FOOD+NUTRITION By Caroline Shermer, MS, RDN, LDN
How to Stop Nighttime Cravings In my experience, insatiable nighttime cravings and uncomfortable evening binges have a root cause. They don’t just happen in a void. The two most common antecedents are unmet energy needs and unmet emotional needs. Starting to explore or understand our physical and emotional needs can open up a deeper and more compassionate understanding of those hard-to-rid late-night cravings.
Unmet Energy Needs Food is fuel—energy and sustenance. In just a single day, our heart beats 103,689 times and our lungs breath 23,040 times. It’s evident that our body needs a substantial amount of fuel to survive! Starting with breakfast, it’s crucial to nourish our body with three meals a day and snacks as needed to provide the calories and nutrients it needs. Busy schedules, a new diet, social demands, or forgetfulness may disrupt consistent and adequate eating. In the moment, a skipped snack or a measly meal may not seem to matter, but it does. Our biology is to strive for homeostasis, or equality, especially when it comes to energy in and energy out. Our body works relentlessly to avoid an energy deficit. That is something we cannot micromanage. And if we do, our biology rebels! That’s why we may experience intense cravings, mental fogginess, heightened thoughts about food, dizziness, stomach pain, and other hard-to-ignore signs of hunger. That’s not your body sabotaging your diet, that’s your body fighting and rooting for your wellbeing.
Unmet Emotional Needs Food is fuel...but it’s so much more. Food is a part of celebrations, mournings, religious symbolism, romance, and connection. On top of that, food is designed for pleasure and enjoyment. No wonder we have an emotional attachment to it! 44
