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Articles for Healthcare Doctors

Writer's pictureGus Bouari

Cravings vs Hunger in 2023

Updated: Aug 16, 2023


So your patient tells you they are getting hungry around ten days into the program AND taking our supplements.


What do you do?


First, what sort of hunger are we talking about here? Hunger pangs? Severe hunger? Cravings?


There is a difference.


It can be challenging to tell the difference between cravings and actual hunger. Cravings are usually for comfort foods like chocolate, sweets, or fatty foods, while hunger is not just for one specific food. In addition, cravings are often associated with emotions, whereas hunger is usually experienced after several hours of no food.


Hunger Pangs


Hunger pangs go away. Hunger pangs can occur because of new eating patterns, and women’s menstrual cycles increase hunger pangs (because insulin increases during this time, so does the hunger hormone ghrelin).


Additionally, the patient can be bored. This can happen with emotional eaters.


Usually, the best way to overcome hunger is to do something distracting. But, don’t you notice that when you’re busy, all of a sudden, the time passes, and you realize you didn’t even eat anything? Where was the hunger pang there?


Real Hunger

This is a problem. Especially if, by day 10, it is accompanied by some dizziness, light-headedness, irritability, and sugar cravings. The patient must still adapt to burning sugar instead of burning fat for energy.


This patient might have more insulin resistance than expected, and maybe their metabolism is shot. Here is what you can do:




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