When we lack, we intuitively CRAVE. As I’ve always said, cravings are messages from your body. When you are deficient in something, your body tries to maintain balance by sending signals through cravings. It’s not a choice you make; the survival mechanisms in your subconscious mind trigger these cravings. My own experience illustrates how nutritional deficiencies and cravings go hand in hand.

Nutritional Deficiencies and Cravings: Familiar Bedfellows

I used to undergo a yearly routine medical checkup, which was required by my employer. Every year, my test results would indicate that I had a B12 deficiency and was encouraged to get monthly vitamin B12 shots. When I asked why I lacked the vitamin, the answer was simply, “It just happens, Stephanie. You don’t have to worry. Just take the shots and you’ll be OK.”

I later learned in nutrition school that my Vitamin B12 deficiency was caused by the birth control pills my doctor prescribed and I had been taking since the age of 17. The number one symptom (a.k.a. body message) of vitamin B12 deficiency is fatigue. I was craving salty foods because my adrenal glands were on overdrive, trying to keep me going by flooding my body with cortisol. This explains why I often reached for a bag of salty potato chips after coming home from work.

Scientific research confirms the link between nutritional deficiencies and cravings. For instance, scientists have found that iron and sodium deficiencies cause cravings. In rare and extreme cases, nutritional deficiencies have led to pica or the craving for non-nutritive substances such as wood, dirt, or soil.

Other Deficiencies That Cause Cravings

Nutritional deficiencies aren’t the only drivers of food cravings. Some scientific studies have identified other factors. Below are just a few examples:

• Lack of sleep – When you sleep too little, your hormone levels get disrupted. Researchers have found that the lack of sleep causes the body to produce less leptin (the “satiety” hormone) and more ghrelin (the “hunger” hormone). This makes you more likely to experience food cravings.
• Lack of hydration – Research reveals that mild dehydration causes mood disturbances. These disturbances could lead to food cravings. Also, thirst is often confused with hunger, which leads to cravings.
• Lack of relaxation – People with high levels of stress are more likely to experience food cravings.
• Lack of fiber – Fiber helps you feel full. Eating too little fiber may increase hunger and food cravings.
• Lack of joy or sense of well-being – Being in a negative mood can lead to food cravings.

3-Step Solution to Cravings Due to Deficiencies

I host a podcast called The Beyond The Food Show, and I recently had Dr. Keesha Ewers as a guest. On the show, she shared three steps you need to take to start healing your cravings that are due to deficiencies, nutritional or otherwise:

1. Watch your inner language. Talk to yourself in a loving and compassionate way that does not let you off the hook. Think about how you would parent your own child and do that for yourself.
2. Take responsibility. This doesn’t mean you should blame yourself for your cravings. Just take responsibility for your choices.
3. Get off the scale. Use your own body’s feedback; listen to your body messages. Get into a collaborative relationship with your body instead of a combative relationship.

If you want to learn more about nutritional deficiencies and cravings, listen to my interview with Dr. Ewers here, or you can play the audio or video file below:
 

 

Struggling With Food Cravings?

If you need help with food cravings, you can download my free Crave Cure Guide. It’s my free gift to those who want to start their journey to better health and find food freedom. You can download it here.

I can’t remember the time I became aware that I was emotionally eating. If you asked me, “What is emotional eating?” before then, I wouldn’t know how to answer that question.

I saw eating as a mathematical game; the more calories I consume, the heavier I got. It was just another problem to resolve.

And so I began to eat less than I normally did before I decided it was time for me to lose weight. I controlled my appetite, watched what I ate, and exercised diligently. I set a goal and I did my very best to hit it!

My Experience With Emotional Eating

The problem was that the process of losing weight was difficult, painful, and filled with deprivation (or at least the process I went through). It was a constant mental game of not giving up. I told myself that once I hit my weight goal, it was going to be easier because I would be perfect and therefore happy.

One of things I did was have a weekly “cheat day” and it was something that I always looked forward to. It was usually on a Friday or a Saturday. I had a free pass to eat anything I wanted — sweets, mayonnaise on my sandwich (I once thought fat was bad), butter with my eggs, bacon for breakfast, and a whole bag of barbecue-flavored potato chips. I binged like there was no tomorrow!

It was like I was making up for something. Perhaps it was my way of making amends after allowing myself to feel deprived. Gosh, it felt great!

Now, that was emotional eating, and I had been doing it a lot before I even knew the answer to the question, “What is emotional eating?”

What is Emotional Eating: The Straight-Up Answer

When you eat in response to feelings or you use food to relieve negative emotions, you are emotionally eating. It’s eating for reasons other than providing your body with the nourishment it needs.

Emotional eating is prevalent in women. It is normal because we are emotional beings with an emotional relationship with food. It started from the day we were born. We learned that, whenever we wanted to get fed, all we had to do was cry. It continued during our childhood years when our mothers cooked for us. We usually celebrated our birthdays with a cake. When we got good grades, we got ice cream as a reward.

We eat to protect ourselves against negative feelings and emotions. In that regard, eating is a form of self-preservation. What could be more natural than that?

I thought there was something wrong with me and that my body was defective because it craved food all too often. I thought that I was weak and that nobody else ever did this.

Now, I’m glad to know that I was wrong. There is a way of healing this kind of relationship with food.

A 3-Step Solution to Overcome Emotional Eating

Three actions steps you need to take to start the healing process:

1.  Get clear on your story around food. Ask yourself, “What is my identity around food?” You might say, “I’m a compulsive eater. I eat uncontrollably. I have zero willpower.” That’s a good place to start. Just get clear on that and acknowledge it.
2.  Get on clear on the ideal story that you want around food. Ask yourself, “How do I want my relationship with food to be?” However, don’t change your story drastically. Going from “I’m a compulsive eater” to “I have a healthy relationship with food” will only make your brain say, “You’re a liar.”What you want to say is, “I am in the process of…” When you say “I am in the process of,” you take the power off of the old statement. Also, your brain is going to find evidence as to why that’s true. The good thing is it’s not going to find any evidence to the contrary.
3.  Use your breath. Breathing helps you to go from a stressful state to a relaxed state. Binge eating is impossible when you are present. Anyway, you see it, using your breath is an effective way for you to stop feeling the need to use food as a drug.

To learn more about how our emotions impact our cravings, listen to my entire interview with Samantha Skelly here or you can play the audio or video player below:

Need Help With Emotional Eating?

Now that you know the answer to “What is emotional eating?” you may want to take the next step — finding freedom from emotional eating. I have a gift for you. My free Crave Cure Guide will help you overcome food cravings and take charge of your eating habits. Start your journey towards food freedom and better health today! Download the Crave Cure Guide here.

Read More: Emotional Eating: Everything You Need to Know to Stop It Permanently!

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One of my favorite things to talk about when I work one on one with patients is their poop. I just love the look on their faces when I start asking them to describe their poop in great detail — color, smell, texture, form, and level of greasiness. Because they usually don’t know what gut bacteria and cravings have to do with each other, they’re confused that I even asked that question.

Then I ask them about “farting.” Well, that’s usually when I make them blush!

Back in the day, I use to have gas and my poop used to smell so much so that I had to open a window or use perfume to hide the smell. I thought it was normal, since everyone in my family was just like me. After all, poop should smell bad, right?

Until one day, my coach asked me if I still had “gas. This was after I ate healthy for a full month. I still remember the look of amusement on his face when he said, “I bet you $100 that you don’t fart anymore.”

My face blushed, like beet red blushed!

So I get it, folks, that it’s not a comfortable topic. But yes, I was no longer passing gas by that time, not feeling bloated, and my poop didn’t smell anymore.

What the heck!?!

My Fascination with Poop

In the weeks that followed, I became fascinated with the relationship between what I ate and my poop, gas and bloating. I discovered something amazing…

That having gas and/or being bloated after eating is NOT normal and BAD smelling poop is not OK either. It’s actually an indication of poor digestive health and food intolerances.

That idea is one of the reasons why I decided to quit my job and decided to go back to school at 36 years old. One can say that a conversation about poop changed the direction of my life. I also discovered that the reason why I was craving sweets was because of the bacteria in my digestive system.

The Relationship Between Gut Bacteria and Cravings

Did you know that bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by 10 to 1? That what we eat and digest will directly influence if we have “good” bacteria or “bad” bacteria? Having a healthy ratio between good and bad bacteria is vital. Otherwise, you may develop health issues such as sugar cravings, gas and bloating, yeast infection, impaired immune system, asthma, allergies, auto-immune issues, skin conditions such as eczema, etc.

Keep Your Gut Healthy

Recently, I had an interview with Dr. Will Cole, a leading functional practitioner, on my podcast, The Beyond The Food Show. Dr. Cole explained why and how gut bacteria and cravings are closely related and shared three tips on how to maintain gut health:

1. Mind your poop. Your poop, as well as your bowel movements, offer clues on your gut health and any underlying problems that you may have. You should have about two bowel movements a day and your poop should be well-formed “snakes.” To know what your poop indicates, you can refer to the Bristol stool chart which you can download for free here. 
2. Eat foods that are medicines for your gut. 

• Fermented food and drinks — Kimchi, sauerkraut, coconut kefir, coconut yogurt, kombucha, etc. (Be careful though and watch out for flare-ups which may be caused by some imbalance or overgrowth in your microbiome.)
• Bone broth – This is good for leaky gut. The gelatin in bone broth repairs the excess holes in the gut lining.

To learn more about gut bacteria and cravings, you can listen to my interview with Dr. Will Cole here or you can simply play the audio or video file below:
 

Gut Bacteria and Cravings: Heed the Warning Signals!

Here’s a very important lesson I want all of you to keep in mind — your cravings AREN’T your enemies. They are simply warning signals. They tell you that something in you (physical or emotional) is out of balance and needs to be addressed. Once you do address the issue, the cravings will go away.

Stop blaming the messenger and take charge of your gut health!

Need help dealing with your cravings? I have prepared a free guide for you to start your journey towards food freedom. Download the Crave Cure Guide and take charge of your eating habits today!

Do you remember the days when eating was simple? You only thought about food when you felt hungry, you ate, and then moved on? You weren’t even aware that there was such a thing as food addiction! 

When I was young, I ate intuitively. I subconsciously listened to my body’s needs and I ate. I chose the right food in the right amount, naturally.

This is what we did as humans for thousands of years… all the way back since the first human beings walked the earth. The big difference we have with our ancestors is that we don’t have to work all day long to hunt, gather, or grow food. Now, we simply go to the fridge and, VOILA, we eat!

Eating Healthy Naturally

Food nourishes our body physically with nutrients that build cells and provide us with energy. It is also a source of pleasure. Food is rewarding and it’s partly what allowed us as a species to survive. We sought food that made us feel good and avoided food that made us feel bad.

Eating healthy means being able to enjoy the rewarding aspects of food without falling prey to a loss of control over eating. Some of us do this naturally; others don’t.

I don’t. Do you?

Food as a Way to Regulate Emotions

For some of us, this rewarding aspect of food is what we use to regulate our emotions. Some of us are more prone to this behavior than others. There are many factors that influence our relationship to food: culture, family, psychological make-up, past experiences, and economic status.

We attempt to express and regulate our emotions by eating when we are stressed or sad or by obsessively counting calories or macros.

What is really important for every one of us to understand is our personal relationship with food, how it expresses itself, along with environmental influences that affect this relationship. We must understand that we aren’t victims, but actually we have the power to change our relationship with food if we first become aware of it.

Food Addiction: Is It Even Possible?

Can you be addicted to food? Yes and No.

Yes, you can be addicted to processed food and sugar due to its ability to stimulate the reward center in your brain. The reward center is the same part of your brain that is stimulated by drugs, for example. So yes, you can be addicted to certain foods, BUT not to vegetable, protein, and healthy fat!

How Food Addiction Works

Recently, I invited Dr. Susan Pierce Thompson of Brightline Eating as a guest on The Beyond The Food Show, a podcast that I host. Dr. Thompson has a PhD in Brain and Cognitive Science. In my interview with her, she sheds light on how some food can become addictive.

Here’s what I gleaned from my interview with her on the mechanics of food addiction:

• Everyone agrees that drugs like heroin and cocaine are addictive. Both drugs come from plants – cocaine is from coca leaves and heroin is from poppy seeds. Eating or consuming the plants themselves won’t cause addiction.
• However, if one extracts the “inner essence” or the most potent bit of both coca leaves and poppy seeds, you get cocaine and heroin. In the same fashion, when you take the “inner essence” wheat and beet root, you have flour and sugar, which can flood the reward center of the brain with dopamine.
• When sugar and flour flood the brain with more dopamine than it should have, the brain rewires itself in a process called down regulation. It will have a smaller response the next time that happens so that it can stay in equilibrium. So now, unless you’re eating sugar and flour, you won’t have enough dopamine because your dopamine receptors have become less numerous and less responsive. You won’t feel okay. That’s how you become addicted.

If you want to learn more about food addiction and the psychology of eating, you can listen to my interview with Dr. Susan Peirce-Thompson where she teaches us how to evaluate your relationship to food and determine our level of sensitivity to food addiction. You can either go to the podcast episode page by clicking this link or simply play the audio or video file below:

Need Help With Food Addiction?

For my part, I have the tendency to develop addictive behaviors. Over the years, I have expressed my emotions via excess work, excess exercising, control over my food, and overeating.

I now know myself well enough and I’m able to set-up a successful environment for me to thrive. Can you do the same?

If you’re struggling with food addiction or if you seem to be in a never-ending battle with food cravings, let me help! My team and I have worked hard to prepare a handy little guide that can help you find freedom from food cravings. Begin your journey to food freedom and better health today! Download the free Crave Cure Guide now!

I was a sweet person when I was 11, but not in the way you think! When I first realized that I could turn to food to make myself feel better, I began to bake sweet goodies. And yes, I ate them, too! Being just a young girl at that time, I had no idea that I was starting to develop sugar addiction.

To be completely honest, I had a sweet tooth for a very long time in my life, but I have lost my yearning for sweets a long time ago. My experience is a testimony that it’s possible to overcome sugar addiction. Today, my favorite taste is salty and I tend to go for anything that is crunchy. Chips have become a trigger food for me. I’ll tell you more about in another blog post!

Is There Such a Thing as Sugar Addiction?

Now, going back to sugar addiction, is it even real? The answer is yes and no. I say yes because sugar stimulates the same neural pathways in our body as does any other addictive substance or activity. It also releases opioids and dopamine, something which drugs also do. But I also say no, because we can’t be addicted to something we consider as food.

I know that you want a straight answer. Well, that’s part of the problem with sugar addiction. It’s not that simple. Food is something we can’t treat like other addiction such as drugs, alcohol or even gambling. We can’t get off food like we can get off alcohol or drugs. We need to eat in order to live.

A Sugar-Free Lifestyle?

Now, is it possible to avoid sugar for the rest of your life? Well, technically, it is possible. A life avoiding all forms of sugar could be the answer, but what a painful, boring life that is! This means never, ever eating birthday cake again (even the clean whole food version). It also means having an extremely difficult time socializing with your friends and loved ones because you are on a strict no sugar diet. So yes, it’s possible to avoid sugar for the rest of your life, but is it doable?

Here’s the real honest truth: strict abstinence is like putting a band aid on the real problem. You will “control” your problem with sugar, but never really heal it. If you want to heal your sugar cravings, you need to understand it.

How NOT to Overcome Sugar Addiction

To be honest with you, back when I was 25, I switched from sugar addiction to work addiction. I replaced sugar with another “thing.” Yes, that can happen! I have seen many women doing just that: moving from sugar addiction to food control addiction. They strictly avoid sugar and focus on obsessively thinking about food, counting calories, worrying about macro, etc. Well, for me, I replaced sugar addiction with workaholism. As you can see, replacing an addiction with another addiction is not a healthy way of solving the problem.

Overcoming Sugar Addiction: 3 Action Steps

I recently interviewed Dr. Sam Shay on my podcast, The Beyond the Food Show. Dr. Shay is a world-renowned expert in sugar addiction. During the interview, Dr. Shay shared three tips that could help you overcome sugar addiction:

1. Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has could disrupt the normal fluctuations of the appetite hormones, ghrelin and leptin, thus increasing the likelihood of cravings. A study published on Oxford University’s Sleep Research Society website concluded that the lack of sleep may be a risk factor for cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods. So if you want to stave off sugar cravings, make sure that you’re getting enough sleep!
2. Have a good breakfast. A good breakfast is nutritious and high in protein. A study shows that eating a high-protein breakfast reduces the feeling of hunger before lunch. Remember to include vegetables in your breakfast. (I usually recommend two cups of veggies per meal, and that includes breakfast.)
3. TAME the BEAST of addiction. In the podcast, Dr. Shay introduced a 4-step process that you can use to overcome any type of addiction which he calls the “TAME the BEAST” model. “TAME ” is actually an acronym on how to stop the cycle of addiction:

• Take a breath
• Accept you’re in the cycle
• Make a decision to exit the cycle
• Exit the cycle

In the interview, Dr. Shay shared some eye-opening insights and facts. In fact, it was not until after this interview that I was able to really work through my tendency to numb my feelings. For more about Dr. Shay’s TAME the BEAST model as well as his valuable insights on sugar addiction, you can listen to my entire interview with Dr. Shay here or you can play the audio or video file below:

Ready to Take the Next Step?

I hope this blog post will help you understand sugar addiction. If you are addicted to sugar, there’s always hope. Armed with the right tools and knowledge, you will be able to transform yourself from being a sugar addict to an empowered food lover!  

I have a free gift for you.  The Crave Cure Guide is a handy little e-book that will equip you with the tools that will help you find food freedom. Take charge of your eating habits today! Download the Crave Cure Guide here.

You might be wondering why you have sugar cravings during periods. Perhaps you’ve been blaming your hormones for these cravings. If so, you’re right! Hormonal cravings are a REAL THING.

Now, I have to be completely honest and transparent with you and admit that I have never experienced these types of cravings. I learned about these cravings from my patients who have told me how much suffering these hormonal cravings can cause. Trust me, I get it now!

The Solution to Sugar Cravings During Periods

Before, I was wondering why I didn’t have sugar cravings during periods. It wasn’t until I interviewed Dr. Kyrin Dunston for my podcast, The Beyond the Food Show, that I understood why hormonal cravings weren’t an issue for me.

During her interview, Dr. Dunston told us that the hormone that causes us to crave sugar before our period is estrogen. In other words, if you have high estrogen levels, you are likely to have sugar cravings. You see, my estrogen levels have always been low. I discovered this when my saliva was tested to determine my hormone levels.

Dr. Dunston also shared three action steps that you can apply right now to stave off sugar cravings during periods:

1) Manage your stress. As you’ve probably read from my articles, your body releases cortisol when you’re under stress. Cortisol is the number one cause of your cravings for both salty and sweet foods. It causes more food cravings than hormonal imbalance.

Managing your stress means learning to say no and taking care of yourself first. Meditating is also an excellent way to manage stress. Meditation has been shown in several studies to lower cortisol levels.

2) Mind your menses. Whether you’re a younger menstruating woman or perimenopausal, you want to get your periods straight. You’ll need to balance your hormones using natural options such as vitex (also known as chaste tree) and soy supplements. Phytoestrogens or plant-based estrogens can also help, but if you are estrogen-dominant, a progesterone cream is better for you.

3) Detoxify. The liver is the sanitation department in the body. It gets rid of excess hormones. Most of us are estrogen-dominant; we have too much estrogen. Detoxifying will help your liver to get rid of the excess estrogen in your body so your hormones start balancing out.

You can learn more about hormonal cravings and how to balance your hormones by listening to my interview with Dr. Dunston here or by playing the audio or video file below:

Why You Should Manage Your Hormone Levels Now

Managing your hormone levels will not only prevent cravings, but also prevent other health conditions such as breast cancer. (Breast cancer has been associated with higher level of estrogen).

Our bodies are wise. The next time you have sugar cravings during your period, think about this — cravings are not your body’s way of torturing you! They are warning signals from your body that your female hormone levels are dysregulated and that you need to do something. They even help you prevent more serious and negative consequences of your hormonal dysregulation.

It’s time to take responsibility, educate yourself, and take action. When you manage your hormone levels, you manage your cravings. You also help your body to stay healthy.

Struggling With Sugar Cravings During Periods?

Let me help! My team and I have prepared a handy guide that will help you crush your cravings and take charge of your eating habits. Find food freedom today! Download my free Crave Cure Guide here. 

Whenever somebody brings up the topic of how to stop binge eating, I vividly remember the day I caught myself binge eating like crazy.

It was a Friday, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. My plans with my fiance just fell through; he decided to accept an invitation from his buddies to watch a game. I was left alone with no plans on a Friday night.

I thought I’d just stop by the grocery on my way home, don my PJ’s, and watch some movies. At the grocery store, I grabbed a frozen family-size pizza, some fresh mozzarella, a bag of mini brownies, and a pint of Dulce Haagen Dazs ice cream. Food was going to be my companion as I hit the couch for a romantic movies night.

By the time the first movie was over, I was sitting there on my couch with an empty box of pizza, half empty bag of brownies, and an ice cream pint just about done…I wondered what just happened.

I suddenly felt the sting of self-loathing. Soon, I was beating myself up, calling myself names that I wouldn’t call my worst enemy. As a bullied myself, I quickly cleaned up and made all evidence disappear out of fear of anyone knowing.

I have been very hesitant in sharing this story with you. As a matter of fact, I have never shared my binge eating story with anyone. I never shared out of fear of judgment and because I was so ashamed of my previous choices.
But I want you to know that you are not alone. There is nothing wrong with you and you aren’t broken. There is a reason why you do this. Until you find it and work on healing it, the binge eating will not go away.

What is Binge Eating?

Psychologists define binge eating as eating more food than most people would in a specific amount of time under similar circumstances. It is characterized by a sense of lack of control and is associated with negative emotions. Binge eaters have difficulty regulating their emotions and use food to cope with them.

At the time, I knew that what I was doing was called binge eating or overeating, but I had no idea why I was doing it. I just thought something was wrong with me, so I kept it a secret. Afraid that others might judge me, I hid my shame and guilt behind a façade of strength. Then I punished myself by restricting food the next day.

I now know that I overeat to numb the emotions I didn’t want to feel. In this very personal example I just shared, it was the feeling of abandonment and rejection. Because I was a victim of bullying when I was younger, rejection is a BIG, nasty emotion for me.

How to Stop Binge Eating: 3 Easy Solutions 

I recently interviewed Dr. Carolyn Ross MD for the Crave Cure series on The Beyond The Food Show, a podcast that I host. Dr. Ross is a world renowned expert in overeating and binging behaviors. She shared some insights that helped me realized a lot about binge-eating and why I did what I did that lonely Friday afternoon.

In my interview with Dr. Ross, she shared three of her best tips on how to stop binge eating:

1.  Have at least one meal a day without distractions. Sit at the table and eat your meal, relishing every morsel you put into your mouth. Don’t eat at your desk or watch TV. You need to be present and mindful when you eat.
2. Eat some protein. It could be nuts, nut butters, meat, chicken, fish, etc. Protein reduces your craving for sweets and keeps you satiated longer.
3.  Be more self-affirming. You can start asking what you love about yourself. It could be your eyes, hair, nose, or whatever. Just pick one part of your body and express gratitude for it. Doing so will help you have a more positive relationship with your body.

To learn more about binge eating and overeating, listen to my entire interview with Dr. Ross here on The Beyond The Food Show or listen to the audio or video file below:

My Relationship With Food Today

To this day, I still feel the urge to turn to food when I don’t want to feel certain emotions. However, I already know how to stop binge eating before it even starts. When the thought of binge eating / overeating comes to me, I’m able to recognize it and use the tools I have learned over the years to figure out what’s really hiding behind my desire to eat.

I learned so much about myself when I started delving into my relationship to food. There is nothing wrong with me or with you. All we need to do is take steps towards healing the emotions that drive us to eat. It’s not easy, but we can do it!

Next Steps to Stop Binge Eating

It’s time to stop struggling and start taking charge of your eating habits! I have a gift for you — The Crave Cure Guide. It’s a handy e-book that will help you learn how to stop binge eating by mastering your cravings. Find food freedom today! You can download the Crave Cure Guide here. 

I’m so stoked! I’ve worked hard with my team to produce The Crave Cure Series and The Crave Cure Guide to help women tame their cravings & emotional eating. These gifts will surely change their relationship with food forever.

The Crave Cure Guide is a product of three years of study, research, and various workshops. It includes all the insights I’ve gleaned from patient work, feedback from my coaching program students, and hundreds of live streams with all my followers.

And now, here it is! You can download the free guide here

I’m excited for everyone who will download this guide, because this guide is potentially life-changing. It’s packed with actionable information and practical tips that can you can implement right away.

But Wait…There’s More! The Crave Cure Series

 
The Crave Cure guide is not the only gift that I want to give you.

I host The Beyond the Food Show podcast, where I interview health experts on various topics related to weight loss, emotional eating, and food cravings. The Crave Cure Series – Going Beyond The Food to find food freedom  was hosted via my podcast through the month of May 2017 ( episode 52-61) . This series of video and audio recording is the world’s first conference on food cravings. 

I have brought together 10 experts — MDs, functional medicine practitioners, and psychologists with PhDs. They will discuss all aspects of food cravings and offer you the solutions to help you heal your relationship with food.

Access to the Crave Cure series

To access each of the 10 episodes in The Crave Cure Series simply click the title of each episode below and you will be taken right to the interview with access to the video and audio recording along with full transcript and show notes.

and 

You can also access The Crave Cure Series: Going Beyond The Food, by subscribing to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher or simply listen via my website You’ll be glad you did! 

1. Emotions & Cravings: Studies have demonstrated that 43% of the people eat in response to their emotions. Mainly to soothe and suppress negative feelings. Why do we do this? How can we change this behavior with Samantha Skelly from Hungry For Happiness.
2. Hormones & Cravings: Studies have showed the impact of estrogen on our food cravings. How can we know if our female hormones impact of cravings & emotional eating with Dr. Dunston? 
3. Overeating versus Binge Eating:  What cause overeating and how can we prevent it? Some studies discuss the link between overeating and addictive behaviours. 
4. Sugar, Cravings and Addiction: The impact of sugar on our reward centre is now clear . Why does happen or heal can we heal our sugar cravings and addiction to sugar? Dr. Shay has steps by step approach for you! 
5. Stress & Cravings: Stress is a major influencer of eating behaviours. Particularly for women stress means eating mean eating more and not the good stuff…. Evan Brand , Functional Medicine Practitioner will take us through how can we reduce the impact of stress on our cravings.
6. Build to Eat: Human have been eating as a matter of survival. Our brain is wired to eat but not all of us are created equal. Tune we will discover how do detect our bio individuality and taking the next steps in customizing our relationship to food. PHD Susan Pierce Thompson will explain to us how our brain work in face of food.
7. Gut, Microbiome and Cravings: We have approximately 5 lbs of bacteria within our digestive system this micro biome has a direct a influence to our cravings. Dr. Will Cole will teach us way to overcome this challenge and how to have happy bacteria!
8. Why low carb is best diet to reduce cravings: What about if one diet would be better to help you tame your cravings and emotional eating? A recent study is telling the low carb diet might be the solution.Dr. Nally will teach us about the low carb power.
9. Nutritional Deficiencies & Cravings: Think of your food as the raw material to build your house. If you are lacking certain element it  can lead to food cravings.Dr. Keesha Ewers will teach us that what it means for us.
10. Hidden Hunger, Desire & Cravings:  Dr. Melissa McCreery will lead us to discover our hidden hunger nourishing our cravings and emotional eating behaviours. The psychology of eating is a fundamental healing path towards food freedom.

The Crave Cure series schedule

Why did I create this online event?

I have two main reasons for hosting such an extensive and comprehensive conference. The first is that I’d like to give you all the tools you need so you can change your relationship with food, overcome food cravings, and achieve your health goals.

The second reason is … Well, I have to be honest about this one. I’d like to erase any doubt that people may have about listening to their cravings. I want to make believers out of those who think that there is no science behind this approach. Are you one of them? If so, you should listen all the more to the podcast series!

The reason I’m giving away this guide and hosting this online event and all for free is that I’m on a crusade to stop the misinformation that has been going around for a long time now. I’ve seen the damage caused by the lies spread by the weight loss industry in the lives of the thousands of women that I’ve worked with … and in my own life.

We’ve Been lied too!

If you’ve been a victim of these lies, I feel for you. I’ve been a victim of this deception, too! I know the harmful effects that these lies have on many women, young and old — poor self-esteem, body image issues, depression, anxiety, and many more.

We’ve heard time and again that we need more motivation, discipline, and willpower to curb food cravings and make emotional eating go away. We’ve been led to believe that, unless we use certain products or follow certain diets, we are hopeless cases.

This is straight-up BS!

As I say all the time to all my students, patients and followers, the number one priority of the food industry as well as the weight loss industry is making oodles of money. Your health comes in at a distant second.

My wish for you…

My greatest hope is for you to apply everything that you’re going to learn from the The Crave Cure Series and the Crave Cure Guide. Knowing that I’ve made a positive difference in your life is the best reward I can ever hope for, so it would be awesome if you could let me know how the guide and the podcast series have helped you.

Enjoy your gifts and win your battle against food cravings! I want to hear from you below… let me know in the comment below how this information has helped you in your journey!

I learned how to stop emotional eating because I have been there. It starts with you just a few crackers, then it moves to a spoonful of peanut butter and before I knew it what was happening I was elbow deep in a bag of chips.

I went to bed exhausted, feeling sick to my stomach from overeating, feeling out of control and knowing I was sabotaging myself.

Can you relate?

It happens to most of us. You don’t have to finish the bag of chips and all the chocolate in the house to be considered an emotional eater.

This phenomenon can strike at any time when you find yourself eating for reasons other than satisfying actual physical hunger.

My education about how to stop emotional eating comes from my own journey with emotional eating since the age of 11 years old and as well as my education in the psychology of nutrition. Up until a few years ago, I believed, like most women – that ending emotional eating and food cravings was all about self-discipline and determination. Little did I know, food cravings and emotional eating had nothing to do with discipline but rather it was all about my thoughts and emotions.

Let’s take a step back so we can learn how to stop emotional eating most effectively.

Emotional Eating = The Need for Balance

Homeostasis is the process that the body goes through to maintain a comfortable and healthy balance in both the body and the mind (emotional body). Simply said – we are wired to be healthy and happy. A very simple example of physical homeostasis is the body shivering at night when it’s too cold, makes you yawn at night when its time to go to sleep or makes you thirsty when you are dehydrated.

Balance or homeostasis is also the desired state for our mind or emotional body. A great example of this is when we feel stress or anxious about a certain situation in our life. Your body innate desire for balance will direct you to take action(s) to bring back balance. Based on your learned behaviours and past experiences the action you may be to eat a certain food that makes you feel better and less anxious. In my case it was chips. I use to crave chips every night when I crashed on the couch after an exhausting day of work. This chips was present as a means you need to correct your emotional state of mind of stress and anxiety.

The Difference Between Physical Hunger and Emotional Hunger

The first step in the process to stop emotional eating solution is to first learn the difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger. The chart below should be of great help. I suggest that you print it and post it somewhere to quickly refer to it as you begin your journey to solve your food cravings.

To learn how to stop emotional eating, you must become really comfortable in distinguishing physical versus emotional hunger. Here’s my quick way: physical hunger is in your stomach and you can feel it. Emotional eating is sudden, in your head and most of the time associated with guilt and shame.

Identifying Your Emotional Triggers

What situations, places, or feelings make you reach for the comfort of food? Most emotional eating is linked to unpleasant feelings, but it can also be triggered by positive emotions, such as rewarding yourself for achieving a goal or celebrating a holiday or happy event.

The be able to identify our triggers we must first be able to feel our emotions which for many of us is difficult. When I ask patients to tell me how they feel when they crave a certain food I very often get a blank look. This is totally normal self-preservation mechanism: its called disconnection. Over time and experience of pain we have “disconnected” from our body and our ability to feel our emotions because it’s too painful. This is the first step on how to stop emotional eating.

The 4 Steps to Listen to Your Emotions

As part of the Dodier Protocol we learn to “reconnect” ourselves to our body and emotions so we can learn our triggers and move away from emotional eating as a coping mechanism.

1. Impose a 15 minute cooling off period. Ask yourself if this is an actual real physical hunger signal or an emotional craving. In most cases, it will be an emotional craving so you will need to be present to what is going on in your life. If you still crave it after the 15 minutes cooling off period, go for it.
2. Get away from food. Simple but effective. If you are driving home from work and crave chips, do not stop at the corner store. Drink water as sometimes the need for water gets confused with hunger.
3. Breath and feel.Take time to breathe deeply during the cooling off period and feel what is going on in your life, gut and heart. Ask yourself what emotions are being triggered. Admit to yourself what is happening and that admittance is usually enough to relieve most cravings.
4. Replace the negative emotion (fear) with love. Remind yourself of a happy situation where you felt love, happiness or joy and attempt to feel the positive emotion in your gut. Fill yourself up with the positive emotion. A negative and positive emotion cannot occupy the same place. You can also use an affirmation such as “ I forgive, accept and trust myself”.

Type of Emotional Triggers

Stress– Stress makes us hungry. It’s not just in your mind. When you are stress it leads to high levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol triggers cravings for salty, sweet, and fried foods—foods that give you a burst of energy and pleasure.

Boredom or feelings of emptiness– Eating keeps us busy. We sometimes eat to give ourselves something to do, relieve boredom or even fill a void in our life. In the moment, it fills you up and distracts you from underlying lack of purpose and dissatisfaction with our life.

Childhood habits– Did your parents reward good behavior with ice cream, take you out for pizza when you got a good report card, or serve you sweets when you were feeling sad? This emotionally based childhood habits often carry over into adulthood. Or perhaps some of your eating is driven by memories— family gathering, specific food serve at a holiday function, a meal or dessert your mom use to cook for you.

Social influences– Getting together with other people for a meal is a great way to relieve stress, but it can also lead to overeating. It’s easy to overindulge simply because the food is there or because everyone else is eating. You may also overeat in social situations out of nervousness. Or perhaps your family or circle of friends encourages you to overeat, and it’s easier to go along with the group.

Uncomfortable emotions– Eating can be a way to temporarily silence or suppress uncomfortable emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, loneliness, resentment, and shame. For me, rejection or fear of rejection was a big deal. While I was numbing myself with food, I do not feel the uncomfortable emotion that I’d rather not feel.

How to Stop Emotional Eating: Options

If you don’t know how to manage your emotions in a way that doesn’t involve food, you won’t be able to control your eating habits for very long and stop emotional eating. This is the whole problem with dieting. Diets so often fail in long term because they focus only food, as if the only thing keeping you from eating right is knowledge of the right food to eat and how much to eat. But that kind of advice only works if you have conscious control over your eating habits. It doesn’t work when your subconscious mind aka your emotions hijack the process, demanding an immediate relief with food.

If you think you need help to stop emotional eating this is exactly why I created my program called Crave Cure Guide which provides you with nutritional knowledge but a most important address the emotional component to weight loss. The Crave Cure Guide is the perfect formula between food awareness and emotional awareness which lead to permanent weight loss.

Read More: Emotional Eating: Everything You Need to Know to Stop It Permanently!

Share your thoughts: Do you think it’s possible for you to stop emotional eating patterns? How will you feel once you are no longer stuffing your emotions with food?