing factors to hunger and cravings.
> Leaky Gut Syndrome; malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies come with the territory. But this just means that you have to heal the “territory” to truly fix the Leaky Gut issue.
> Mineral deficiencies… magnesium, potassium, sodium, iodine just to name a few. This is also a scenario where they can actually be high, low OR have an imbalanced ratio to each other, causing an issue with hunger or cravings.
> Emotional stress. This is super common so you’re not alone!! This is also not one that most midlife women really want to talk about. A huge factor here is the realization that feeding an emotional craving with food will not actually deal with the problem. It will stuff the issue down further and likely contribute to already existing digestive issues. Not to mention making the hunger problem worse!
… Did you know that digestive issues often stem from eating our feelings?
> Under eating or over eating for your individual body + metabolism. Reference to #1.
There are definitely more but that’s a good start. Each of these could also have a blog post of its own. In any case, the moral is if something you hear doesn’t feel right, trust your intuition and keep searching for the answers that work for YOU!
If you’re just tired of the guesswork, send me a message and let’s see if it’s a fit to work together! I have group and private one on one options.
Hope this starts to clear up some misinformation about cravings vs. hunger.
XOXO
SHARE THIS POST
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...
Ready to ditch the diet mentality and rock your body with the confidence you’ve always dreamed of?! I can help get you there!
I’m Dani Conway! From ex-overweight-yo-yo-dieter to a pioneer and expert in the Low Carb, Keto and Carnivore space; Board Certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner, Functional Blood Work Specialist, Weight Loss, Hormone and Gut Health Expert…
My super power is beating the diet industry!
It’s time to stop starving and start living!
