Bouts of food cravings can quickly ruin your resolution to eat healthier. In an interview, Doc Fleck reveals how the phenomenon occurs and which tricks help in acute cases.
What’s the deal with cravings? Is it physical or more psychological?
Doc Fleck: Cravings are potentially triggered by both phenomena. On the one hand, there is mental hunger, heart hunger. If you have always rewarded yourself with food from a very early age, or have been rewarded with it, you might feel that hunger in a moment of emptiness, boredom, or anger.
The classic cravings in the physical sense, on the other hand, are noticeable through a strong feeling of low blood sugar, which is shown, for example, by the fact that you get shaky. This should be taken very seriously, as it is a sign that you are already on the insulin resistance ramp or are already insulin resistant*. That’s why cravings should never be a trifle, you should take it as a warning sign. One tip is to have your family doctor measure your fasting blood sugar so that you can identify a potential risk of type II diabetes at an early stage.
And how exactly does cravings arise in the physical sense?
The higher the carbohydrate density of a food, the stronger the blood sugar stimulus and thus the body’s insulin response. However, the blood sugar drops again quickly after eating and then the ravenous hunger sets in. If you understand this phenomenon, you can also prevent it wonderfully by trying to keep your blood sugar stable over the course of the day and also by choosing meals so that they do not cause a strong blood sugar stimulus. Clever combinations help, for example a healthy organic apple with a handful of nuts, kernels or seeds, which reduces the blood sugar stimulus.
Doc Fleck is known as an RTL health expert on TV and through her podcast
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Many people underestimate how many carbohydrate-dense foods there are in everyday life. These are not just the classic sweets such as cake or a pretzel, the custard snail or the piece of chocolate or the cough drops that are sucked in between. These are also cereals such as muesli, crispbread or pumpernickel. All of this creates a potential blood sugar spike.
And what is the best way to put together a meal?
A smart meal is primarily high in protein and fiber and contains healthy fats. So a high proportion of vegetables, a few herbs and protein from a source that suits you. Fat actually does not cause a strong blood sugar stimulus at all, so you can also turn off the ravenous hunger phenomenon wonderfully.
Bitter substances also have to be on the plate. They curb cravings and are essential for health, the good and slimming intestinal bacteria work with them. Bitter substances are found, for example, in rocket, dandelion, chicory or radicchio. Black coffee or green and black tea also contain some bitter substances. I also recommend my patients to spray bitter substances on their tongues several times a day between meals. Drops also work, but the preparations should be alcohol-free.
What foods can I eat to combat cravings?
First of all, hunger is often confused with thirst. If you feel cravings, the first thing you should do is drink at least one large glass of water at room temperature. And then the combination is also important here, for example, the stomach is happy about something high in fiber, i.e. a large portion of vegetables or a vegetable soup. And maybe some protein like a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts, kernels, seeds. They provide protein, fat and fiber in equal measure. Such a combination of protein and good fat has a satiating effect and immediately eliminates cravings.
Are some people more prone to cravings than others?
Yes, you can deduce that from practice. It is worthwhile, for example, to have the visceral abdominal fat analyzed. This nestles around the abdominal organs and is a real inflammation factory. People with greatly increased visceral fat are also potentially more at risk because of these inflammatory dynamics.
Many slim people also have visceral abdominal fat without knowing it. How can I find out if I’m affected?
I would also recommend having your fasting blood sugar level checked at least once a year. You can also measure the waist circumference, there are classic criteria. But from my experience, that’s not sensitive enough, so I’m a fan of blood glucose levels. Even an outwardly slim person can have an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, dementia and cancer if, for example, they have unrecognized inflammatory dynamics.
In general, I therefore try to get people to take responsibility for good pension provision from an early age. Because I see a major flaw in our system. I also believe that in a few years, many costs will no longer be borne by health insurance companies. So it will come down to the fact that everyone should take on as much personal responsibility as early as possible. And the best way to do this is to start directly with dealing with nutrition, exercise and sleep individually.
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Most of us have a lot of stress in everyday life, in which it is rather difficult to pay attention to a balanced diet. How can we still avoid cravings?
We need structure. Regular meals, for example, prevent cravings. When the body senses that someone is taking care of me on a regular basis, that person also has better metabolic conditioning. Irregular and carbohydrate-rich eating is potential poison in the long run. And then you always have to see what suits you personally. For example, not everyone is suitable for intermittent fasting. Here, too, the magic word is: Individual health, i.e. also individual tolerance and individual preferences.
Most people are often well advised with a classic 3-meal principle. But some also need snacks. And then, as I said, the composition of the plate also plays a role. Half the plate should be green and high in fiber, along with herbs, spices, a thumbnail size of fat, and a handful of protein from a source you like and can tolerate. Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice or potatoes should only make up a small proportion. This usually has the problem of cravings under control very gallantly.
How about drinks?
Of course, we must not lose sight of them either. A blood sugar stimulus is not only caused by lemonades or energy drinks, but also by milk coffee, for example. It is best to drink mostly water or unsweetened herbal tea.
Is it true that I get more cravings when I’ve been on a lot of diets?
Yes, that’s exactly why they don’t work. That’s why it’s a pity that so many people keep relying on diet promises instead of tackling an individually suitable, healthy and also enjoyable diet change. And of course, many people destroy their metabolism with radical diets. It has now also been proven that protein shake cures with sweeteners can have an unfavorable effect on the intestinal flora. With the simple foods that I have mentioned, you can wonderfully control and successfully maintain a feel-good and ideal weight.
*Editor’s note: Insulin is an endogenous hormone that channels carbohydrate energy from food into the blood to lower blood sugar again. The higher the blood sugar stimulus, the more insulin is released to bring the sugar level to a normal level. In the case of insulin resistance, however, the messenger substance does not manage to lower the blood sugar sufficiently or at all.