October 3, 2025 • 14 mins
Episode 42 - Cravings Explained: What Your Brain (and Biology) Are Really Telling You
Why do we crave certain foods — even when we’re not hungry? In this episode, Jenny Peña, NBC-HWC, breaks down the fascinating science behind food cravings. From hormones and brain chemistry to emotions, environment, and even lack of sleep, you’ll learn why cravings are so powerful — and why they’re not a sign of weakness.
This is the kickoff to our October Cravings Series — where we’ll explore sugar vs. salt cravings, hunger vs. habit, emotional eating, and even how to enjoy Halloween candy without the crash.
✨ What you’ll learn in this episode:
The difference between hunger, appetite, and cravings
How hormones, brain pathways, and blood sugar dips fuel cravings
Emotional and environmental triggers (stress, boredom, ads, social influence)
Lifestyle factors that make cravings louder — like sleep and hydration
🎁 Free Resource
Download your Blood Sugar Balancing Snacks List for quick, satisfying snack ideas that keep your A1C steady — from Greek yogurt with berries to roasted chickpeas to dark chocolate with almonds.
👉 Get it here: https://www.subscribepage.io/snacks
🔗 Connect with Jenny:
Website: https://www.jennypena.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/coachjenp
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:15):
Hello there, welcome back to thePath to Better A1C podcast.
I'm your host, Jenny Pena, National Board Certified Health
and Wellness coach and blood sugar bestie, and I am just
trying to bring some awareness, light on some topics and help
you balance your blood sugar, regain your energy, lower your
A1C, prevent diabetes. And I just love to record.
(00:41):
This is like one of the things that I enjoy the most from my
business. Now today's episode, episode 42
Cravings explained, we're going to talk about cravings, but
we're going to go into the biology, the brain, the behavior
of it. Now, before we get started, I
have something special for you and that is my free blood sugar
(01:03):
balancing snacks list. I have revised my list.
I have updated it and it has a amazing collection of quick,
satisfying snacks ideas that aregoing to keep your energy steady
and you're going to keep your A1C on track.
So you can grab that for free atsubscribe page dot IO for slash
(01:28):
snacks and I will put the description and all the details
on the description of the episode.
Now let's get started about cravings, right?
And I think everybody can relateto this.
You finish a perfect good lunch and then suddenly you're craving
chocolate or maybe you're craving chips and you're not
(01:51):
hungry. You just say, why does that
happen, right? Like I get a lot of clients.
I'm like, why does that happen? I keep eating and it's just, it
keeps coming back. So spoiler alert, you're not
broken. It's not something that is
unusual. Over 90% of people experience
food cravings at some point. It is part of being human.
(02:15):
Now the question that we need todig deeper is to not necessarily
if cravings happen because we know that they happen is why
they happen. And by doing that then we can
understand and troubleshoot and find ways of managing them.
So hunger, let's talk about this.
(02:38):
Let's talk about hunger, cravings and appetite.
So hunger is your body's way of asking for fuel, saying I need
food, I need something to generate energy.
Now appetite is a general desireto eat, right?
It's just like, oh, I just have this appetite for this, right?
(03:00):
It's a general desire. But cravings, What
differentiates it is that intense laser focus urge for
specific food, right? That distinction matters because
cravings are way more than an empty stomach, right?
(03:24):
The appetite and the hunger, they're two different things.
But the cravings, again, it's that intense feeling, they light
up your brain's reward system. So there's a relation with
dopamine, right? Dopamine is released and
suddenly that cookie feels irresistible and actually like
(03:46):
the American Heart Association. And in one of their articles,
they noted that just seeing or smelling food can actually
trigger that brain activity and the salivation, even heart rate
changes. So I live in New York and there
are these and I don't even want to mention the brand, but
(04:07):
there's this brand displays of cookies that just by passing by,
you may not even want a cookie, you're not hungry.
But when they're baking the cookies, the smell is so
enticing. All of a sudden you're just
craving that cookie. It just sends that signal.
So that is technically what happens.
Hormones wait apart as well. We have all the triggers like
(04:32):
the senses, the smell. Now your brain is imagining it.
All of a sudden your mouth gets watery.
But then the hormones also play a part.
So we have leptin and serotonin,and if there's some imbalances
there, it can actually make yourcraving stronger.
And then also estrogen and progesterone, all these shifts
(04:57):
also cravings can flare up and there are certain times of the
month as well. So you don't even need to be
perimenopausal or menopausal. Everybody knows when you're
around that time of the month. Some cravings actually are a
little bit I intensified and it's because of that.
If there is a hormonal shift that causes that, and then there
(05:23):
is blood sugar, when it dips, your brain shouts for quick
fuel. That's why it's so important to
keep your blood sugar levels stable, avoiding those huge
spikes that eventually end up inhuge drops in energy and blood
sugar. So usually the sugar and the fat
(05:46):
are things that play a part in all of this complex system of
cravings. Now, there is a fun fact.
UCLA researchers even found neurons that push food seeking
behavior even without hunger. So your brain is a wire to chase
(06:07):
this cues. It's like the brain is waiting
for it, right? So this is, I find it
fascinating, but at the same time I'm like, wow, it's almost
like we are predisposed to reactthis way.
That's why I'm saying it's not like you're broken.
It's not like, don't feel like afailure.
Don't feel like, oh, I just needwillpower.
(06:27):
There's a lot of physiological elements to this.
Now, again, cravings aren't justbiology, right?
We just talked a little bit about how the brain reacts, but
they're also tied to emotions and environment.
And we touched a little bit on the environment because of the
smell of the cookies that I mentioned earlier.
(06:49):
But there are also emotions tiedto it.
Stress, boredom, sadness, they can all amplify cravings.
And our brains love associations, right?
Cake, birthdays, popcorn, movies.
(07:09):
Like we associate these foods tocertain events.
And I was talking to a client the other day, and I was telling
her, like, OK, like, why is this?
Why are you, like, so attached? She was very attached to this
routine of the ice cream. There was an emotional tie to it
(07:31):
that went back to when she was alittle girl and how it was a
reward system. Every time she had the ice
cream, it meant like, she did well in a class or had a good
grade and a test. There was just that tie between
the ice cream as a reward. There was that emotional tie and
(07:53):
it was bringing back those memories.
And obviously, like, parents areno longer here and having that
ice cream almost brought back those moments spent with her
parents, right? Like, so there is an emotional
tie to it. And once those links are built,
(08:14):
like craving stages show up likeclockwork because your brain
likes repetition, right? If there is a routine that you
already have, when you're tryingto modify that routine, your
brain is going to try to correctyou back to wait a minute.
This is not what you typically do.
We need to change this. Think about that.
And then we have the environmentthat we touched a little bit on,
(08:36):
right? It's craving central adds
Instagram reels, vending machines again, the smell from a
bakery. All of these fire up the those
reward secrets. And sometimes it's social,
right? Like your Co worker went out to
eat with you and orders dessert and all of a sudden you wanted
(08:58):
to right? Like maybe you were clear that
you were not going to order that.
And all of a sudden now you see it.
You're like, oh, OK, I think I'mI changed my mind.
All these things are environmental elements that you
need to think about. Now here are also two elements
that are amplifiers, things thatactually will push the cravings
(09:22):
even further, and those are lackof sleep and dehydration.
That's why if you come to work with me, the first thing, the
very first step before we even do anything, we go over what is
called the wheel of life and we talk about your goals and we
talk about like the areas that you want to focus on and we
(09:43):
develop a plan and a little goalmapping sheet.
And when they ask like, OK, likewhat do you want to work on?
I'm like, you know what, start drinking more water.
Can you please track your water?And let's talk about that the
next time we need because dehydration, it's so like
(10:03):
rampant and it impacts so many systems, not just cravings, but
it will surely, surely impact that.
Because between the dehydration and the lack of sleep, which is
another element that a lot of people ignore, poor sleep raises
girl in, which is a hunger hormone.
(10:25):
And it actually lowers leptin. Leptin is the fullness hormone.
When you have that combination, cravings feel louder.
And if you have that mild thirst, if you're kind of
dehydrated, your body will also misinterpret dehydration as
(10:45):
hunger. Sometimes I tell the clients I'm
like, well, if you're feeling these cravings, why don't you
take a glass of water first because that often softens the
urge. This assess.
Maybe you are truly hungry. Maybe that it is a craving that
requires you to grab that snack.But let's roll these things out
(11:08):
first. You're feeling the craving.
Grab some water and drink some water and wait a little bit and
see how you feel. Be in tune with your body.
So here's the thing, cravings are normal.
I want you to understand that they're normal.
They don't mean that you're weak.
They they're just biology, brain, environment all working
together. Now instead of fighting the
cravings, right with shame. We don't want you to feel shame.
(11:34):
What if you just got curious about it?
And next time you have that craving hits, pause for 60
seconds. Name it.
Say, what do I really crave? Is it something sweet?
Is it something salty? Is it soothing?
Is it comfort? Do I want to celebrate a great
(11:57):
win that I had? Ask yourself, what's really
behind it. Curiosity and awareness gives
you power. So this is the take away that I
want you to grab hold of insteadof just dealing with shame and
feeling like I don't have any willpower.
(12:18):
I can't do this. Be curious.
So this coming week, be curious.Every time you have a craving
again, follow these simple steps.
Grab some water so that you can roll out the dehydration.
Be aware what type of craving? What is it that I really want
and why do I want it? And be aware of that.
(12:42):
And that is going to open up many things and you're going to
be able to clearly see, oh, it'sbecause of that environment,
It's because I always do that. It's because this person order
it. And it's going to be easier for
you to tame that and control it.So today we explored why
(13:03):
cravings happen This entire month we're going to talk about
this and we're going to look at different elements.
But next week, we're going to dive into sugar and salty
cravings. And like why some people reach
for chocolate and others reach for the chips, right?
And what those urges might be telling you because there may be
(13:24):
something else that your body istrying to tell you.
And don't forget your free bloodsugar bouncy snacks list is
waiting at subscribe page dot IOforward slash snacks and it's
full of grab and go ideas and may even have a little dark
chocolate in there. So again, thank you so much for
(13:47):
listening. Remember that cravings aren't a
flow. They're just a part of being
human. I hope to see you in episode 43.
Bye.
Hello there, welcome back to thePath to Better A1C podcast.
I'm your host, Jenny Pena, National Board Certified Health
and Wellness coach and blood sugar bestie, and I am just
trying to bring some awareness, light on some topics and help
you balance your blood sugar, regain your energy, lower your
A1C, prevent diabetes. And I just love to record.
(00:41):
This is like one of the things that I enjoy the most from my
business. Now today's episode, episode 42
Cravings explained, we're going to talk about cravings, but
we're going to go into the biology, the brain, the behavior
of it. Now, before we get started, I
have something special for you and that is my free blood sugar
(01:03):
balancing snacks list. I have revised my list.
I have updated it and it has a amazing collection of quick,
satisfying snacks ideas that aregoing to keep your energy steady
and you're going to keep your A1C on track.
So you can grab that for free atsubscribe page dot IO for slash
(01:28):
snacks and I will put the description and all the details
on the description of the episode.
Now let's get started about cravings, right?
And I think everybody can relateto this.
You finish a perfect good lunch and then suddenly you're craving
chocolate or maybe you're craving chips and you're not
(01:51):
hungry. You just say, why does that
happen, right? Like I get a lot of clients.
I'm like, why does that happen? I keep eating and it's just, it
keeps coming back. So spoiler alert, you're not
broken. It's not something that is
unusual. Over 90% of people experience
food cravings at some point. It is part of being human.
(02:15):
Now the question that we need todig deeper is to not necessarily
if cravings happen because we know that they happen is why
they happen. And by doing that then we can
understand and troubleshoot and find ways of managing them.
So hunger, let's talk about this.
(02:38):
Let's talk about hunger, cravings and appetite.
So hunger is your body's way of asking for fuel, saying I need
food, I need something to generate energy.
Now appetite is a general desireto eat, right?
It's just like, oh, I just have this appetite for this, right?
(03:00):
It's a general desire. But cravings, What
differentiates it is that intense laser focus urge for
specific food, right? That distinction matters because
cravings are way more than an empty stomach, right?
(03:24):
The appetite and the hunger, they're two different things.
But the cravings, again, it's that intense feeling, they light
up your brain's reward system. So there's a relation with
dopamine, right? Dopamine is released and
suddenly that cookie feels irresistible and actually like
(03:46):
the American Heart Association. And in one of their articles,
they noted that just seeing or smelling food can actually
trigger that brain activity and the salivation, even heart rate
changes. So I live in New York and there
are these and I don't even want to mention the brand, but
(04:07):
there's this brand displays of cookies that just by passing by,
you may not even want a cookie, you're not hungry.
But when they're baking the cookies, the smell is so
enticing. All of a sudden you're just
craving that cookie. It just sends that signal.
So that is technically what happens.
Hormones wait apart as well. We have all the triggers like
(04:32):
the senses, the smell. Now your brain is imagining it.
All of a sudden your mouth gets watery.
But then the hormones also play a part.
So we have leptin and serotonin,and if there's some imbalances
there, it can actually make yourcraving stronger.
And then also estrogen and progesterone, all these shifts
(04:57):
also cravings can flare up and there are certain times of the
month as well. So you don't even need to be
perimenopausal or menopausal. Everybody knows when you're
around that time of the month. Some cravings actually are a
little bit I intensified and it's because of that.
If there is a hormonal shift that causes that, and then there
(05:23):
is blood sugar, when it dips, your brain shouts for quick
fuel. That's why it's so important to
keep your blood sugar levels stable, avoiding those huge
spikes that eventually end up inhuge drops in energy and blood
sugar. So usually the sugar and the fat
(05:46):
are things that play a part in all of this complex system of
cravings. Now, there is a fun fact.
UCLA researchers even found neurons that push food seeking
behavior even without hunger. So your brain is a wire to chase
(06:07):
this cues. It's like the brain is waiting
for it, right? So this is, I find it
fascinating, but at the same time I'm like, wow, it's almost
like we are predisposed to reactthis way.
That's why I'm saying it's not like you're broken.
It's not like, don't feel like afailure.
Don't feel like, oh, I just needwillpower.
(06:27):
There's a lot of physiological elements to this.
Now, again, cravings aren't justbiology, right?
We just talked a little bit about how the brain reacts, but
they're also tied to emotions and environment.
And we touched a little bit on the environment because of the
smell of the cookies that I mentioned earlier.
(06:49):
But there are also emotions tiedto it.
Stress, boredom, sadness, they can all amplify cravings.
And our brains love associations, right?
Cake, birthdays, popcorn, movies.
(07:09):
Like we associate these foods tocertain events.
And I was talking to a client the other day, and I was telling
her, like, OK, like, why is this?
Why are you, like, so attached? She was very attached to this
routine of the ice cream. There was an emotional tie to it
(07:31):
that went back to when she was alittle girl and how it was a
reward system. Every time she had the ice
cream, it meant like, she did well in a class or had a good
grade and a test. There was just that tie between
the ice cream as a reward. There was that emotional tie and
(07:53):
it was bringing back those memories.
And obviously, like, parents areno longer here and having that
ice cream almost brought back those moments spent with her
parents, right? Like, so there is an emotional
tie to it. And once those links are built,
(08:14):
like craving stages show up likeclockwork because your brain
likes repetition, right? If there is a routine that you
already have, when you're tryingto modify that routine, your
brain is going to try to correctyou back to wait a minute.
This is not what you typically do.
We need to change this. Think about that.
And then we have the environmentthat we touched a little bit on,
(08:36):
right? It's craving central adds
Instagram reels, vending machines again, the smell from a
bakery. All of these fire up the those
reward secrets. And sometimes it's social,
right? Like your Co worker went out to
eat with you and orders dessert and all of a sudden you wanted
(08:58):
to right? Like maybe you were clear that
you were not going to order that.
And all of a sudden now you see it.
You're like, oh, OK, I think I'mI changed my mind.
All these things are environmental elements that you
need to think about. Now here are also two elements
that are amplifiers, things thatactually will push the cravings
(09:22):
even further, and those are lackof sleep and dehydration.
That's why if you come to work with me, the first thing, the
very first step before we even do anything, we go over what is
called the wheel of life and we talk about your goals and we
talk about like the areas that you want to focus on and we
(09:43):
develop a plan and a little goalmapping sheet.
And when they ask like, OK, likewhat do you want to work on?
I'm like, you know what, start drinking more water.
Can you please track your water?And let's talk about that the
next time we need because dehydration, it's so like
(10:03):
rampant and it impacts so many systems, not just cravings, but
it will surely, surely impact that.
Because between the dehydration and the lack of sleep, which is
another element that a lot of people ignore, poor sleep raises
girl in, which is a hunger hormone.
(10:25):
And it actually lowers leptin. Leptin is the fullness hormone.
When you have that combination, cravings feel louder.
And if you have that mild thirst, if you're kind of
dehydrated, your body will also misinterpret dehydration as
(10:45):
hunger. Sometimes I tell the clients I'm
like, well, if you're feeling these cravings, why don't you
take a glass of water first because that often softens the
urge. This assess.
Maybe you are truly hungry. Maybe that it is a craving that
requires you to grab that snack.But let's roll these things out
(11:08):
first. You're feeling the craving.
Grab some water and drink some water and wait a little bit and
see how you feel. Be in tune with your body.
So here's the thing, cravings are normal.
I want you to understand that they're normal.
They don't mean that you're weak.
They they're just biology, brain, environment all working
together. Now instead of fighting the
cravings, right with shame. We don't want you to feel shame.
(11:34):
What if you just got curious about it?
And next time you have that craving hits, pause for 60
seconds. Name it.
Say, what do I really crave? Is it something sweet?
Is it something salty? Is it soothing?
Is it comfort? Do I want to celebrate a great
(11:57):
win that I had? Ask yourself, what's really
behind it. Curiosity and awareness gives
you power. So this is the take away that I
want you to grab hold of insteadof just dealing with shame and
feeling like I don't have any willpower.
(12:18):
I can't do this. Be curious.
So this coming week, be curious.Every time you have a craving
again, follow these simple steps.
Grab some water so that you can roll out the dehydration.
Be aware what type of craving? What is it that I really want
and why do I want it? And be aware of that.
(12:42):
And that is going to open up many things and you're going to
be able to clearly see, oh, it'sbecause of that environment,
It's because I always do that. It's because this person order
it. And it's going to be easier for
you to tame that and control it.So today we explored why
(13:03):
cravings happen This entire month we're going to talk about
this and we're going to look at different elements.
But next week, we're going to dive into sugar and salty
cravings. And like why some people reach
for chocolate and others reach for the chips, right?
And what those urges might be telling you because there may be
(13:24):
something else that your body istrying to tell you.
And don't forget your free bloodsugar bouncy snacks list is
waiting at subscribe page dot IOforward slash snacks and it's
full of grab and go ideas and may even have a little dark
chocolate in there. So again, thank you so much for
(13:47):
listening. Remember that cravings aren't a
flow. They're just a part of being
human. I hope to see you in episode 43.
Bye.
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