Both physical and emotional imbalances can masquerade as feelings of strong hunger, so there is no easy answer in Ayurveda. The most common causes for an excess appetite include a thick kapha blood, fiery pitta-type metabolism, malabsorption, and trauma (Vata).

High Metabolism

Metabolic hyperactivity can burn up nutrients and cause ravenous hunger. The teenage athlete who comes home from practice and eats everything in the fridge is a good example of such an appetite, typical of high pitta. Cooling the blood through foods that depress metabolic activity and avoiding midday sun and heat can be helpful strategies in quieting a high metabolism.

Vagus Nerve

An under or overstimulated vagus nerve may be the cause of your hunger. Rubbing behind the ears and deep belly breathing stimulate this nerve and can relax feelings of ravenous hunger.

Malabsorption

A Vata person with poor digestion may become ravenous when they are unable to absorb adequate nutrients from their food. The signs of poor absorption include gas, loose stools, or large bulky stools. This type of hunger is associated with weight loss. Read more about malabsorption on our page and listen to our talk on malabsorption for more healing remedies.

Parasites & Candida

Parasites love sugary food and stimulate cravings for sweets. They simply cannot survive for long periods of time without access to easily digestible sugary foods, which can cause sudden hunger for sweet, simple sugars.

Poor Circulation

In a Kapha person, strong food cravings may come from "sweet" thick blood blocking circulation to the extremities and skin. When the circulation to the periphery is blocked, blood circulates strongly in the core, causing a person to feel overheated in the chest but cool in the extremities. When the chest overheats, so does digestion, and the person becomes extremely hungry. Addressing this underlying circulation imbalance will often ease uncomfortable hunger.

Low Energy

Many people associate low energy with hunger. True, sometimes fatigue is the direct result of malnourishment. In todays morning world, however, exhaustion is far more likely a symptom of exhausted adrenals. Reaching for food or something sweet every time you feel like you need an energy boost cannot replenish your adrenal energy.

Sometimes, fatigue is a sign of poor circulation. Sweet, rich, thick Kapha blood which circulates poorly and depresses metabolism, and making you feel sad, tired, and low energy.

Emotional Eating and Anxiety

Stress, anxiety, past trauma, and other insecurities can make you eat. Food is comforting. It brings your racing mind back to earth. A better strategy when you are feeling stressed or anxious is to drink a warm cup of herbal tea, which is grounding and soothes the emotional appetite. If hunger persists, eating something light and nourishing might do the trick.

Irritation

Burning pain above the belly button in the epigastric area can be mistaken for hunger, especially because eating usually relieves the pain temporarily. A fiery pitta person becomes ravenous when stress causes hyperacidity and excess bile, which quickly digests the food.

Hypoglycemia

Frequent consumption of simple carbs and sugars causes blood sugar instability, which leads to strong sugar cravings. Ayurveda helps you balance blood sugar and find energy stability without frequent snacking.

Answer some questions about how foods make you feel. Then you'll receive a full food report customized for you.
COMPUTE MY DIET FOR STRONG HUNGER
OR, GET A GENERAL DIET FOR BALANCING STRONG HUNGER

Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Strong hunger'. Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution. Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine. Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.

DIGESTION TIPS

DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics (gunas). Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'Strong hunger', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics. Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.

Digestion:

Appetite Suppressant

APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT

Suppresses hunger without causing weight gain.

SEE ALL 'APPETITE-SUPPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

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Digestive

DIGESTIVE

Herbs that encourage healthy digestion.

SEE ALL 'DIGESTIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Mind, Stress & Sleep:

Antidepressant

ANTIDEPRESSANT

Herbs that lift feelings of depression, benefit the mind and improve mental function.

SEE ALL 'ANTIDEPRESSANT' FOODS / HERBS

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Anxiolytic

ANXIOLYTIC

Herbs that help people suffering from anxiety or panic. They promote a state of calm and often improve sleep. Most anxiolytic herbs are also nervines.

SEE ALL 'ANXIOLYTIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Nervine

NERVINE

Balances the nervous system. They can help with stress, memory, early alzheimer's, and even chronic pain. Often they are aromatic in nature.

SEE ALL 'NERVINE' FOODS / HERBS

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Sedative

SEDATIVE

Sedative herbs create a sense of calm in the mind and body by specifically calming or quieting the nervous system. Excellent for anxiety, stress and chronic pain.

SEE ALL 'SEDATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

Energy Vitality:

Stimulates Energy

STIMULATES-ENERGY

This category groups thyroid and adrenal stimulating herbs.

SEE ALL 'STIMULATES-ENERGY' FOODS / HERBS

Immune System:

Anthelminthic

ANTHELMINTHIC

Kills parasitic worms (hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, etc).

SEE ALL 'ANTHELMINTHIC' FOODS / HERBS

,

Anti Inflammatory

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

Reduces inflammation in the body. Different herbs and carriers target different body systems.

SEE ALL 'ANTI-INFLAMMATORY' FOODS / HERBS

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Antimicrobial

ANTIMICROBIAL

An agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. Antimicrobial is an umbrella term that can be broken down into specific categories of target microorganism, such as anti-bacterials, fungals, and virals.

SEE ALL 'ANTIMICROBIAL' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:

Vasodilator

VASODILATOR

A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.

SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

HOW TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2

STRONG HUNGER IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2 - AFFECTING BLOOD & EMOTIONS

Affecting Blood: Initially, imbalances are localized, often in the digestive tract. As an imbalance grows, it starts to affect your body systemically, via the blood. If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are starting to spread, have entered the bloodstream, and are now systemic. Pay particular attention to the biocharacteristics, tastes, and doshas out of balance systemically, so you know how to strengthen your body as a whole, and reduce physical stress on your organs. At this stage of imbalance you will begin to experience generalized discomfort, imbalanced emotions, and may develop sensitivities to temperature. It may take several weeks of strict adherence to a specific remedial diet to clear blood level imbalances. Blood cleansing herbs may reduce symptoms. A several day cleanse may shorten the recovery time. (See all disease stages on JB)

GET MY FREE AYURVEDA BODY MAP According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following doshas and biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Strong hunger'. If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them. Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and lifestyle habits should be reduced.

Are you prone to a problem with 'Strong hunger'? Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Digestion by taking the free digestion quiz:

TAKE THE DIGESTION QUIZ

The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Strong hunger'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them. On average the biocharacteristics of people reporting Strong hunger were less aggravated than 85% of other symptoms. From the 31,540 people who reported Strong hunger average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:

Risk Factors of Strong hunger

Complications of Those Reporting Strong hunger

WHAT'S NEXT?

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