The Science of Food Cravings

Gutsy Health | Nutrition and Medicine

25-10-2022 • 44 mins

Show Summary:

"Everybody wants to change. But we can’t because we are all addicts. Our drug is sugar and we have food that gives pleasure to our brain, so we can’t let go of it.”

We all desire to be healthier. And when we actually attempt to, our usual resolutions would be to cut down on anything ‘unhealthy’ that we can think of. Sipping coffee less in the morning and taking out carbs in the evening. This path becomes an uphill battle that only backfires on us.

Food addiction has always been an in-demand subject. Even though we have listened to and agreed to all the experts’ advice, we just can’t seem to get past these cravings. It’s like answering the call of nature, and we have no logical control over it.

Gutsy Health Podcast Co-host, Gina Worful, is a schooled dietitian that struggled with her own food cravings. Thanks to her experience, she is the best resource to unpack the secret of how to satisfy it while sticking to your goal of being healthy.

Satiate your cravings and know the science behind them. Listen to Episode 42 of the Gutsy Health Podcast!

Exceptional Highlights:

  • It’s not a question of your willpower. Cravings are a sign of imbalance that can’t be pushed away by thoughts but rather, by having the right chemistry in your body.
  • Stress hormones trigger the adrenaline and nervous system to be overactive and dysregulated. This induces our brain to have cravings because it’s in survival mode.
  • When you start learning and loving your body, it naturally comes back into alignment and in optimal health.

Show Highlights:

Fight or flight has become a baseline mode in today’s society

Juanique 07:01

  • Most of us are stressed yet unaware of it. Being anxious and alert all the time becomes so normalized in our modern pace, and this has contributed to our uncontrollable cravings.

The relationship of feel-good hormones to our food addictions

Gina 11:2

  • Sugar, carbohydrates, and salty food give us temporary serotonin and dopamine boosts. Consuming protein and other minerals sustainably satiate these cravings because it replenishes our deficiencies.

Change your palate by nipping it in the bud

Gina 16:18

  • Gradually eating healthier is a waste of time. Because our palates have become used to processed food, continuing to eat it would make it taste better compared to cleaner options.

Extreme dependence on food versus enjoying it in moderation

Juanique 22:11

  • Instead of giving up your favorite food entirely, it can still bring joy and happiness when enjoyed in bite-size pieces.

Conquering cravings likened to surfing waves

Gina 28:04

  • Like slow waves starting to build, it’d be better to lean forward and embrace your cravings because it helps us be attuned to our bodies so we can give them what it needs.

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Conquering Cravings Workshop


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