3 Types of Hunger & How to Satisfy Them

Understanding Nutritional, Physical & Emotional Hunger Cues

When was the last time you felt hungry? Like really hungry.

Did you know why you felt that way?

And when was the last time you honored that hunger? Knowing exactly how to satisfy what your body needed in the moment — be it salmon and broccoli or a chocolate chip cookie.

If you’re like most of the women I coach, you’re disconnected from your hunger cues — likely from years of dieting and restriction. And have that all-or-nothing mentality of over-eating then restricting, over and over again.

It doesn’t have to be that way though.

One of the best ways to start chipping away at old thought patterns related to food is to understand hunger — because it’s far more complex than an empty, growling stomach.

There are three distinct types of hunger - nutritional, physical, and emotional - each with its own cues and cravings.

By understanding these three, you can better decode your body's signals, make informed choices, and cultivate a balanced, joyful relationship with food while also reaching your health and body composition goals.

This is part what I teach in my new program Effortless Nutrition. Enrollment officially opens today, but I’m keeping the early bird discount active through midnight tonight 9/5 - use the code WAITLIST for 20% off any of the payment options.

Alright, let’s break them down —

aka: Are you getting enough & the right combination of macronutrients and micronutrients to fuel your body so it can function optimally?

This is where I always start (which makes since given I’m a nutritionist).

Nutritional hunger is your body’s plea for nutrients and happens when we’re not ingesting what it needs to perform daily tasks and cellular upkeep.

Factors that contribute to increased nutritional needs include chronic stress, pregnancy/postpartum, surgical recovery, an intense exercise regimen, hormonal changes, increased toxic burden, and gastrointestinal issues to name a few.

When we’re not meeting these needs, we tend to have more cravings and feel hungrier than normal because or body is trying to communicate with us.

This is true when it comes to macronutrients like protein, carbs, and fat as well as micronutrients like iron or magnesium.

I always like to give a woman’s menstrual cycle as an example for this one —

• Craving more carbs and sweets leading up to your cycle in the luteal phase? This is because your energy needs are higher and you’re more insulin resistant, meaning blood glucose levels are harder to regulate. To keep those cravings at bay, it’s important to focus on complex carbs, like sweet potato and quinoa, and also eat enough protein + fat to keep blood sugars balanced.

• Or maybe you’re craving chocolate specifically? That’s because your body needs magnesium, an essential micronutrient that helps relax muscles (i.e. cramp relief), balance your mood by up-regulating serotonin production, and soothe headaches.

• Or what about red meat on day 3 of a heavy flow? That’s your body screaming for heme iron to replenish what’s been lost.

When you meet your nutritional needs, your body releases satiety hormones like leptin and CCK, signaling fullness to the brain. Balanced meals, rich in protein and fiber, also help stabilize blood sugar, preventing energy crashes and subsequent cravings.

aka: When your stomach is on empty.