3 Steps To Reduce Food Cravings, From A Neuroscientist 

How can we actually eat intuitively? How do our hunger hormones change as we age? How can we reduce unhealthy food cravings? Neuroscientist and addiction psychiatrist Jud Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., answers all that and more in this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast. 

Brewer is the king of unpacking your habit loops—he's previously discussed them in the context of addiction and anxiety, and today, he's applying that same logic to our hunger hormones with his new book, The Hunger Habit: Why We Eat When We're Not Hungry and How To Stop. 

To be clear, you should always listen to your own body. And if you're craving a sweet treat every now and then, go ahead and indulge—desserts are good for the soul! But our natural hunger cues can easily become hijacked over time, and that's where neuroscience comes into play. 

First things first: Notice what triggers you. Usually, in the case of food cravings, triggers are tied to emotions. "It's 3 p.m., and I'm stressed," Brewer offers. (Stress would be the trigger in this example.)

It's why we even have the term comfort food. "Our brains are saying, 'Hey, something in my life is unpleasant. Go make me feel more comfortable,'" Brewer explains. "Then we feel better, and our brain says, 'Hey, that was good. When you're stressed, you should eat comfort food. You'll feel more comfortable.' And we do it again. That actually is how any habit is set up." 

Next, identify the behaviors following those triggers. For example, when you're stressed, do you rummage through the fridge? While prepping for an important meeting, do you have a bag of chips next to your notes? Do you use food to distract yourself?

You could even start the process at this step if you aren't totally sure what triggers you. "The triggers are actually the least important part of the equation," says Brewer. If somebody can't identify a trigger, it's not a big deal—but they can notice what the behavior is." 

Finally, pay attention to how you feel as you eat those foods. "What are the emotions that come up, and how content do [you] feel?" asks Brewer. If your body truly feels satisfied, then that's a sign you've just fed your natural hunger cues. But oftentimes, Brewer notes, "it just doesn't feel good." 

Sure, you may experience a surge of dopamine after a few bites, but try to reflect on your emotions after the fact. Write down those feelings where you have those triggers and behaviors—and voilà, you've just created a habit map.

There's nothing wrong with having food cravings, and you shouldn't beat yourself up for wanting a sweet treat or bag of chips. But if you're indulging in those cravings to distract from deeper emotions, you might want to use Brewer's process to investigate whether those cravings actually serve you. 

Cravings are unlikely to disappear overnight, but with a bit of practice, you can learn to intervene before those unconscious behaviors crop up. As Brewer notes: "If we learn how our minds work, we can learn to work with our minds."