Good morning! This week’s edition is less of an informative lesson and more of a thought piece. It was inspired by this episode of The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Show about our gut microbiome. Though they didn’t spend too much time discussing this particular topic that stood out to me, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.  

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Hunger vs. Craving

I have a sweet tooth. Or, perhaps, several sweet teeth. 

One of my greatest cruxes in health and fitness is managing my sugar intake.

This may be my biggest “Do as I say, not as I do,” moment. While I always try to moderate, I inevitably cave in—a lot. It feels like even more so lately. 

Sometimes people write things—books, even—because they most need to hear them. It’s true about a lot of authors; we write for ourselves, as much as for our audience. That’s the case with this newsletter, and it’s particularly true this week.

Dr. Shah mentioned something on Dr. Lyon’s podcast that I couldn’t get out of my mind since hearing it!

It was about the difference between hunger and craving.

Lyon’s guest, Dr. Amy Shah, pointed out the stark differences between the two words, which we often combine and conflate with one another.

Hunger is a biological signal. It comes from our stomach, our digestive system, and our nervous system, communicating to our brain that we need more nourishment. If we’re lacking in both volume and nutrition after several hours without eating, our body usually signals it’s time to eat again. Pretty simple, and something we all understand.

Craving, on the other hand, is all about dopamine. And it can be about many things other than food as well. We can crave nicotine, gambling, sex, alcohol, sugar, adventure, social media engagement, and a whole host of other things—often our vices. But food is one of the cravings most of us encounter on a daily basis. 

Dopamine is addictive. Once you do something pleasurable to trigger its release, you will begin to seek out that behavior again and again. When you go without it, cravings—and even withdrawals in extreme circumstances—can ensue.

As Dr. Shah noted, craving is one of the only forces that will make you get up from your current state, displace yourself, and travel to obtain what it is you desire. Dopamine is powerful.

• And when she said this, it clicked with me. I don’t crave sweets because I’m hungry. I typically eat pretty large, filling meals. I don’t expect a chocolate chip cookie to fill my stomach, per se. 

• I crave them because of the dopamine rush they give me. Because of the pleasure and how that delectable combo of sugar and fat makes me feel. 

Hunger is not what causes most people to overeat. It’s craving.

Turns out, our gut’s microbiome can heavily influence our cravings; that’s what the podcast episode was about. But beyond the microbiome, there are many other reasons for cravings—and things we crave. 

For some people, food is a MAJOR source of dopamine. Alcohol or drugs or Instagram likes may do nothing for them. And for somebody else, they may never be tempted with indulging in food, but perhaps other vices beckon them for a dopamine hit.

What this made me realize is that we can often be so quick to judge people for what they eat. 

Someone who’s overindulging in sweets or “unhealthy” foods likely may not be doing it because they’re hungry at all. If you want to maximally suppress hunger, eat a large chicken breast and a huge pile of broccoli and call it a day. That may work for a select few who seek no pleasure from their food, but for many (most?) of us, food is about more than just satisfying hunger. It’s about pleasure and enjoyment, about meeting wants and needs at the same time.

Dopamine is all about reward. Satisfaction. Motivation. Pleasure.

Dopamine isn’t a bad thing. We have it for a reason. Think about the vast majority of human history. Food was scarce. Resources were scarce. A human was lucky if they could meet all their needs and begin to consider their wants. 

• If you came across a berry bush or beehive full of honey, your body would produce dopamine, because you’ve just found a jackpot of nourishment.

• And nourishment meant survival, which is what we’re engineered for. 

But in our modern environment, most of us live surrounded by abundance. More calorie-rich food around us than we could ever consume. Our bodies haven’t adapted to live in such an abundant environment that is our relatively recent present state. We’re still programmed for survival, which means feasting and hoarding in the short-term for fear that famine and depravity may be just around the corner.

So maybe I need to improve my microbiome health. Maybe I’ve got some deficiencies to look into. Maybe there are other factors leading to my cravings. I know all the “right” things to do to address them (like eating enough protein and fiber, getting good sleep, exercising, managing stress, etc.). But lordy is that late-night chocolate still oh-so tempting.

Other healthy sources of dopamine include great sleep, exercise, sunshine, sex, listening to music, and meditating.

• Maybe I should look into non-food rewards.

• Maybe I can find healthier snacks that still satisfy those cravings.

• Maybe calling a friend or listening to music or watching happy Tiktoks will do the trick.

So try to pause and reflect next time you’re craving whatever it is that ensnares you. If it’s food related, but indulging in it frequently is not conducive to your health goals, what are other ways you can get the dopamine hit your body is seeking?

Habit experts know this well and have named it the habit loop. Some trigger leads to a craving which demands an action that produces a reward. They know it’s nearly impossible to eradicate habits cold turkey. But we can replace parts of habits.

What can you pursue in place of the tempting late-night sweets you’ve made a habit of craving and consuming? 

I’m asking myself this as much as I’m asking you, reader. I don’t have the answers. And my answers will likely not be the same as your answers, anyway. 

At the end of the day, this concept actually helps me reduce shame around indulging or overeating. I’m not a dummy who can’t control or listen to their hunger signals. I—like everyone else—just have natural cravings for pleasurable things in life! 

And I—like everyone else—can still choose how to address (deny or fulfill) those cravings. Once we have the awareness to acknowledge them, we have the power to control how we respond to our impulses and desires.

My sweet tooth may remain, but perhaps it can be satisfied with other sweet experiences life has to offer. ☀️ 

✅ Take Action

Every newsletter's Take Action section will invite you to take small steps to improve your health. Recognizing that we all have different capabilities, I'll offer three different levels of action you can choose to take.

Level 1: Next time you find yourself desiring something indulgent, ask yourself: are you hungry or craving something?

Level 2: If you’d like to put some reins on your cravings, slow down when you indulge! The first bite is always the best… but is the 10th still just as good? Do you need to keep going until you’re stuffed, or is a little enough to satisfy you?

Level 3: Address your cravings by replacing the formerly less healthy behavior with a much healthier one. Only you can choose what that is; don’t be afraid to experiment!

This newsletter is brought to you by… me!

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✍️ Drew's Picks:

• 🎥 Watch: Check out this trailer for the film Healthy Lies (ft. a former Biggest Loser trainer). It’s definitely piqued my interest!

• 🤳 Read: “You don’t need to document everything.” A poignant reminder at a time when more of us want to record behind a screen than actually enjoy the experience in front of us.

Peace out, Girl Scouts! (Yes, I will be buying a box of Thin Mints as soon as they’re available. 🤭)

Keep moving,

Drew

The content in Move to Improve is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. It is always a good idea to consult with a trusted health professional before making any major lifestyle changes that could have a significant impact on your health. This is not a medical resource, and any opinions and articles are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. They are not substitutes for consulting a qualified medical professional. Please think critically and take what I say with a grain of salt (aka don’t sue me).