Cravings, we all have them. Sometimes you can easily let them pass while, more often than not, you give in to them. But what actually causes food cravings, and how can we stop them?

4 Common Causes of Food Cravings

Here are 4 common causes of food cravings that may be leading to your cravings and your weight gain.

1) You are dehydrated
Hunger and thirst are closely related. You may think you are hungry but often it’s really thirst. Drink a big glass of water and see if the desire to eat goes away. If you are truly hungry you will still be hungry after you drink.

2) You may be nutrient deficient
If you aren’t giving your body enough protein, fat, B vitamins, magnesium, or other nutrients, you can experience particular cravings because your body wants something it lacks. One great place to start is to make sure you are taking a good multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to cover your essential vitamins and minerals. I take the Nutrametrix multi vitamin. I love drinking my vitamins vs swallowing pills.

3) You are tired
Your sleep quality matters. When you don’t get enough rest, your levels of ghrelin (a hormone that makes you want to eat) go up and your levels of leptin (a hormone that decreases hunger and the desire to eat) go down. These two hormones control feelings of hunger. The result: You feel hungry even if your body doesn’t need food. To improve leptin levels, try TLS CORE.

4) You are in a constant state of stress
When you are constantly stressed a hormone called cortisol is released in the body. Cortisol causes an increase in appetite especially for sweets and carbs. Cortisol is also a fat storing hormone. Controlling your stress is important for your overall health.

If you experience cravings, before you cave, explore what may be going on for you. This will help you avoid eating food you are not hungry for that leads to weight gain.