Cravings Are Clues
For decades, he treated cravings like enemies. Evening sugar, stress-snacking on chips, the strange urge for bread even when full - he blamed willpower, maybe metabolism, maybe old habits. But the more he learned, the more he saw a different story: cravings weren’t failures. They were signals.
The science pointed in that direction too. Research shows that gut microbes interact with our neurochemistry, influencing pathways of dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. These neurotransmitters shape mood, reward, and self-control. Some microbes thrive on sugar and starch, and though evidence in humans is still emerging, animal studies suggest they can nudge behavior toward the foods they use best. Not mind control - more like gentle lobbying.
So he stopped fighting cravings and started tracking them. Each time a desire arose, he wrote it down: what he wanted, when it appeared, what he had eaten earlier, how he was feeling. Over weeks, patterns emerged. The glass of wine he wanted at six wasn’t about alcohol - it marked stress release. The late-night hunger wasn’t hunger at all - it was fatigue disguised as appetite. Even his dislike of bitter greens seemed connected to overstimulation - on high-stress days, he had less tolerance for strong flavors.
Then something changed. As his diet grew richer in fiber and fermented foods, the cravings themselves began to shift. Afternoon crashes were steadied by miso broth. Seeds soaked overnight and blended with kefir gave him satiety that lasted for hours. Roasted sweet potatoes dulled his sweet tooth. It wasn’t about deprivation - he was translating the signals.
What he learned was simple but profound: cravings are not random. They reflect a mix of microbial signals, hormones, emotions, and habit loops. If you listen - not blindly obey, but listen - you can often find the need behind the want. Sometimes it’s comfort. Sometimes it’s balance. Sometimes it’s just sleep.
His cravings didn’t vanish. But they softened. They stopped shouting. And in that quiet, another desire emerged: not for sugar, but for clarity. Not for fullness, but for steadiness.
In his journal, he summed it up:
“Cravings aren’t flaws. They’re feedback. When I respect them, I learn what both I and my microbes need.”
Next week: “The 72-Hour Reset” — the simple 3-day recalibration he uses when life—and his gut—get off track.