Hunger Management - Tips for Controlling Cravings

To start with a disclaimer, it is extremely important to note that we should never ignore genuine hunger queues (food is fuel!) – however, sometimes our cravings can trick us. From the mid-afternoon crash to late-night munchies, hunger cravings can be the result of many different factors, including nutrition, hydration, or even emotions. So, with the right strategies, that ‘snacky’ feeling can be avoided pretty easily, helping you stay on track with any health goals you’re working towards. We’re here to share these hunger management strategies, with all the tips and tricks you need to understand these cravings once and for all.

Why do we get cravings?

Cravings are not the same as hunger. They can even occur after you’ve eaten a full meal, since they’re nothing more than a false signal from your body. However, the two can be easily confused if you don’t know where cravings come from.

The reasons we experience food cravings fall into three main categories: biological, lifestyle, and behavioural causes. Being able to manage your hunger means you need to understand these causes inside out. Lets dive in:

Biological causes

If you aren’t nourishing your body right, your body will create strong ‘hunger’ signals that can be hard to ignore. It’s an evolutionary response; we just want to survive. But now, instead of the primal need to forage in the wild, our body prompts us to reach for easy, often unhealthy snacks.

These cravings can come from high-sugar or high-carb meals causing a spike in your blood sugar, followed by the inevitable crash – so don’t be surprised if you’re desperate for something else sweet soon after you’ve eaten. Skipping meals can also cause extra cravings once you do sit down and eat. This is due to your body overcompensating for its lack of food with stronger ‘hunger’ signals later in the day, as it’s worried it won’t get more sustenance for a while.

Lifestyle causes

There are two big causes for cravings that are very much within your control: hydration and sleep. If you’re dehydrated, it’s easy – and very common – to mistake that thirst for hunger. Poor sleep can also cause extra ‘hunger’ pangs, as a result of the hormonal imbalances it can lead to. So, if you’ve got cravings you can’t ignore, have a think about whether either of these factors are playing a role.

Emotional/behavioural causes

Finally, there are various emotional or behavioural reasons that might be causing your cravings. Boredom-, stress, or habit-driven snacking are very common, and are avoided by getting to the root of the emotion, rather than by tackling the craving itself. Comfort eating is also a big one, and tying reward systems to food can lead to excess munching too.

Focus on nutrition to prevent cravings

If you’re fuelling your body with good stuff, it won’t feel the need to prompt you for more food when it doesn’t need it. If you’re not sure where to start, these are our top pieces of advice when it comes to your nutrition:

Prioritise protein and fibre in your meals to stay fuller for longer
Don’t cut out all fats! Healthy fats slow your digestion down
Try to opt for low-GI carbs like soy products, oats, lentils, and beans to stabilise energy
Eat at regular intervals to avoid those big energy dips throughout the day
Swap out your favourite snacks for tasty, healthy alternatives (chocolate bar -> greek yoghurt with berries)

By following these simple rules, your body should have everything it needs throughout the day to keep you energised and satiated, helping prevent those false hunger pangs that push you to unhealthy snacks!

Lifestyle hacks for controlling cravings

It’s not all about the diet – you could be eating the rainbow every single day and still experience those niggling cravings if your lifestyle isn’t supporting it. If your nutrition is solid already, and you’re still struggling with hunger management, consider the following factors when trying to curb the cravings:

Hydration: are you actually hungry, or is it thirst? Drink water before reaching for a snack to be sure
Sleep: you should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, otherwise you may get hormonal hunger pangs
Mindfulness: check in with yourself before you snack to discover if you’re just bored or stressed, not actually hungry
Redirect energy: if you know it’s just a craving, distract yourself with a nice walk, cup of herbal tea, or gum
Plan ahead: have meals prepared and healthy snacks on hand to stay on top of your food intake

Of course, many of us live very busy lives and doing all of this isn’t always possible. ‘Hunger’ can still strike, even when we’re doing our best to eat and live well. And in that case, we might have a little something up our sleeve…

Keeping you fuller for longer:

While it’s not a substitute for a good diet or wellness habits, we do have a secret weapon when it comes to curbing cravings. Smart supplements can come in very handy when working on appetite control, especially if you’ve got some strongly ingrained habits. Our Hunger Killa uses a combination of ginger extract, glucomannan, chromium, and inositol to maintain normal blood glucose levels, keeping you feeling fuller for longer. Easy, convenient, and completely vegan and GMO free, it’s the perfect sidekick for anyone focusing on hunger management.

If you experience strong cravings, don’t worry. It’s completely normal, and everyone gets them at some point. However, they are controllable through the right nutrition and lifestyle habits, so come back to this post whenever you need a reminder of the tweaks you can make to avoid those distracting hunger pangs.

In general, though, listen to your body, fuel it consistently every day, and keep handy supplements like Hunger Killa ready if you need a little extra support.

Check out our Dietitian-Approved, Tips for Weight Management to learn more about this topic.