How To Master Hunger And Cravings | This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Athletic Greens

So many of my patients tell me they feel their food cravings have gotten out of control and a lack of willpower is driving their weight gain, generally making them feel like crap. But, the truth is, this is not a matter of willpower. Our industrial food industry produces food-like substances specifically made to hook our taste buds with every bite, hijacking our brain chemistry and metabolism, and giving rise to disease. Our bodies actually have a finely-tuned appetite control system that is governed by certain hormones. However, our modern diet, elevated stress, and inadequate sleep impairs this system, leading us to crave the wrong foods and feel hungry all the time. 

In this episode, Dr. Hyman discusses our natural hunger regulator, ghrelin, with Dr. Elizabeth Boham. They talk about how this hormone works and what can interrupt its natural production. They also discuss strategies to help the body regulate hunger naturally.

Elizabeth Boham is a physician and nutritionist who practices Functional Medicine at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, MA. Through her practice and lecturing she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness. She witnesses the power of nutrition every day in her practice and is committed to training other physicians to utilize nutrition in healing. Dr. Boham has contributed to many articles and wrote the latest chapter on Obesity for the Rankel Textbook of Family Medicine. She is part of the faculty of the Institute for Functional Medicine and has been featured on the Dr. Oz show and in a variety of publications and media including Huffington Post, The Chalkboard Magazine, and Experience Life. Her DVD Breast Wellness: Tools to Prevent and Heal from Breast Cancer explores the Functional Medicine approach to keeping your breasts and whole body well.

This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Athletic Greens.

Rupa Health is a place for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000 specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America, Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com. 

Athletic Greens is offering Doctor’s Farmacy listeners a full year supply of their Vitamin D3/K2 Liquid Formula free with your first purchase, plus 5 free travel packs. Just go to athleticgreens.com/hyman to take advantage of this great offer.

In this conversation, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Boham discuss:

• What ghrelin is and how it affects hunger and cravings

• How ghrelin works to tell us we are full

• The effects of gastric bypass surgery on ghrelin

• Why diet, sleep, and stress affect ghrelin

• Case study of a 45-year-old male’s weight loss

• The role of sleep apnea on ghrelin levels and weight 

• Functional Medicine strategy to regulate hunger

Additional Resources:

Why Obesity, Hunger, and Malnutrition are Found Together in the Same People

How Sleep Apnea Drives Weight Gain, Memory Loss, High Blood Pressure, ADHD, and More

We Got it Wrong When It Comes to Weight Loss with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee

The Secret to Losing Weight and Feeling Great

Stopping the Stress Epidemic

What is Driving Your Poor Sleep and How Can You Fix It?

Book Mentioned in This Episode:

Always Hungry? By David Ludwig, MD, PhD