Fueling FHIT Series: Cravings Made Clear

Cravings are our body’s way of communicating, but the message isn’t always clear. Sometimes that late-night chocolate fix is your brain flagging a nutrient gap, other times it’s hormones at play, or simply a habit you’ve built over time. Emotional triggers and psychological cues can sneak in too, which is why cravings can feel so complex.

We’re breaking cravings down into categories – physical, emotional, hormonal, and habitual – to help you better understand what your body is really asking for. By learning to decode your cravings, you’ll be able to respond in a way that supports your health and goals, without confusion.

Hunger For More
Nutrient deficient cravings occur as a signal that your body is lacking a particular vitamin, mineral, or nutrient. These cravings are usually more consistent and very specific, so pay close attention as they may indicate the following:

• Salty snacks = low sodium or electrolyte imbalance
• Sweets = low blood sugar and the need for fuel
• Ice or crunchy foods = iron deficiency
• Dairy = low Calcium or Vitamin D
• Chocolate = magnesium deficiency

Feeling Hungry
Food cravings can be emotional cues that are triggered by feelings and moods that often want to be fed or soothed. Stress, sadness, and fatigue crave for feel-good foods like cake, ice cream, and pasta. The sweet treats and carb heavy foods can provide either a dopamine rush or serotonin boost. They are associated with feelings of joy and happiness and can provide what feels like a quick pick me up. 

Crunchy foods like popcorn, chips, and pretzels are associated with feelings of stress, frustration and anxiety and are used to relieve tension. These same snacky foods can be used to relieve boredom too. This also includes nuts, candy, and finger foods that act as temporary entertainment for the brain. 

When the body is feeling fatigued it may crave sugar and caffeine. Chocolate, soda, coffee, and energy drinks may provide that desirable burst of energy. 

Hormonal Hunger
Hormones play a big part in triggering cravings and can be the hardest to regulate. Insulin is the hormone your body uses to manage energy. Meal spacing and fueling the body throughout the day is at the core of every meal plan I prescribe. By eating at regular intervals, the body has time to adjust insulin levels, and this supports metabolic health. When blood sugars drop too low the brain is signaled that it needs energy, and this creates cravings for carbs, sugar, or low nutrient foods. If insulin is not working properly, cells do not get the fuel they need so choose your “gas” wisely. 

Cortisol, the stress hormone, is easily affected by lack of sleep and increased stress levels. The body will crave high fat and high sugar foods. These comfort foods are used to ease feelings of stress, but it is best to work on the underlying issues rather than feed the problem. 

Estrogen and progesterone trigger cravings at various times throughout a woman’s menstrual cycle and during perimenopause and menopause. These fluctuations trigger cravings for salty, sweet, and high fat foods but they have an inverse relationship. When one hormone level is high the other may be low and the constant shifts can also mean consistent but varying cravings.

Habitual Hunger
I often talk about repeating and practicing behaviors to create a habit. The hope is that these practices become part of a healthy lifestyle. Well, this can happen with any repeated behavior and sometimes the mind and body start to crave certain foods as part of a reward system that has inadvertently become an unhealthy habit. These cravings are often triggered by certain times, places, or activities. This could mean having a 4pm craving for a snack daily or munching on a particular food while watching your favorite television show. The best way to stop these cravings is to identify the hunger cues, reduce the frequency of the reward and start making alternate food choices.

Cravings aren’t your enemy, they’re signals. So, stop and ask: is it hunger, habit, or emotion? Then start planning to satisfy these cravings with nutrient dense foods and smart alternatives to keep blood glucose regulated. Stay mindful, plan, and cravings will lose their power.

For any questions about nutrition, please email sleatright7@gmail.com or message Shara on Instagram @sharardnyc.

Inspired to keep moving? Book your next FHIX here.