CRUSH Food Cravings in 5 Easy Steps
By
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
Posted July 22, 2017
I just read your article that talked about how eating late at night can cause you to gain weight. My problem is that about an hour or so after dinner, I’m always starving again! Is there anything I can do to beat these late-night cravings?
–Susan H.
Dr. G: If you find yourself reaching for a bag of chips, or scooping up a bowl of ice cream every night, that’s a big, flashing sign that your hormones are out of whack.
I know that most people don’t think about hormones in relation to eating, but you should.
Hormones like insulin, leptin, and ghrelin send important signals between your belly and your brain that tell you when to eat—and importantly, when to stop.
If your hormones aren’t working properly, the signals get jammed, and the result is that “hungry-all-the-time, never-quite-satisfied” feeling. I also call it “the munchies.”
For example, leptin is known as the satiety hormone. It sends signals to your brain to tell you when you’re full.
The problem is that loading up on sugar, processed foods, and flour interrupts that important signal. And if your brain doesn’t get the message, it won’t tell you to stop eating.
Insulin plays a role too. When insulin goes up and down because of eating too much sugar, it makes you hungry all the time.
Talk about a double whammy!
To make matters even worse, the hunger hormone (called ghrelin) gets triggered when we’re sleep deprived. That means that staying up late and/or not getting enough sleep will tell your brain that your tummy is hungry—even when it’s not.
Looks like that double whammy just turned into a triple threat!
The good news is that balancing these hormones helps beat cravings and prevent late-night eating.
Here are 5 steps that can help you do just that:
- Eat a high-protein breakfast.
- Eat three meals a day and avoid snacking. This helps balance your blood sugar.
- Get adequate sleep. When we’re sleep deprived, the hunger hormone goes up, and the satiety hormones go down.
- Don’t eat right before you go to sleep. Going to bed right after you eat will cause you to store fat instead of processing it or burning it.
- Finally, get plenty of sunlight. Vitamin D helps to regulate hormones and balance insulin.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
Written By Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
For years he’s been the trusted doctor for celebrities, world-class athletes, and countless seniors looking to reclaim their health.
And now…for the first time ever… he’s making his medical breakthroughs available to readers all across America.
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D. is one of the most pioneering and innovative minds in medicine today – and he delivers cutting-edge cures each month through his Natural Health Response newsletter.
Natural Health Response readers get full access to Dr. Gerhauser’s protocols for chronic pain… heart disease… diabetes… Alzheimer’s… and even cancer. These are the very same treatments Dr. Gerhauser recommends to his own patients at his practice in Tucson, Arizona.
In addition to being a board-certified medical doctor, Dr. Gerhauser has earned two master’s degrees and has served as a clinical professor at the University of Arizona.
And as a physician at the world-famous Canyon Ranch, Dr. Gerhauser treated celebrities from around the world who paid dearly for the type of next-generation health information he provides Natural Health Response readers each month.
View More Free Articles
Load Up on This Dementia Buster
When it comes to protecting your brain and reducing your risk of cognitive decline, every little bit helps. But this doesn’t necessarily mean overhauling your lifestyle. It can include simple steps like getting more sleep, spending more time with friends, or regular massages to reduce stress levels. (Sounds pretty good, right?) Today, I have another […]
CAUTION: Are You Living In a “Cancer Zone”
You have a lot more control over cancer than you realize. Lifestyle factors like avoiding ultra-processed foods, getting plenty of movement, and not smoking can reduce your cancer risk. But even if you’re doing “everything right,” you could be exposing yourself to something that can increase your cancer risk as much as smoking. When it […]
Fiber Fix Reduces Risk for THIS Terrifying Condition
Everyone knows that fiber is great for digestion. But fiber can do MUCH more than reduce your risk of constipation or hemorrhoids. Over the years, we’ve discovered fiber has other added benefits like lowering blood sugar, reducing heart disease risk, weight management, and more. Today, I have another one to add to the list—and it’s […]
“Breath of Fresh Air” Cancer Pain Relief
When it comes to pain, cancer patients can be hit with a double whammy. Cancer itself often causes pain—and so can the treatments. In fact, PAIN is one of the most common symptoms reported by cancer patients, with 30 to 40 percent experiencing ongoing pain. The last thing they need is to load even MORE […]
Eat Your Way to Lower Anxiety
Anxiety can be crippling. It can cause you to withdraw from your friends… leave you unable to work… and make it impossible to make decisions. Even worse, it can mess with your health, impacting your breathing, digestion, sleep, and more. Doctors predictably treat anxiety with drugs. And while meds might work for some in the […]
Don’t Ignore This Killer Constipation Threat
No one wants to talk about constipation… but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. Besides causing pain, gas, and cramps, constipation can lead to more serious health risks, such as bowel incontinence, fecal impaction, anal fissures, and rectal prolapse. But even beyond these issues, constipation can increase your risk of suffering the number one […]
How Chronic Stress Shaves Years Off Your Life
This Labor Day, I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge the ingenuity, perseverance, and spirit of America’s workforce. Their daily efforts build our nation and fuel our progress. When it comes to stress, there’s good and bad news. The bad news is that chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of conditions like […]
Light Trick Slashes Near-Sightedness in Kids
Yesterday, I explained that spending time in the sun can reduce the risk of dying from the world’s two BIGGEST killers: heart disease and cancer. (If you missed it, you can catch up here.) Typically, I talk about sun benefits that extend to adults. But today, I’ve got one for the kids in your life. […]
Illuminating Solution SLASHES Cancer and Heart Disease Risk
Despite all the money we dump into the healthcare system, heart disease and cancer STILL kill over 1.3 million people in the US every year. And that number won’t be changing anytime soon. But instead of throwing millions of dollars at doctor’s visits, state-of-the-art testing, treatment, and drugs, I have a better idea. It doesn’t […]
The Habit That’s Killing Type 2 Diabetics
If you’re living with type 2 diabetes, you have an increased risk of health problems ranging from heart attack and stroke to kidney failure and neuropathy. You also have a higher risk of early death. People with type 2 diabetes live about six years less than average. That’s bad enough. But there’s ONE habit that […]
