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Psychotherapist Dr. Mike Dow discusses the difference between hunger and cravings. Watch Dr. Mike Dow's video for information on addiction, food disorders and relationships.
I like to differentiate between below the neck physical hunger where your body is actually hungry for something and an above the neck craving. A craving comes about very quickly and you know if all of a sudden you had a fight with your boss and then you want to have some cheese cake, you know where that's coming from whereas if you're hungry, it's going to sneak up on you gradually over the course of three or four hours after the last time you had a meal or a snack and it's not going to be overwhelming.
When you can start to tell the difference, you can start to say, am I I really hungry and do I need food or do I maybe need to do a serotonin and dopa mine booster activity like taking a walk after I had that fight with my boss, to get the peace and serenity that I'm really hungry for.
Mike Dow, PsyD is the clinical director of therapeutic and behavioral services at The Body Well integrative medical center in Los Angeles. He is respected expert in the fields of relationships, food and behavior.
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