The difference between feeling full versus being satisfied
There is a difference between feeling full and feeling satisfied. Feeling full just means you’ve consumed enough food to fill (or bloat) your stomach. When you fill up on empty calories, as soon as your stomach is empty again, you will want to continue eating.
On the other hand when you are satisfied, your hunger subsides before you feel “stuffed”, and having an empty stomach does not mean that you will be hungry. This is because your body is intelligent and it knows when it has met its nutrient needs.
The widespread availability of empty-calorie foods means that we have come to expect that having food cravings is just a part of life and that the only way to eat “healthy” on a consistent basis is to be super disciplined. This couldn’t be further from the truth!
For the most part, food cravings are simply signals that arise when something is lacking or out of balance in your body. Until that imbalance is addressed, you will continue to feel cravings and may eventually develop other ailments related to the imbalance or deficiency. If you are relying on willpower to try to maintain what you believe is a healthy diet, you are fighting a losing battle.
Think about the foods and drinks that people binge on. Chips, pizza, pasta, soda, candy, etc.. All carb-heavy foods that are typically (in the U.S.) made with the cheapest and lowest quality ingredients possible in order to maximize profit margins. They have zero to minimal amounts of complete proteins, and practically non-existent levels of vitamins and minerals besides refined salt. It’s no wonder it’s so easy to overeat these foods. Your body is still searching for nutrition!
When you eat a diverse, nutrient-dense diet, you will rarely have cravings. By making every effort to improve the quality and diversity of your diet, your palette will become more attuned to the flavors of food that can only be found in vibrant, healthy plants and animals (and fungi) raised in healthy ecosystems. These are the foods that satiate us and calm our cravings.
Of course, you will still get hungry and will look forward to eating certain foods, but you will not experience cravings in the sense of feeling like you need to continue eating even when you’re not lacking in calories. With a more nutrient-dense diet, you may be surprised at how much less you need to eat!
Five diet strategies to reduce cravings
Instead of fighting cravings, focus on eliminating them. It takes much less energy!
Let me state first that basic healthy habits like getting restful sleep each night, staying hydrated, consuming a whole-food based diet, getting sufficient sun exposure, and exercising regularly, are critical for maintaining a healthy appetite and managing cravings.
Easier said than done! Making substantial changes to your habits can seem like a huge undertaking. That’s why it can be more effective to start with an easy-to-implement change that will have an outsized impact. Below are some of the strategies that work for me.
Consume fermented foods to reduce cravings
Fermented foods, like sauerkraut, kimchee, and sourdough bread are all very satiating, they help to regulate blood sugar, and have many potential benefits to overall health by inoculating your gut with beneficial bacteria. Your best bet is to prepare these foods yourself. It’s easy! Anyone can do it with a little patience and observation skills. I’d recommend checking out The Noma Guide to Fermentation for some inspiration.
If you are buying food from the supermarket, you’ll likely find some items (e.g. sauerkraut, pickles) that are simply pickled in a white vinegar brine as opposed to being lacto-fermented and having active bacteria in the final product. While there’s nothing wrong with consuming these foods, they do not provide the same nutritional benefits and in my opinion, the vinegar can be overwhelming.
Use lemon, lime and apple cider vinegar to regulate blood sugar
Adding Lemon juice, lime juice, or apple cider vinegar to your water, food, marinades or salad dressings is an easy way to lower the glycemic index (how much a food raises your blood sugar) of your meals so your energy levels remain steady and you stay satiated for longer. Feel free to experiment with other vinegars as they will have similar benefits.
Fermented foods are also acidic and have a similar effect on glycemic index.
Use a high-quality mineral salt
A high-quality mineral salt will greatly enhance your ability to stay hydrated, will make your water more palatable, and the minerals can help to prevent micronutrient deficiencies which are often overlooked.
I used to think that salt didn’t contribute any unique flavor, but when I started experimenting with different salts in my cooking and my workout drinks, I realized there are not only substantial differences in taste, but also in my energy levels and mental sharpness, particularly during workouts and high heat conditions.
Two brands that I like are Celtic Sea Salt and Redmond Real Salt. I’ve also heard good things about Baja Gold, so I’m looking forward to trying that when my current supply runs out!
Eat pastured meat and eggs
When I first began including more pastured meat and eggs in my diet, I noticed immediately that I would feel satisfied after eating a much smaller portion size compared to what I would typically consume with factory-farmed type meat and eggs. While I was aware of the different nutrient profile of pastured meat and eggs, I didn't realize that this would equate to satiating my appetite with much less food.
I’d estimate that my consumption of animal products is about 30-40% less when I consume pastured meats vs conventionally-raised meats.
The best option for most is to buy from a local farmer who is enthusiastic about sharing their ecological farm management practices.
When you buy meat and eggs from the store, know that the USDA recently updated the guidelines on using the term “Pasture-raised” on packaging, requiring that animals be on land that is “rooted in vegetative cover with grass or other plants for the majority of their life span from birth until slaughter.” It's not a perfect definition, but certainly a step in the right direction.
Eat your vegetables
Although most vegetables contain minimal calories, they contribute significantly to satiety. I suspect that this has to do with their vitamin, mineral, and phytonutrient content, and the alkalizing effect of greens.
My personal favorites when it comes to greens are collard greens, sweet potato greens, mustard greens, chard, cabbage, butter lettuce, and arugula. I know there are some who have concerns regarding oxalates in greens like chard and spinach because of their association with kidney stone formation. When I learned that a healthy gut actually has bacteria that can digest oxalates and there are studies demonstrating that antibiotic usage causes an increased incidence of kidney stones, my perspective on the oxalate issue shifted.
Personally, I’ve had no issues digesting greens, but it’s certainly possible to overdo it. And, just like anything else, the quality matters (growing conditions, pesticide usage, maturity, etc).
On a side note, if you have had a recent course of antibiotics, make it a priority to restore the microbial balance in your gut. Personally, I’d eat fermented foods, take some Saccharomyces boulardii capsules, eat something raw and unwashed from the garden (berries, greens, herbs), and consume a moderate amount of fiber. I’m not claiming this will work for you, so do your own research! 🙂
Bonus: Nutrient dense food accelerates muscle building and recovery
While calming cravings is great news for those who are trying to lose body fat, there are also benefits to those who are trying to increase their muscle mass and overall body weight.
The muscle building process depends on sufficient protein and caloric intake, but it can also be limited by various vitamins and minerals (e.g. magnesium, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C) which tend to be more concentrated in foods that are raised in healthier soils and ecosystems.
When foods are lacking in these nutrients, you’ll either become deficient over time, fill the gaps with nutritional supplements, or consume a larger volume of food in an attempt to meet your nutrient needs.
While supplements can be very effective when used appropriately, the higher quality, more bioavailable formulations are costly and still cannot match the complexity that whole food-based nutrition brings. That being said, sometimes supplements are the best option, especially in the short term, if you have very limited options when it comes to sourcing healthy food.
Let your intuition guide your nutrition
Ultimately, long-term success in maintaining healthy eating habits is determined by your ability to get in tune with your intuition and understand your body’s needs. This is a lifelong process, so no need to rush! Just take it one day at a time.
Hopefully you got some value from these tips. If you try any of them, let me know how they work out for you!
