Understanding Keto Cravings: Triggers And Solutions

Cravings for carbohydrates can be a common occurrence when starting a keto diet. This can be frustrating, especially if you give in to the cravings every time, making your diet unsustainable.

There are several reasons why you may be experiencing cravings, including:

- You may not be eating enough fats or protein.

- You may be experiencing stress or sleep deprivation.

- You may be dehydrated.

- You may be consuming artificial sweeteners.

- You may be premenstrual.

To help manage cravings, it is recommended to:

- Eat more healthy fats, such as macadamia nuts, avocados, eggs, and coconut meat.

- Ensure you are eating enough protein, such as grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs.

- Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

- Get enough sleep.

- Find healthy substitutes for high-carb foods, such as keto-friendly bread or pasta.

- Exercise regularly to keep your mind occupied and your body busy.

- Avoid artificial sweeteners, as they can make cravings stronger.

- Allow your body time to adjust to the new diet.

Not eating enough food

One of the most common reasons people experience cravings when starting a ketogenic diet is that they are not eating enough food. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as focusing too much on calorie restriction, attempting intermittent fasting too soon, or miscalculating macronutrient intake. It is important to remember that food is not the enemy, and while transitioning to a ketogenic diet, the only macronutrient that needs to be restricted is carbohydrates.

During this initial phase, the body goes through significant changes as it switches from using carbohydrates to fat as its primary energy source. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure adequate fuel intake to facilitate these changes. Restricting calories too much during this period can lead to hunger and cravings. Instead, focus on consuming enough healthy fats and proteins, which will make you feel fuller and help manage cravings.

Additionally, it is important to be mindful of your overall food intake and ensure you are eating enough throughout the day. Eating frequent, large, and filling meals or snacks can help prevent hunger from becoming an issue and make it easier to resist cravings.

Tips to Address Not Eating Enough Food:

• Avoid strict calorie restriction, especially during the initial phase of the ketogenic diet.
• Ensure you are consuming enough healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, and fatty fish.
• Include high-protein foods like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, eggs, and nuts in your meals and snacks.
• Eat when hungry and focus on having large, filling portions of keto-friendly foods.
• Consider carrying snacks, such as beef jerky, to prevent hunger and cravings when on the go.
• Avoid intermittent fasting until your body has adapted to using fat as its primary fuel source.
• Calculate and monitor your macronutrient intake to ensure you are getting enough fat and protein while keeping carbohydrates low.

Not eating enough protein

Not consuming sufficient protein is a common mistake on the keto diet and can trigger hunger and cravings as your body tries to obtain more energy from food. Eating high-protein keto foods is essential, even if you are on the right track with your low-carb diet and high-fat intake.

How to Ensure You Are Eating Enough Protein

• Adjust your protein intake based on your age, condition, and level of physical exercise.
• Animal-based protein sources such as eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, and whey protein powders are recommended.
• For vegetarians and vegans, trust tofu and tempeh, and consider adding extra protein powders such as hemp or pea protein.
• Plan snacks and meals that include high-protein food options like grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, nuts, seeds, and eggs.
• Eat more whole foods filled with animal protein.

What Happens if You Don't Eat Enough Protein

• Loss of muscle mass.
• Hair loss.
• Crazy carb cravings!

Hormonal shifts during the menstrual cycle

Fluctuating hormone levels during the menstrual cycle can cause food cravings, particularly for sweet and high-carb foods. The menstrual cycle can be divided into the follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase. Each phase is characterised by different hormonal fluctuations, which can influence food cravings.

Follicular Phase

During the follicular phase, which begins on the first day of menstruation and lasts for about 10 to 14 days, the body secretes follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). While FSH does not significantly influence behaviour, it stimulates the production of follicles in the ovaries that contain eggs.

During this phase, the hormone estradiol (the most potent type of estrogen) rises, often leading to increased energy, sociability, a clearer mind, and happiness. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and emotions, also tends to increase alongside estradiol. As a result, individuals may be more inclined to exercise and engage in physical activity.

Ovulatory Phase

During the ovulatory phase, estrogen levels peak, prompting the body to release luteinizing hormone (LH). This release usually occurs around the 13th day of the cycle and triggers the ovaries to release an egg into the fallopian tube.

High estrogen levels during this phase can enhance feelings of happiness, attractiveness, and sexual desirability. Additionally, testosterone levels rise, improving mood and energy, and increasing sex drive and desire.

Luteal Phase

After ovulation, the follicle left behind by the departing egg secretes progesterone, a hormone that prepares the uterus to accept and maintain a fertilised egg. Progesterone can initially improve sleep and reduce anxiety. However, it may also lead to bloating, constipation, fatigue, fluid retention, and cravings for junk food.

If the egg remains unfertilised, progesterone levels will drop, leading to a dip in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone levels. This hormonal dip during the late luteal phase can cause physical symptoms such as cramps, acne, breast tenderness, and headaches, as well as emotional symptoms like anxiety, sadness, and depression.

The luteal phase is associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects over 90% of women and causes a range of physical and emotional symptoms. Hormonal fluctuations, particularly changes in estrogen and progesterone levels, are believed to influence the intensity of PMS symptoms.

Hormones and Food Cravings

Changes in estrogen and progesterone levels during the menstrual cycle have been linked to cravings for high-carb and sweet foods. Estrogen helps the body tolerate carbohydrates better during the follicular phase. However, during the luteal phase, when insulin resistance increases, it becomes more challenging to tolerate carbohydrates.

Additionally, serotonin, a chemical that boosts feelings of happiness, is released when consuming starchy foods and sweets. As serotonin levels tend to dip during the luteal phase, cravings for foods that increase serotonin may become more pronounced.

Managing Cravings

To manage cravings during the luteal phase, it is recommended to increase calorie intake by 200-300 calories per day, focusing on healthy snacks and meals that are high in fat and protein rather than carbohydrates. Maintaining a balanced diet, staying hydrated, and engaging in physical activity can also help manage cravings and improve overall well-being during this phase.

Sleep deprivation

Firstly, sleep deprivation can disrupt the regulation of leptin and ghrelin, two important hormones that control appetite and hunger. Leptin sends signals to your brain when you're full, telling you to stop eating. However, sleep deprivation can affect the release of leptin, causing your brain to override the signals that indicate fullness. On the other hand, ghrelin is a hormone that stimulates hunger. A single night of inadequate sleep can cause a significant increase in ghrelin levels, making you feel hungrier.

Secondly, sleep deprivation can lead to higher insulin levels, which is a hormone that plays a crucial role in weight gain and fat storage. Insulin resistance, caused by elevated insulin levels, results in unnecessary fat accumulation, especially around vital organs, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Additionally, sleep deprivation can impair decision-making abilities and increase the reactivity of the amygdala, a primitive part of the brain associated with survival instincts. This combination may explain why people who are sleep-deprived tend to crave and consume more high-calorie foods, as their ability to make complex decisions is compromised, and they are driven by the urgency to satisfy their hunger.

Furthermore, sleep deprivation can affect your dietary choices and increase your preference for high-calorie, weight-gain-promoting foods. Studies have shown that sleep-deprived individuals exhibit a stronger desire for high-calorie foods and are more likely to make unhealthy food choices. This shift in food preferences may be due to the altered activity of specific brain regions involved in appetite regulation and food stimulus evaluation.

Finally, sleep deprivation can also impact your overall health and well-being. It can cause increased stress levels, leading to higher cortisol production, which is a hormone that stimulates cravings for sweets. Additionally, chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to obesity, with individuals sleeping less than 5 hours per night being 50% more likely to become obese compared to those who get a full 8 hours of sleep.

To summarize, sleep deprivation can trigger cravings, especially for high-calorie and high-carb foods, by disrupting hormone regulation, impairing decision-making abilities, and altering brain activity related to appetite and food stimulus evaluation. Addressing sleep deprivation is crucial not only for managing cravings but also for maintaining overall health and well-being.

Stress

To manage stress and prevent cravings, it is important to first recognize its causes. One way to do this is by identifying physical alarms, such as tense muscles, fatigue, or headaches, and connecting them with the pressure one is facing. Once the sources of stress are identified, they can be categorized into things that have solutions, things that will get better with time, and things that are beyond one's control. This helps to put things into perspective and focus on finding solutions to the problems that can be addressed.

If work or family-related issues are the main sources of stress, it is worth reviewing one's lifestyle and asking questions like, "Am I taking on too much?" or "Can I delegate some of my tasks to someone else?" Taking a break, going for a walk, meditating, exercising, getting adequate sleep, and minimizing screen time are also effective ways to reduce stress levels.

Additionally, keeping a diary to track when cravings occur can help identify patterns and triggers, especially if they are stress-induced. This awareness can empower individuals to make healthier choices and manage their cravings more effectively.

Frequently asked questions