5 Common Causes Of Food Cravings

16 Oct 5 Common Causes Of Food Cravings

Posted at 08:25h in Advice, Weight Loss by

Food cravings can be a challenge for anyone trying to lose weight or maintain a weight they’re happy at. Instead of battling against cravings and relying on willpower, we support our clients in getting to the root cause. Tackling the underlying causes of your food cravings and overcoming them can help free you from their grip and support your weight loss. In this article we’ll take a look at five of the most common causes of food cravings and what you can do to tackle them.

5 COMMON CAUSES OF FOOD CRAVINGS

STARCHY CARB BASED MEALS

We tend to base our meals around starchy carbohydrates. Wheat based products like breakfast cereals, bread, pasta and white flour products make up a substantial amount of our diet. But basing our meals around these foods can create a blood sugar rollercoaster. When we eat foods high in starchy carbs or sugars our blood sugar rises rapidly. The body wants to maintain a state of balance, so to counter this high level of sugar in the blood stream it releases insulin to carry the sugar away into cells. When this happens, our blood sugar dips and that’s when we experience cravings for foods that will increase our blood sugar once again. And so the cycle continues.

How to tackle it: Balancing your blood sugar levels is key in combating cravings. The glycemic index rates carbohydrates on how quickly they break down into simple sugars. Here’s our guide to the glycemic index if you’re interested in learning more. Sticking to smaller portions of lower glycemic carbs is key in combatting cravings. Instead of basing your meals on bread, pasta or rice, include more non-starchy vegetables in your meals. Aim to fill half of your plate with a variety of different coloured vegetables. If they’re seasonal and organic, even better.

LACK OF PROTEIN

Protein fills us up and keeps us satisfied in a way that carbohydrates don’t. Eating protein with carbohydrates will also help to slow the release of those carbohydrates into the bloodstream. This helps to prevent those blood sugar fluctuations we mentioned earlier. Lack of protein at mealtimes can be a big cause of food cravings.

How to tackle it: Ensure you include good quality protein at all mealtimes. Good sources of protein include eggs, fish, seafood, organic meat, tofu and tempeh. Foods like beans, chick peas, lentils and quinoa provide a combination of protein and carbohydrates. If you’re making a smoothie, add in a scoop of good quality protein powder. And if you do need an afternoon snack, choose a protein rich one.

TIREDNESS

Lack of sleep is a huge driver for cravings. When we don’t get enough sleep our body produces more of the hunger hormone ghrelin and less leptin, the hormone that makes us feel full. If you don’t sleep enough you’re more likely to experience cravings. And chances are, it won’t be salad you find yourself craving.

How to tackle it: Work on getting at least eight hours a night. Set a regular bedtime (and stick to it). Minimise alcohol intake; drinking hugely compromises sleep quality. Avoid screens at least an hour before bed. If you can’t do this, wear blue light blocking glasses. Cut out caffeine in the afternoon and include physical activity in your daily routine.

EMOTIONAL TRIGGERS

Stress, sadness, loneliness, boredom… a wide range of emotions can trigger a desire to eat when you’re not actually hungry. Many of us were taught to associate treat foods with positive feelings. Cake at birthdays, mince pies at Christmas, sweets or a meal out as a reward for good behaviour or academic achievements. It’s no wonder we have come to associate eating with making us feel better. That’s before you consider how certain foods change our biochemistry. Chocolate, for example, contains compounds known to have mood-enhancing effects.

How to tackle it: First, get clear on what triggers your desire to eat. One of the best ways to do this is to keep a food and mood journal noting down everything you eat and how you feel at the time. Don’t put pressure on yourself to follow a restrictive diet plan. The idea is to get clear on what’s driving your desire to eat foods that aren’t supporting you. You may notice common themes start to appear. For example, do you find yourself running out to buy a brownie or other sweet treat when someone has upset you? Or maybe you’re in the habit of mindlessly roaming the kitchen cupboards when you’re bored in the evening? Once you’ve worked out the trigger, you can find a more supportive habit to replace it with.

NOT ENOUGH FOOD

It may come as no surprise that not eating enough can leave you craving food. If you’re trying to lose weight, cutting your calories to as few as possible is not the solution. Your body needs nourishment. If it doesn’t get what it needs, cravings are its way of trying to get you to eat more. It is possible to lose weight and maintain a weight you’re happy at without having to be constantly hungry and battling cravings.

How to tackle it: Even if you are trying to lose weight, you do not have to drop your calories so low that you are in a constant state of hunger. It is possible to lose weight quickly and effectively without suffering from endless cravings and hunger. Read our guide on how to structure balanced meals to ensure that you’re eating in a way that fills you up and keeps you satisfied.

WORK WITH US

If you are looking to lose weight, we can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your happy weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 mintue call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

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SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

 

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of th clinic.

 

Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning.

 

A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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