THE HORMONE CONNECTION

Lack of adequate sleep can lead to physical consequences such as hormonal imbalances, which may increase your hunger and trigger cravings for the less helpful foods. Acknowledging that insufficient sleep can exacerbate these cravings as a physiological response, rather than a personal failing, can foster self-compassion. Why is this beneficial? Instead of trying to offset binge eating episodes by restricting your food later, it encourages a shift towards self-care rather than sabotage. A focus on improving sleep won’t just help with eating challenges; It will also bring about significant health benefits across the board.

MEAL TIMINGS

What and when you eat can impact your sleep; insufficient daytime eating followed by overeating in the evening, especially close to bedtime, can disrupt your sleep. Malnourishment can elevate your stress levels and adversely affect sleep. Ensuring you eat enough and stabilising your blood glucose with sufficient protein, fibre, natural fats and slow-releasing carbohydrates can make a difference. Consider the balance of your meals rather than striving for perfection (which doesn’t exist – by the way). Of course, a good night’s sleep will make it easier to eat in a balanced way the next day.

PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT

Poor sleep quality also has psychological ramifications, affecting the higher brain functions responsible for self-control, decision-making, and rational thinking. Adequate sleep is necessary to restore these cognitive processes, allowing for more constructive decision-making. Conversely, chronic stress driven by negative thoughts about food, dieting or your body is also likely to disrupt your slumber. This can keep you stuck in a perpetual cycle of negative thinking, poor sleep and unwanted eating behaviours.

Furthermore a reminder that alcohol consumption, which you may turn to in times of stress, can disrupt your REM sleep, impacting overall sleep quality. It’s also worth reflecting on your individual sensitivity to caffeine, which varies from person to person, and may be playing a part in night time wakefulness.

Six Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep:

Focus on one small adjustment at a time and remember that consistency is key!

Experiment with Eating Earlier: Consider experimenting with eating earlier a few days a week. This is about understanding your body and finding what works best for you. If needed, have a nutritious snack before bedtime to avoid going to bed hungry.

Eat Enough: Ensure you are getting enough food throughout the day to help stabilise your blood glucose and to help prevent disturbed sleep.

Embrace Outdoor Time and Daily Movement: Spend time outdoors when you can and take some gentle exercise every day. A brisk walk ticks both boxes.

Set Up a Sleep-Friendly Environment: Dim the lights and limit electronic device use before bedtime. This will reduce your exposure to sleep-blocking blue light and minimise nighttime stimulation. Ensure your bedroom is dark and kept at a comfortable temperature for optimal sleep conditions.

Keep to a Consistent Sleep Routine: Avoid napping during the day and go to bed at the same time every night. This can positively impact your body's ability to reset your circadian rhythm, promoting better sleep.

Minimise Alcohol and Caffeine Intake: Avoid using alcohol to help you sleep. Alcohol is a stimulant and can mess with your sleep. Similarly, limit caffeine consumption and avoid drinking it later in the day.

As you work on your eating challenges, remember that fixing your relationship with food involves a multifaceted approach. By addressing the physical, emotional and psychological aspects, you can gradually build a lifestyle that supports you on this journey.

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Our bodies produce a host of hormones- a number of these play role in hunger, fullness and satiety. I’d like to introduce you to ghrehlin, the hunger hormone, which controls appetite, food intake and (combined with growth hormone), fat storage.

The process begins when the cells in our stomach stimulate the release of ghrelin. This sends signals to our brain telling our bodies it’s time to eat. The more ghrelin in the bloodstream, the bigger the appetite and the more food you’ll eat. After eating, ghrelin levels are decreased as we’re satiated, and they don’t rise again until your body starts looking for more energy.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you might be thinking you need to keep your levels as low as possible. But do bear in mind as with all hormones, ghrelin is there to do a specific job in the body. If we weren’t ever hungry, we wouldn’t know when we’re low on nourishment and certainly wouldn’t be able to take any joy from the food we eat.

We can run in to trouble however, when the intricate balance of hormones becomes out of sync. Our diet and lifestyle choices have a significant impact on this. That doesn’t mean jumping to calorie restriction. This will only increase your ghrelin levels, potentially leading to overeating and storage of fat.

Interestingly, research has shown that individuals who are overweight have lower fasting levels of ghrelin. This suggests that overeating can decrease sensitivity to the hormone and that over time it is possible to lose this essential control mechanism. This is just one of the reasons why it can be so difficult to overcome emotional eating, binging and yo-yo dieting.

Here are my top tips to help you master your cravings and keep your hunger hormone in check:

1. Eat a diet rich in fibre from fruit and vegetables, legumes and wholegrains

Fibre slows down our digestion whilst also keeping our gut bacteria diverse and healthy. Foods high in fibre give you a better bang for your buck when it comes to nutrient dense food per caloric intake.

2. Limit intake of high GL carbohydrates and processed foods high in sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Refined and processed foods are low in nutrients and will spiking your blood sugar for a short period, sending your hunger and energy levels on a rollercoaster. They trigger release of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with reward. We start to associate that short lived high with reward as opposed to the feeling of being nourished and satiated.

3. Eat protein with every meal

Incorporating a portion of animal or vegetable protein into each meal (oily fish, beans and pulses organic eggs, poultry meat or tofu) will slow gastric emptying, keeping you fuller for longer. It will also blunt the insulin spike you get from eating a carbohydrate based meal, preventing the sugar cravings which inevitably follow that initial sugar high.

4. Reduce stress

Studies in animals have shown that exposure to chronic stress increases circulating ghrelin and growth hormone levels (Massachusettes Institute of Technology, 2013). It also interacts with the brain’s reward pathways to increase food intake, creating a vicious cycle where we begin to see food as a comfort during times of stress and anxiety. Incorporate yoga, meditation or breathing into your daily routine, get out for a walk or run in nature, find something that works for you to allow you to live (and eat) more mindfully.

5. Sleep well

Sleep deprivation has been associated with an increase in ghrelin levels, appetite and hunger comparative to sleeping for longer periods. Aim for 7-9 hours per night, practice good sleep hygiene by limiting screen time, avoiding heavy meals, caffeine and alcohol before bed, and try to stick to regular sleep and waking up times to regulate the circadian rhythm.

If you’re looking for support with emotional eating, incorporating these diet and lifestyle changes would be a great place to start. It’s important to remember however, that ghrelin is only one of many factors impacting your eating behaviour .

Many women who come to me for help with bingeing and emotional eating feel guilty and blame themselves. Living in a weight obsessed society, they feel a failure being unable to conform to societies expectations. They carry shame and guilt as their headspace is constantly taken up with thoughts about food, their weight or appearance.

If this is your struggle, I want you to know you are not alone. I work with people just like you who need a new approach to gaining balance and moderation in their life. I will help you to take back control without feeling deprived or hungry.

I developed The Food Freedom Method online coaching programme, after working with hundreds of women who shared your pain. It looks at how, what and why you eat, incorporating nutritional therapy, coaching and the psychology of emotional eating.

My proven 8 step method will coach you through the process giving you all the tools you need to finally overcome the cycle of overeating and dieting. It will help you shed the layers of shame and guilt and be able to accept yourself. You will discover how to make sense of what your brain and body are going through, feel supported and empowered.

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References

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Ghrelin, a stress-induced hormone, primes the brain for PTSD." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 October 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131015191405.htm>.

Sleep Your Way to Better Eating: The Surprising Connection You Need to Know