Hunger, appetite and cravings are the perfect system our body uses to tell us exactly what we need and when. Each has a specific function and once you know what the signals mean, eating well and staying healthy is easy.
Hunger: Energy, please.
Hunger tells us when to eat. The food is broken down and some parts, like carbohydrates and fats, are metabolised, meaning changed in chemical processes, which release energy. This energy keeps us alive.
We need energy for everything. While I sit here typing this, my body uses up energy. Our hearts beat constantly and our brains send electric pulses every minute of every day. We need a lot of energy just to exist so refuelling is essential. And when we are low on energy, we get hungry.
Appetite: I need…
Appetite tells us what to eat. Different types of food contain different components. When you exercise a lot, you might suddenly want to drink Kefir or eat cheese. That is your body telling you that it needs protein to build muscles.
Our appetite is incredibly fine-tuned. For example, after you sweat a lot you might want salty food to replace the electrolites you just lost. Feel like eating fruit? You might need vitamins or minerals.
Sometimes we want to eat unusual food, other times the same recipe over and over again. That’s all ok. It simply means that our body needs what is in that particular food. Even if we have no idea why we want to eat something, there is a reason and appetite is the signal to ensure that our bodies get what they need.
Cravings: I needed that energy yesterday!
Cravings are a combination of appetite and strong hunger. When our bodies need something urgently, and often a lot of it, we have cravings. For example, our default metabolism is the glucose metabolism and when I was on keto I ate very little of it. So I began craving fruit.
Cravings are a sign of deficiency, meaning you should have eaten what you now crave sooner. They feel urgent because your body needs something specific now.
A healthy system
The system only works well if we already have healthy habits in place. For example, when you crave salty food, do you eat salted peanuts or reach for the bag of chips? Both sort of give your body the needed ingredient, salt in this case, but they are not equally good for us.
Processed foods distort our perfect system because they almost always contain sugar and unhealthy amounts of carbohydrates, which make us sick over time. Once we practice healthier habits for a while though, our system regenerates and we can get back to an easy relationship with food.
The combination of hunger, appetite and cravings is the perfect system to tell us exactly what to eat and when. The easiest path to a healthy body is simply listening to it and practicing trust.
The Dodo Munches cannot and does not contain medical/health advice. The information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please read the full disclaimer here.