Cravings can feel like a tidal wave—loud, urgent, and impossible to ignore—yet they’re far from random. We dig into what a craving actually is, how it differs from hunger, and why your brain can fixate on sweetness or crunch even when you “should” be fine. As a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, I break down the science in plain language and show how biology, mindset, and environment combine to create that intense pull toward specific foods.

We start with the body’s signals: how undereating lowers blood sugar and flips on a survival response, why cutting carbs makes your reward circuits hypersensitive to sugar, and how hormones like ghrelin and leptin change with dieting, stress, and poor sleep. Then we look at psychology—the scarcity effect that turns “off-limits” into irresistible, the hidden power of mental restriction and food labels, and the all-or-nothing patterns that fuel the binge–restrict cycle. You’ll also hear how environmental cues, social media, and habitual routines (Netflix snacks, anyone?) train cravings even when you’re not hungry.

Most importantly, we lay out practical, sustainable steps. You’ll learn how regular meals and snacks stabilize energy and mood, why adding carbohydrates back into meals often quiets the sweet tooth, and how to loosen rigid rules without abandoning nutrition. We’ll practice mindful pauses to identify whether you’re hungry, seeking comfort, or responding to a cue—and how to honor each scenario with care. The goal isn’t perfect control; it’s trust. When you treat cravings as information, not evidence of failure, they lose their edge and you gain freedom with food.

If this resonates, hit follow, share with a friend who’s stuck in the craving–restriction loop, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your stories and questions shape future episodes—what cue triggers your cravings most?

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Shame says emotional eating is a flaw; we say it’s a signal. Heather Soman, registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, explores why turning to food during big feelings is both human and understandable—and how to respond with compassion while adding better tools.

We unpack how childhood patterns, cultural scripts, and media moments shape comfort eating, from cookies after hard days to the classic breakup-and-ice-cream trope.

Along the way, Heather shares reflective prompts to build an emotional vocabulary, spot body cues like tight chests or restless energy, and identify the unmet needs beneath cravings.

We dig into common scenarios where food becomes the go-to: long days that end with snacks and streaming, or ADHD brains chasing stimulation with screen-stacking and grazing.

Instead of moralizing food, we explore what those moments are asking for—rest, boundaries, connection, novelty, or creative engagement—and how to meet those needs with a broader toolkit.

If emotional eating feels like your only coping strategy, Heather offers gentle next steps, including therapy support, reflection questions, and resources to reconnect with hunger, fullness, and satisfaction cues.

If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so others can find the show. Want more tools? Check the show notes for the Empowered Eating Journey, our free hunger and fullness guide, and the weekly newsletter.

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

Ever wonder why you can feel “full” and yet still think about food? We take you inside the biology and behavior of appetite and show how to move from stuffed to truly satisfied. As a registered dietitian and intuitive eating counselor, I connect the dots between hormones, the gut-brain axis, and everyday choices so your meals start working for you instead of against you.

We break down fullness versus satiety in clear terms, then explore the hormone lineup—leptin, CCK, PYY, and GLP‑1—that helps your brain say enough. You’ll hear how the vagus nerve relays signals from the gut, why fiber variety feeds the microbiome and boosts short-chain fatty acids, and how those molecules support steadier appetite. I also share a personal story about dieting, big hunger, and the turning points that rebuilt trust with my body, especially after long stretches of restriction and food scarcity.

From there, we get practical. Learn how to time meals every three to four hours, compose balanced plates with carbs, protein, fat, and fiber, and layer flavor so satisfaction lands. We dig into sensory-specific satiety, why the first bites hit hardest, and how to use that cue to stop earlier without feeling deprived. If you’ve been choosing the “right” foods and still end up rummaging for snacks, this conversation reframes choice, pleasure, and permission so cravings calm down naturally.

If the science of fullness, the role of GLP‑1, leptin resistance, and gut health intrigue you, or you’re ready for straightforward steps to feel truly satisfied, you’ll walk away with tools you can use at your next meal. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s tired of white-knuckle eating, and leave a review with the one habit you’ll try this week—slowing down, adding flavor, or building more variety. Your body isn’t broken; it’s communicating. Let’s help it be heard.

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

In this episode, Heather unpacks why body image pain runs deep and how neutrality and respect offer a steadier path than chasing an ideal. We share research, personal stories, and three daily practices to help you feel at home in your body without making love the goal.

Heather Discusses:
• Defining body image as thoughts and feelings
• How media and diet culture shape beliefs
• Social media’s impact and key statistics
• Weight bias at work and links to worth
• Why changing the body rarely fixes the feeling
• Body neutrality versus body positivity
• Body respect as daily, practical care
• Three tools: name thoughts, value function, act with respect
• Diversifying feeds and disrupting comparison
• Nonlinear progress and sustainable support

Join my Empowered Eating Journey for tools and guidance to build a healthier relationship with food and your body. Find me on Instagram at @behindtheplatenutrition

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

Halloween candy isn’t the villain; fear is. We take a fresh, evidence-based look at sweets through an intuitive eating lens and show how trust—not tight control—leads to calmer kids, steadier routines, and fewer binges for everyone at home. Drawing on research and real client stories, we unpack scarcity mindset, explain why strict sugar rules often backfire, and outline how habituation helps candy lose its charge over time.

We break down Ellen Satter’s Division of Responsibility so parents have a simple, reliable framework: you handle the what, when, and environment; your kids handle whether and how much. From letting children explore their haul and pick favorites to folding a fun-size bar into after‑school snacks and dinners, you’ll hear practical, low‑drama ways to reduce novelty and keep food neutral. We also talk about language that sticks—why swapping “Have you had enough?” for “Which one did you like most?” can shift the whole evening.

Adults get tools too. If you grew up with dessert rules or a clean‑plate culture, Halloween can trigger old scarcity patterns. We share steps to practice unconditional permission to eat, keep meals regular with carbs, protein, and fat, and experiment with keeping candy visible as urges fade. The result is less white‑knuckle control and more body trust, plus a clearer path to stable eating patterns, better emotional well‑being, and a more peaceful home during the sweetest week of the year.

If this conversation helped, tap follow, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can find us. What’s the one candy you’ll put on the plate this week?

Ellyn Satter: https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/

References

Say A, de la Piedad Garcia X, Mallan KM. The correlation between different operationalisations of parental restrictive feeding practices and children's eating behaviours: Systematic review and meta-analyses. Appetite. 2023 Jan 1;180:106320. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2022.106320. Epub 2022 Oct 7. PMID: 36210017.

Hübner, H. L., & Bartelmeß, T. (2024). Associations of sugar-related food parenting practices and parental feeding styles with prospective dietary behavior of children and adolescents: A systematic review of the literature from 2017 to 2023. Frontiers in Public Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1382437

Costa A, Oliveira A. Parental Feeding Practices and Children's Eating Behaviours: An Overview of Their Complex Relationship. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Jan 31;11(3):400. doi: 10.3390/healthcare11030400. PMID: 36766975; PMCID: PMC9914567.

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

Dinner doesn’t have to feel like a test you can fail. We sit down with registered dietitian, cooking instructor, and mom of two, Olivia Cupido, to get real about kitchen overwhelm and how to find an easier rhythm that actually fits your life. From navigating disordered eating and perfectionism to cooking with a baby on your lap, Olivia shares mindset shifts and practical systems that turn “what’s for dinner” into a lighter lift.

We dig into the real reasons the kitchen can feel heavy—anxiety, all-or-nothing thinking, and skill gaps—and walk through gentle fixes that build momentum fast. Think freezer stashes of soup and meatballs, cooked rice ready for fried rice, and go-to staples like eggs on toast, tuna or sardines with avocado, and pasta that brings comfort without the guilt. Olivia’s all-foods-fit approach invites convenience back to the table: pre-packaged salads, jarred sauces, and planned takeout nights that remove decision fatigue while keeping nourishment front and centre.

You’ll also hear a realistic take on meal planning that prioritizes cravings, store flyers, and your actual schedule. We cover ADHD-friendly tweaks like printing recipes in big font, planning only two days at a time, and pre-choosing a midweek break. Along the way, Olivia shows how to model a positive food culture for kids, embrace “good enough” dinners, and use small wins to rebuild confidence in the kitchen. It’s permission to make cooking simpler, not perfect.

If this conversation helps you breathe easier about dinner, follow and subscribe for more practical, judgment-free nutrition talk. Share the episode with a friend who needs a freezer win, and leave a review to tell us your favorite five-minute meal.

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

Intuitive Eating with ADHD: What Makes It Different (and How to Make It Work)

If you’ve ever forgotten to eat all day, struggled to meal plan, or felt like intuitive eating just doesn’t “click” with your ADHD brain — this episode is for you.

Registered Dietitian and Certified Intuitive Eating Counsellor, Heather Bray, breaks down how ADHD impacts your relationship with food — from dulled hunger cues and impulsive eating to medication-related appetite changes — and what you can do about it.

You’ll learn:

• Why intuitive eating can feel harder with ADHD (and why that’s not your fault)
• How ADHD medications affect hunger and fullness
• Practical RD tips for meal planning and consistent eating
• Habit-pairing strategies to make eating easier and more intuitive
• How to adapt intuitive eating to your brain — not the other way around

Whether you’ve been diagnosed with ADHD or just relate to the chaos of remembering to eat, this episode will help you find your rhythm, build body trust, and take the next step in your empowered eating journey.

Listen now and hit follow so you don’t miss next week’s episode: Why We Struggle with Body Image (And 3 Ways to Start Healing)

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey

One of the most common questions I get is: “But will I lose weight with intuitive eating?”

This is such an important conversation because intuitive eating is often misunderstood. Many people approach it like another diet, and then feel frustrated when it doesn’t “work” the way they expected.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what the research actually says, what you can realistically expect, and why focusing solely on weight might actually be holding you back.

We’ll cover:

• What intuitive eating was really designed for
• Why some people lose, maintain, or even gain weight
• The psychological and physical benefits that matter more than the number on the scale
• Why turning intuitive eating into another “diet” backfires
• What you can expect if you’re just starting this journey

References & Resources Mentioned:

• Harvard Nutrition Source – Intuitive Eating
  
  
• Cleveland Clinic: What Is Intuitive Eating?
  
  
• NCBI – Intuitive Eating and Longitudinal Health Outcomes
  
  
• ScienceDirect: Intuitive Eating Studies
  
  
• SpringerLink: Intuitive Eating Review
  
  
• CV Wellbeing: Intuitive Eating & Weight Loss
  
  
• ZOE: Intuitive Eating Explained
  
  
• Alissa Rumsey – Intuitive Eating & Weight
  
  

Learn more at behindtheplate.ca

Grab the free Hunger & Fullness Cues Guide: behindtheplate.ca/hunger-fullness-cues

Explore The Empowered Eating Journey: behindtheplate.ca/empowered-eating-journey