Food Noise: What Is It, and How Do You Get Rid Of It?
Find yourself constantly thinking about food? You’re not alone. Many people experience this so-called ‘food noise’, a constant mental chatter about food, and it can be very hard to ignore. An increasing number of people are even resorting to GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy just to quieten their thoughts. But experiencing food noise isn’t a moral failing or a reflection on your personal willpower: it all comes down to biology, lifestyle, and diet history. We’re here to break down what exactly it means, and how you can turn the volume down if you’re finding it overwhelming.
What is food noise?
Food noise is different from hunger. It’s constant, intrusive internal chatter about food that is out of proportion to how hungry you feel, and it can take over your life. It may show up as thinking about your next meal immediately after eating, replaying food choices over and over in your head, or even feeling pulled towards food when you know you’re not hungry. The term ‘food noise’ is becoming more and more recognised as the use of appetite-regulating medications have become more common, with GLP-1 meds claiming to shut out this mind-clouding sound.
However, it’s important not to confuse food noise with normal hunger pangs or cravings. These are just a part of being human, and you’re allowed to enjoy and even look forward to food! But when the noise becomes impossible to ignore and interferes with your daily life and goals, it may be time to look into it.
Examples of food noise
So how do you know if you’re experiencing food noise, or if you just have normal, human thoughts about your next meal? Here are a few examples of food noise that might help you differentiate between the two:
- Opening the fridge repeatedly, just to check
- Planning snacks while still full, or having just eaten
- Feeling mentally exhausted by food decisions
- Feeling an unignorable need to eat something, even when you know you’re not hungry
There’s also a huge emotional layer to food noise. A guilt, frustration, or shame about the thoughts you’re having is common, as is feeling out of control or distracted by it all.
A normal, ‘quiet’ appetite will allow you to focus between meals without the thought of your next snack, and your hunger cues will come and go as you refuel throughout the day. Anything more than this, and you may be one of the many people experiencing food noise. But don’t worry – it’s not your fault, and there are various ways you can start tuning it out.
What causes food noise?
The first thing to understand when you’re trying to stop food noise is where it’s coming from, and there are various factors that might be adding to the problem for you.
- Biological causes:
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- Blood sugar fluctuations
- Hormonal imbalances
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- Lifestyle causes:
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- Lack of protein, fibre, or overall calories in your diet
- Poor sleep quality
- Psychological causes:
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- Stress eating or emotional regulation using food
- Hyperfocus on body or weight
- Social media causes:
- Constant exposure to food content
- Algorithm targeting diet messaging
Whether it’s just one or all of the above, so many factors can cause food noise. It’s important to focus on the ones within your control at first – prioritising a balanced diet, sleep, and giving your social media a good cull – to see if that helps. If it doesn’t, see your GP about testing your blood sugar or hormone levels. They may be able to give you some medications that will stop the noise once and for all.
How GLP-1 medications affect food noise
Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy: these words have been flooding discussions around health and wellness recently. But what do they actually do? These medications all mimic GLP-1 hormones, the ones in charge of regulating appetite, satiety and digestion. By doing so, your brain tells your body that you are fuller, faster, resulting in reduced hunger and lower calorie intake as a result. That’s why these medications are recommended for weight management, but many people who use them have also noted a significant reduction in food noise.
These medications may be a quick way to stop the chatter, but this isn’t guaranteed for everyone, and merely suppressing your appetite is not the same as healing your relationship with food. In fact, it’s very common for the food noise to come straight back once you come off these GLP-1 medications – and you’ll be back to square one all over again.
If you want to turn down the food noise in a way that will last long into the future, it’s important to focus on the permanent, natural lifestyle changes you can make. It’s a slower process, but it’ll be well worth it.
How to stop food noise naturally
If food noise is taking over your life, there are many things you can start doing today to quieten it, no medications needed.
1. Focus on nutrition
It all starts with your nutrition: make sure you’re eating enough overall, with plenty of protein, fibre, and slow-digesting cards to stabilise your blood sugar. This will reduce your cravings in between meals, and give your brain a well-deserved break from thinking about your next bite.
2. Don’t skip meals
It’s also important to have regular meals, and not skip them. Long gaps between eating will amplify your hunger signals, making those pangs harder to ignore and your mind easier to distract.
3. Build a healthy lifestyle
Outside of your diet habits, ensuring you have a healthy lifestyle is vital. Good quality sleep and stress management will regulate your appetite throughout the day, reducing cravings and quietening your mind. Regular exercise that you enjoy will also help with this.
4. Switch your mindset
Seeing foods as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ is common, but it’s detrimental. Moralising food in this way can lead you to negative habits and a poor relationship with diet and exercise, which will ultimately lead to you being less healthy overall. Seeing exercise as a punishment for overeating, as opposed to a way to support your wellbeing, is also a part of this. Working towards changing your relationship with food and exercise can be life-changing.
5. Don’t be hard on yourself
Set fair expectations for yourself. By working on reducing food noise naturally, you won’t wake up tomorrow morning with it gone: and that’s ok. Be kind to yourself, and don’t be disheartened if it takes a while for the chatter to go away. Just trust that with consistent effort in a way you find sustainable and enjoyable, food noise will eventually be a mere memory.
Supplements to stop food noise
If you’re trying to stop food noise naturally, there are a few supplements that can support your efforts and give you the best foundation you need to make a change:
- Protein powders: protein shakes or protein powders will keep you fuller for longer and curb your appetite in one easy drink
- Fibre supplements: focusing on fibre is vital for overall satiety and gut health, and you can try something like our Savoury SuperMeals to easily up your intake
- Magnesium: a magnesium supplement can be extremely beneficial for sleep and stress support
- Omega-3s: taking Omega-3 supplements offers critical support for your brain health, aiding with mood stabilisation and impulse control
Supplements won’t – and shouldn’t – switch off your appetite. Instead, they are there to support your body’s basic functions, helping balance out any gaps in your diet that may be contributing to food noise.
Stop food noise long-term
Quietening food noise isn’t about eliminating hunger, it’s about reducing the mental load you experience every day from the incessant chatter that comes with it. Ensuring you’re eating consistent, well-rounded meals, moving and resting your body as much as it needs, and having compassion towards yourself the whole time is the key to overcoming it. Stopping food noise comes from supporting your body, not fighting it.
If you want to fill any gaps in your nutrition, our range of supplements are designed to elevate your nutrition with the highest quality ingredients, to keep you feeling your best long into the future.
Shop our supplement range today.
