E05 - The Craving Conundrum: A Mindful Approach to Eating Habits

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Welcome to the Mindful Balance Mini Podcast.

If you are a woman over 40,

ready to break free from fad diets

and discover the power of balance and confidence

in your life, then this podcast is for you

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I'm your host, I'm Rachel, a nutrition and mindset coach

and I'm going to break down everything you need to know

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Hey friends, it's Rachel and in today's episode we are diving into the topic of

food cravings, one of the hottest topics that many of us struggle with on our

journey towards a healthier lifestyle and a healthy relationship with food

specifically. If you've ever felt helpless in front of a block of chocolate

or a plate of fries, this episode is definitely for you.

Alright, so picture this. It is late in the evening and you are snuggled up on

the couch, probably watching your favorite Netflix series, when suddenly,

out of the blue, you are hit by an insatiable desire for a tub of ice cream.

This craving feels like a ravenous, unstoppable force, as if a giant bear had

just occupied your belly and is screaming at you that it wants food. If

this is something that you have experienced, then let me tell you this. It

It is not because you are weak

or because you're lacking self-control.

There's actually science behind it,

and that's exactly what I want to share with you today.

Let's begin with understanding what cravings really are.

Food cravings are an intense desire

to consume a specific type of food.

Think about those cravings as an over-eager friend who is insistent on taking you out

to that new dessert cafe, when really all you wanted was just to have something light like

a salad somewhere. This friend is driven by various factors including your hormones,

your environment and even your memories. So let's break it down. Hormones play a significant role in

our food cravings. So for instance, a hormone called grilling, also known as the hunger hormone,

signals your brain when it's time to eat. But grilling is a bit of a, let's call it,

Attention seeker. When you are stressed or not getting enough sleep, it really ramps up production,

tricking your brain into thinking that you are hungry even when you're not.

Then there's leptin, the satiety hormone, which signals your brain when you are full.

But like any other good communication system, things can go array sometimes.

So, for example, due to factors like high sugar intake, this message of "I am full"

can get lost in transmission, leading to something known as leptin resistance.

It's like shouting into a void. Your stomach is telling your brain that it's full.

We have all those sensations that are working in our stomach, but the brain just isn't hearing it.

It's not just hormones though. Our environments and mental states can induce cravings also.

Emotional eating is a prime example of that. When we reach for comfort food in order to manage our

feelings, it's like placing a band-aid over a wound. It might temporarily soothe, but it

It doesn't solve the underlying issue, which are your emotions.

Now you might wonder, why is it so hard to overcome those cravings?

The answer lies in our neural pathways.

Stay with me here.

When we give in to a craving and consume that sugary treat, our brain releases a chemical

called dopamine.

is also more commonly known as the feel-good neurotransmitter. It's like a firework display

in your brain, a celebration that kind of reinforces the behavior of eating something,

making it into a habit. So each time you cave into a craving, you're basically strengthening

this habit. It's like carving a deeper and deeper path through a forest. Overcoming cravings isn't

about brute willpower. It's really about understanding and managing these forces.

And here are a few things to keep in mind. First, recognizing that cravings are just a habit loop

is super helpful, like a song on repeat. The craving is triggered, we give in, we feel good,

and the cycle restarts. To break this loop, we really need to introduce new behaviors.

A real-life example could be your afternoon craving for a cookie or sugary latte. The trigger

might be that 3 p.m. you get that moment when you start feeling like really sluggish and that

fatigue that comes with midday working and the routine is going to be going to the vending

machine for your treat and the reward is that brief surge of energy. If you want to change this

loop, you can try to replace the routine while keeping the trigger and the reward intact.

Let me give you an example. Next time you feel that craving at the same time, say 3 p.m.,

instead of immediately complying with it, we could go for that walk, or we could drink a glass of

order or make herself a nice iced coffee. It's like changing the track on your

playlist. It might feel strange at first but soon it will become the new norm.

Second thing, let's talk about tuning into your hunger cues. Now this might

seem like trying to understand a foreign language at first. I know that, I'm aware

of it but bear with me. Consider your hunger on a scale of 1 to 10. 1 means you are starving and 10

means you are uncomfortably full. Think Thanksgiving dinner. The goal is to eat when you are at a 3

and stop eating when you are around a 7. So let's say it's dinner time, you cooked up your favorite

pasta dish and you feel the urge to go for seconds. Before you do that, what if you take a moment to

check in with your hunger cues? Are you still physically hungry or are you full and just want

to eat that one extra bite because it tastes so good? If it is the latter one, consider putting

down the fork and maybe waiting for a while. Give yourself maybe two minutes and then five minutes.

Often, you'll find that the feeling of fullness really sets in after a delay and you didn't really

need that second helping after all. Always give yourself permission to eat more. I don't want you

to decide ahead of time that you're only allowed to have one portion of something. However, the

The more you practice creating that space and time and place between you and your craving,

the more likely you are to go for it without immediately doing it mindlessly.

The more you take that pause, the easier it is to hear what your body is trying to tell

you.

And that takes me to the last step, and perhaps this is the most important one.

I want you to practice being kind to yourself.

Practicing self-compassion is super essential in this journey.

Change takes time.

Every time you manage to switch tracks or break that habit loop, I want you to celebrate

that small victory.

And if you slip up and that will happen and it happens, it's part of life, I don't

want you to beat yourself up for it.

I want you to remember that even the most well-traveled paths have a few bumps along

the way and that's completely normal and to be expected.

So let's take an example.

You've had a tough day at work, we all have them, and you find yourself reaching for that

chocolate bar at night.

You had dinner, you are full, but you still hear that voice that says "go eat the chocolate."

We've all been there.

What if instead of berating yourself afterwards, you would acknowledge what happened?

Instead of closing your eyes and checking out, maybe write down in a journal and try

to identify what triggered this behavior.

Was it stress?

Are you exhausted?

Were you bored?

Are you sad?

Maybe you felt sorry for yourself for things that happened earlier in the day.

Maybe you are overwhelmed by things that are coming up for you at work or at home or with

other people or maybe you are just feeling unfulfilled at the moment and maybe resentful.

These are all valid emotions to process.

Once you identify the trigger, then you can work on possibly finding healthier ways to

respond next time.

For example, taking a bath, maybe calling a friend, practicing some deep breathing and

replacing that automatic respond with something new.

Alright friends, I know that this was a lot of information to take in, but that's a wrap

on today's episode.

Overcoming food cravings is a journey.

It's not a destination and it's definitely something that takes time.

It's like, think about sailing a ship through a storm.

Yes, the winds of craving might be strong and the waves of habit may feel at times impossible

to overcome, but you are the captain of your ship and I want you to remember that.

You have the power to steer it towards calmer water or maybe even a new destination altogether.

And it is so well worth the effort.

So please be patient, be persistent and definitely, definitely be kind to yourself.

Until next time, here's to making meaningful changes one day at a time.

Love you guys.

Bye.

Thank you for tuning in to the Mindful Balance Podcast today. I hope you enjoyed our conversation

and find inspiration to find your unique balance and confidence. Remember that the journey

continues on Instagram. You can find me @rachelemmanutrition. That is one word where I share daily nuggets

of wisdom to help you reach your goals with ease.

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Until next time, take care and stay mindful.

Bye.

Thank you for listening to The Mindful Balance.

The Mindful Balance is brought to you by Rachel Emma Nutrition.

Our editing and mixing engineer is Michael Plawner.

Our theme song is Good Feelings by Bo Gleason.

The information in this podcast does not substitute for medical or psychological advice and is

intended for educational purposes only.

Please consult a qualified health professional regarding health conditions or concerns before

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Rachel Emma Nutrition LLC and accompanying websites and social media platforms are not

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