In this series we give you tips on how to reach your most vibrant health by giving your body what it needs to thrive. Here are the 10 health foundations:

Do you know the feeling: You just ate, yet you are still hungry, and you try to fill that gap with chocolate, potato chips, alcohol, or coffee. But what are you really hungry for?  

Most people’s relationship with food is complex. Instead of downplaying these experiences to be about willpower or habits, let’s look at another explanation: food gaps.

Food gaps are missing pieces in your nutrition. They could be physical – like not getting enough protein, healthy fats, or key minerals – lack of nutrition. But they could also be emotional. Sometimes, when you feel hungry, you’re not really hungry for food, but rather rest, connection, adventure, or a more meaningful life. 

Understanding the true nature of your craving is key to a balanced life.

Physical Hunger

Biological in nature, your eating habits may play an essential role in this kind of craving. A feeling of hunger after a meal could simply be a sign of thirst. Or maybe you eat too many sweets and not enough protein, leading to sugar highs, sugar lows, and nutritional deficiencies.

Or you could be lacking micronutrients – vitamins, minerals, trace elements. If your gut is compromised you might even eat all the right nutrition in all the right proportions all at the right times, but can’t absorb them sufficiently. With any physical deficiencies you might also feel tired, low on energy, or generally unwell.

Emotional Hunger

This shows up when food is used as reward, as a distraction, or to numb feelings. Stress, loneliness, grief, or boredom can all drive emotional eating. If you are reaching for something sweet or salty late at night, ask yourself:

What am I really feeling right now? What do I truly desire or require?

Soul Hunger

This is the least talked about, but might be the most important. Are you living in alignment with your values? Do you have enough joy, meaning, or creative expression in your life? Sometimes we try to “fill up” with food whatever is truly missing on a deeper level.

Ask yourself: What do I really want?

Most people think of hunger as a simple signal: you’re either full or you’re not. But in reality, hunger can be a sign of imbalance – and food gaps are often the missing pieces keeping you from feeling well, focused, and energized.

  • Prevent Cravings from Running the Show
    When you don’t get the nutrients your body needs, you are far more likely to experience sugar cravings, afternoon energy crashes, late-night snacking or emotional eating. Identifying food gaps helps you break that cycle by meeting your body’s true needs.
  • Avoid Unnecessary Dieting or Restriction
    If you are always hungry or struggling with weight, it’s easy to blame yourself or jump on the next diet trend. But most diets ignore the real problem: what is really missing. Once you nourish your body on all levels, hunger normalizes – and often, your weight follows suit.
  • Support Mood, Focus, and Emotional Stability
    Nutrients like B vitamins, omega-3 fats, and amino acids are essential for brain health. Missing them can lead to brain fog, anxiety or irritability, low motivation, sleep issues. When you find and fill your food gaps, you feel like yourself again.
  • Reconnect with Your Body’s Wisdom
    Cravings and hunger are messages from your body, not moral failings. When you learn to listen deeply, your relationship with food becomes less about control and more about trust. This is especially important for healing emotional eating, food shame, or burnout.
  • Build a Foundation for Long-Term Health
    Food gaps can quietly contribute to blood sugar imbalances, chronic inflammation, digestive problems, hormonal issues and more. By identifying and correcting these early, you don’t just feel better, you also prevent future disease and build lasting vitality.

There are several steps you can take to find your food gaps without involving a physician. 

1. Track What You Eat – And How You Feel

Keep a simple food and mood journal for 3–5 days. Note:

  • What you eat
  • When you eat
  • How you feel before and after eating (energy, mood, digestion, cravings)

Look for patterns, such as:

  • Energy crashes after high-carb meals
  • Afternoon sugar cravings despite eating lunch
  • Feeling full but still wanting “something”
  • Mood swings or poor focus connected to food intake or the lack thereof

This can reveal blood sugar instability, missing protein, emotional eating triggers, food sensitivities and more.

2. Ask Deeper Questions About Your Cravings

When a craving hits, pause and ask:

  • Am I physically hungry, or is it an emotional hunger?
  • Did I eat a balanced meal earlier?
  • Am I tired, bored, lonely, or anxious?
  • What would truly satisfy me right now (beyond food)?

Often, cravings are a clue when your body or heart is asking for something else.

3. Check for Common Missing Nutrients

Many people are low in key nutrients, even if they think they are eating healthily. Consider your intake of:

  • Magnesium (greens, nuts, seeds, legumes)
  • B Vitamins (animal products, supplements)
  • Vitamin D (sunlight, fatty fish, egg yolks)
  • Protein (especially at breakfast)
  • Healthy fats (avocado, fish, clean animal fats)
  • Fiber (leafy veggies, grains, legumes, nuts & seeds)
  • Healthy carbs (starchy and root veggies, fruit, grains, legumes)

If you feel tired, irritable, or unsatisfied after meals, you may be missing one or more of these essential nutrients. 

4. Look Beyond Food: Are You Nourished Elsewhere?

Sometimes what we call hunger is actually:

  • A lack of joy or creative expression
  • A need for connection or emotional safety
  • A call for rest or time in nature

Make time daily to nourish yourself in non-food ways: laughter, music, beauty, movement, quiet time. 

5. Notice Sleep and Stress Patterns

Poor sleep and high stress can dysregulate your appetite and metabolism. Ask:

  • Am I sleeping at least 7 hours per nights?
  • Am I eating more or less when I’m stressed?
  • Do I use food as a reward or coping mechanism?

Support these foundations, and hunger will begin to regulate itself.

Self-awareness is a powerful first step. But if you:

  • Feel stuck in a cycle of cravings or emotional eating
  • Suspect hormone or nutrient imbalances
  • Struggle with fatigue, brain fog, or weight gain
  • Feel overwhelmed and want to feel empowered instead…

…A naturopathic doctor can help you look for root causes and support you in identifying and addressing any nutrient deficiencies. You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Our providers are here to help you!

number 1 in a circle

Find out what you are really hungry for:

  • Adventure? 
  • Acceptance? 
  • Challenge? 
  • Freedom? 
  • Touch / Affection? 
  • Autonomy? 
  • Artistic expression? 
  • Recognition? 
  • Movement? 
  • Nature / Time Outdoors? 
  • Authenticity? 
number 2 in a circle

Identify how you fill your own food gaps. Is it with food, alcohol, unhealthy behaviors? 

number 3 in a circle

Consider setting goals for yourself, i.e.

  • no more than 3 drinks of alcohol weekly
  • a “free” meal once per week to indulge
  • cutting down cigarettes to ½ current use in 12 weeks etc.
number 4 in a circle

Ask a friend to check in with you regularly to keep you accountable. 

number 5 in a circle

Aim for 80% of your food intake being excellent nutrition, but give yourself some leeway for comfort food. Remember to live a life filled with joy!


Written by Karen Wegehenkel

Sources & Resources

Changing perceptions of hunger on a high nutrient density diet
Joel Fuhrman, Barbara Sarter, Dale Glaser, Steve Acocella
Study comparing high micronutrient-density vs. low-quality diets found that 80% of participants reported hunger became more manageable, even with fewer calories. Hunger shifted from uncomfortable to predictable when nutrient needs were met.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2988700

Acute Care Hospital Reports Improved Patient Outcomes After Vitamin D Project
Dr. Mercola 
To correct vitamin D deficiency, Vibra Hospital implemented a structured vitamin D protocol that significantly improved patient recovery, reduced complications, and supported better overall outcomes.
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/07/24/vitamin-d-hospital-patient-outcomes.aspx

Are Nutrient Gaps Holding You Back?
Blog article by Chelsea Barringer, MS, CHHP at Nutrition Simplified
https://nutritionsimplified.co/blog-post/are-nutrient-gaps-holding-you-back

Dietary Nutrient Deficiencies and Risk of Depression (Review Article 2018–2023)
Magdalena Zielińska, Edyta Łuszczki, Katarzyna Dereń
Randomized cross-over trial found that 248 mg/day of magnesium chloride for six weeks led to a clinically significant reduction in PHQ‑9 depression scores (approx. –6 points), and anxiety scores improved by –4.5 points on GAD‑7 (p < 0.001).
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10255717

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials of folate and vitamin B12 for depression
Osvaldo P Almeida, Andrew H Ford , Leon Flicker
A meta-analysis of RCTs (n > 6,000) indicated that short‐term B₁₂ or folate supplementation doesn’t significantly reduce depressive symptoms, but longer-term use (weeks to years) may lower risk of relapse or onset in at-risk populations.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25644193

Nutrition and behavioral health disorders: depression and anxiety
Penny M Kris-Etherton, Kristina S Petersen, Joseph R Hibbeln, Daniel Hurley, Valerie Kolick, Sevetra Peoples, Nancy Rodriguez, Gail Woodward-Lopez
A broad literature review emphasizes that deficiencies in B vitamins (B₁₂, folate, B₆), magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D are associated with altered neurotransmitter production, elevated homocysteine, glutamatergic dysregulation, inflammation, and increased depression risk.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8453603

Dietary fiber intake and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies 
A meta-analysis involving over 3.5 million participants found that higher total fiber intake was linked with a 23% lower risk of all-cause mortality, 26% lower cardiovascular mortality, and 22% lower cancer mortality. Nut sources and whole grains were particularly protective—nut-based fibers reduced cardiovascular death risk by 43%.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38011755

Vitamin B₁₂ Absorption & Malabsorption Mechanisms
This comprehensive review details how B₁₂ absorption depends on gastric intrinsic factor, pancreatic enzymes, and ileal receptors—and outlines various disorders (e.g. pernicious anemia, celiac, SIBO, Crohn’s disease) that impair absorption.
https://journals.lww.com/ajg/fulltext/2015/10001/management_of_small_intestinal_bacterial.2402.aspx

High-Potassium Diets Support Better Mood and Mental Health
Dr. Joseph Mercola
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2025/10/16/potassium-depression-anxiety.aspx