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Dr. Gary Kaplan on FOX5DC discussing food cravings.

What Your Food Cravings Really Mean + How to Manage Them Naturally

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Dr. Gary Kaplan appeared on FOX5 DC with Steve Chenevy to discuss food cravings, what they mean, and how to treat them.

Food cravings happen to everyone. Whether it’s sugar, salt, or something sour, those sudden urges can feel hard to ignore. But cravings are actually the body’s way of communicating something deeper.

Understanding what your cravings mean—and how to respond to them—can help you make healthier choices and support your overall well-being.

Why Do We Crave Certain Foods?

Cravings aren’t random. They’re often signals from your body that something is out of balance. Some of the most common causes include:

  • Blood sugar fluctuations – This is the leading cause of cravings, especially sugar cravings
  • Sleep deprivation – Hormonal changes can increase hunger and cravings
  • Chronic stress – Elevated cortisol levels can disrupt blood sugar and appetite
  • Emotional triggers – Eating to cope with stress, boredom, or unmet needs
  • Nutrient deficiencies – Low levels of iron, B12, or other nutrients

So instead of ignoring cravings, it’s worth asking yourself: What is my body trying to tell me?

Craving Sugar? Here’s What It Means

If you constantly crave sweets, your blood sugar may be dropping.

What’s happening: When blood sugar dips, your body looks for a quick source of energy—usually sugar or refined carbs.

What to do instead:

Skip the candy and stabilize your blood sugar with:

• Protein (like Greek yogurt or eggs)
• Healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado)
• Regular meals (avoid skipping meals)
• Light movement (a short walk can help regulate blood sugar)

These options provide sustained energy without the crash.

Craving Salty Foods? You May Need Electrolytes

A strong desire for salty snacks can point to an electrolyte imbalance.

What’s happening: Your body may be low on key minerals like sodium, especially if you’re dehydrated or under stress.

Healthier alternatives:

• Drink water with a pinch of sea salt
• Snack on olives or nuts
• Stay properly hydrated throughout the day

Balancing electrolytes can reduce cravings and improve energy levels.

Craving Sour Foods? Your Digestion Might Need Support

Sour cravings are less common—but they can be surprisingly informative.

What’s happening: Your body may need more stomach acid to properly digest food, especially if you rely on antacids frequently.

What to try:

• Fermented foods like sauerkraut
• Yogurt with live cultures

These can help support digestion naturally.

Craving Non-Food Items? Don’t Ignore This

Craving things like ice, dirt, or other non-food items may seem unusual—but it can be a real medical signal.

What it could mean: This behavior, known as pica, is often linked to:

• Iron deficiency
• B vitamin deficiencies

If you notice these cravings, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider.

How to Manage Cravings the Healthy Way

Cravings aren’t the enemy—they’re information. The key isn’t to fight cravings—it’s to understand and respond to them wisely.

Simple strategies:

• Pause and assess what your body needs
• Choose whole, nutrient-dense foods
• Prioritize sleep and stress management
• Stay hydrated
• Eat balanced meals with protein, fat, and fiber

By learning how to interpret your cravings, you can shift from reacting impulsively to responding intentionally. Whether it’s balancing blood sugar, improving sleep, or addressing nutrient gaps, small changes can make a big difference.

Looking for More Support?

If cravings are persistent or disruptive, please give us a call. Our functional and integrative approach to health can help uncover the root cause of your symptoms.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Spring clean your nutrition with these tips!

Spring Clean Your Nutrition

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Spring is a great time to reset—especially when it comes to balancing blood sugar levels. The best part? It is so simple!

Start with these five steps:

1. Clear out your pantry and fridge

Cut back on sugary drinks, snacks, and highly processed foods. Start replacing sugary drinks with electrolytes and water. I recommend fruit water. I love putting watermelon and lime in water with a little bit of mint. Replace snacks and processed foods with fresh fruit.

2. Restocking the kitchen

  • Protein (eggs, chicken, plant-based protein shakes, low sodium/no sugar turkey sticks, etc.)
  • Healthy fats (avocado, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, etc.)
  • Fiber-rich carbs (veggies, berries, oats, farro)

3. Balance your meals

Adequate protein, fiber, and healthy fats together on your plate helps prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes.

4. Add small supports

Use cinnamon in your meals or drinks. Iced hibiscus tea with cinnamon (recipe below) is very good in the spring and summer months.

5. Keep it realistic

Simple meals. Consistent eating. No perfection needed.

A fresh season is a good time for a fresh start. Small changes can make a big difference in how you feel every day.

 

 

A Personal and Professional Perspective on Blood Sugar Balance

Defeat Diabetes Month: A Personal and Professional Perspective on Blood Sugar Balance

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As a Board Certified Nutrition Specialist, I guide my patients through blood sugar challenges every day. April is Defeat Diabetes Month, but it’s more than a professional focus for me—it’s personal. I’ve walked the path myself and I know firsthand just how difficult it is to manage. In my early 20s I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes; but, through intentional nutrition, lifestyle changes, and consistent support, I was able to officially say I was free from diabetes by my mid 20s.

I am very open and honest about my experience with diabetes and I recognize my journey didn’t end there. Today, I continue to manage reactive hypoglycemia, which serves as a daily reminder that blood sugar balance is not a one-time achievement for all who have lived with diabetic challenges. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to managing blood sugar, but there are foundational strategies that can make a difference.

Here are some of the interventions that supported my journey:

1. Cinnamon for Blood Sugar Support

I regularly used cinnamon both as a supplement and as a staple in my cooking. Some evidence suggests cinnamon helps to support insulin sensitivity and improve blood sugar regulation, and I found it to be an easy, sustainable addition to my routine. Plus, it tastes really good! Cinnamon can enhance the flavors of so many different cuisines and beverages! Give it a try!

2. Exploring Bitter Melon

Bitter melon is often discussed in integrative nutrition for its glucose-lowering effects. I experimented with it in my cooking though I’ll be honest, it wasn’t my favorite flavor. It is just as the name says it is… bitter. This highlights an important point to consider, not every “healthy” food will work for every person, and that’s okay. I opted to take it in the form of a supplement after many trials and errors.

3. Prioritizing Protein Intake

Increasing protein intake is something I stuck with very consistently. I incorporated protein shakes and focused on building meals with adequate protein from both meat and plant sources. This helped my blood sugar to become more stable, reduced blood sugar spikes, and minimized crashes. Please note that it is so much easier to take the protein shake, but protein from real food – that takes a while to digest – balances blood sugar better than a shake. This is due to the body needing to work a little harder to break down food rather than something already pre-blended.

4. Creating Balanced, Consistent Meals

I rarely relied on quick, simple carbohydrates if I properly planned my food choices out ahead of time. Pairing protein, healthy fats, and fiber-rich complex carbohydrates is a game changer! This approach helped regulate my energy levels and maintain steadier glucose patterns throughout the day. When out for a special occasion, I opted for a high protein salad in addition to my main course meal.

My experience taught me that small, consistent steps can lead to powerful transformation, and honestly, something I did not think was possible. I did not have to change every little thing overnight, I just started with one simple step I liked and could easily do. It also taught me to extend grace to myself and to my patients because health is not about perfection—it’s about progress, awareness, and sustainability.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Help stabilize blood sugar with healthy snacks like avocado toast.

6 Tips to Avoid Cravings, Stop Mood Swings and Boost Your Energy

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If you need a mid-afternoon pick-me-up in the form of a sugary snack or coffee boost to get you through the rest of the day, that’s a good indicator that your blood sugar level is out of balance.

Stabilizing blood sugar is one of the easiest steps you can take to feel more energetic throughout the day, avoid unpredictable mood swings, and most importantly lower your risk of developing chronic medical conditions such as insulin resistance, pre-diabetes & type-2 diabetes.

Here are 6 simple tips to help curb your afternoon cravings and more importantly, stabilize your blood sugar:

1. Eat balanced meals that contain fat, protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fresh herbs. Eating regular meals throughout the day will help keep your blood sugar in check. When blood sugar is balanced -and your meal is satisfying, you are less likely to have cravings or need snacks.

2. Keep carbs to 15 grams per snack – maximum. Carbohydrate containing foods are not just grains, beans and legumes, but also include dairy, fruit, peas, potatoes, squash and sweet potato. Try these great snack combinations!

3. Always combine carbohydrates with a fat to help balance blood sugar. Fat slows the absorption of carbohydrates so try not to have any carbohydrate-containing foods without fat and protein.

4. Stay hydrated throughout the day with water and herbal, unsweetened teas. Tulsi, ginger turmeric, lemongrass, and lemon balm are all anti-inflammatory and great for the immune system.

5. Plan ahead. If you do feel the need to snack, prepare a few healthy options ahead of time using the tips above. Make individual servings to help keep portions in control and are easier to take on the road, if necessary.

6. Practice Mindful Snacking. Snack when hungry, traveling, trying to gain weight or low blood sugar vs snacking when bored or emotional. Making a list of other things that help you de-stress can shift the focus away from food.

It cannot be overstated, food is medicine. What you eat today is contributing to the shape of your future. If you would like to discuss strategies on how to improve your nutritional intake and overall health, please give us a call today at 703-532-5892; our nurses are ready to talk to you.

At the Kaplan Center, we use a functional medicine approach to treatment; our goal is to treat the “whole you” so that all areas of your health are improved.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Updated April, 2024.

hummus and veggies

Snack On This!

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Smart snacking means keeping your carbohydrate and protein intake in balance. It will not only maintain your energy level throughout the day, but will also help stabilize mood and mental clarity. Need some ideas? Here are some of our favorite snack combinations!

TIP: Keep carbs to 15g per snack maximum.

Complete Protein & Carbohydrate Snacks

  • Hummus and celery, bell peppers, and/or carrots
  • Avocado “boat” with quinoa (just split the avocado in half and fill it with pre-cooked quinoa, season with any dressing or spices you like)
  • Apple, pear or banana with almond butter (or any nut butter)
  • Sunflower seeds and raisins
  • Plain organic yogurt with nuts and 2 teaspoons of pure maple syrup or honey
  • Baked potato or sweet potato wedges with organic chicken sausage
  • Dried fruit with nuts (make sure to only eat a small fist size portion or ¼ cup)
  • Smoothie with any fruit, greens (kale or spinach), hemp or almond milk and Great Lakes Collagen or Sunwarrior protein powder
  • Plantain Chips with guacamole and hard boiled egg
  • Rice crackers, or Mary’s Crackers, with hummus
  • Chia Pudding – see recipe below!

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

Recipe for Chia Seed Pudding

stablize_blood_sugar_with_a_healthy_diet

7 Benefits of Stable Blood Sugar

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Diabetes is a chronic medical condition characterized by high blood sugar levels as a result of your body’s inability to properly regulate insulin, the hormone responsible for controlling glucose levels. Diabetes is best managed with a proper diet, lifestyle changes, and in some cases, the use of medication such as insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, your body does not produce insulin on its own. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells become resistant to insulin’s effects. In both cases, this dysregulation of insulin levels can lead to periods of high and sometimes low blood sugar levels. This can negatively impact the body so maintaining stable blood sugar levels is essential for your overall health and well-being.

Kaplan Center’s approach to managing diabetes addresses all of the root causes that are driving your condition. In contrast to conventional medicine, our functional medicine approach emphasizes prevention through lifestyle and dietary modifications and promotes overall health and wellness. Please give us a call today, we can help.

Here are seven benefits of having a stable blood sugar

1 – Enhanced energy levels

When your blood sugar level is stable, your body can efficiently convert glucose into energy. This means you will be provided with a steady and constant energy supply throughout the day and reduce the amount of fatigue or sluggishness that you experience.

2 – Better weight management

It is important that you maintain a stable and healthy body weight with diabetes and having a stable blood sugar level can help. When your blood sugar remains steady, you’re less likely to experience intense hunger or cravings that can lead to overeating or making unhealthy food choices.

3 – Increased focus and concentration

Blood sugar imbalances can affect cognitive function, leading to difficulties in concentration and focus. In fact, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and cognitive impairment are now being dubbed by researchers as Type 3 Diabetes due to the strong link between insulin resistance and cognitive decline/impairment. Interestingly, this could also help explain why dementia patients always crave sweet things.

Because the brain is the most energy-demanding organ and uses one-half of all sugar (energy) in the body, stable blood sugar will not only help promote better brain function and improve mental clarity but will also help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

For more information on insulin resistance, its relationship with cognitive function, and strategies on how to stabilize your blood sugar, you can read the following articles by Dr. Lisa Lilienfield, “Pre-diabetes: Are You at Risk?” and “Addressing the Fear of Cognitive Decline & How to Be Proactive.”

4 – A reduction in the number of diabetes-related complications

Consistently high blood sugar levels are associated with long-term damage to various organs including the eyes, kidneys, heart, and nerves. By maintaining a stable blood sugar, your risk of these complications is reduced. This is important because the complications can be serious; complications include macular degeneration of the eyes, reduced kidney function, or issues affecting your nerves.

5 – Improved mood and mental well-being

Fluctuating blood sugar levels can lead to mood swings, irritability, and even anxiety. One study found that greater glycemic variability may be associated with a lower quality of life and negative moods. So, by maintaining stable blood sugar, you promote better emotional balance and overall mental well-being.

6 – Improved cardiovascular health

High blood sugar levels can damage your blood vessels and increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. A stable blood sugar can help you maintain a healthier cardiovascular system which reduces your risk of many life-threatening cardiovascular issues and heart disease.

7 – Enhanced overall health

Stable blood sugar levels can positively impact various aspects of your health such as supporting your immune function. This boosts your body’s ability to fight off infections and illnesses more effectively. Additionally, stable blood sugar is known to contribute to better sleep quality, hormonal balance, and overall longevity.

We are here for you, and we want to help.

Our goal is to return you to optimal health as soon as possible. To schedule an appointment please call: 703-532-4892 x2

References

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/sugar-brain

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3317401/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7246646/