Why You Have Cravings: Reclaiming Your Biology with Dr. Amy Shah & Andrew Huberman
In this article
This season invites reflection — sometimes gently, sometimes loudly. Between holiday gatherings, end-of-year pressure, and the quiet awareness that another year is closing, many people feel the pull to reset… but don’t know where to start.
This week isn’t about doing more. It’s about seeing more clearly— how your body responds, how your habits compound, and how small, intentional systems can change what comes next.
Let’s start there.
Recommended Read
What Happens When You Quit Alcohol for a Month Verywell Health
Why It Matters:
A short break from alcohol isn’t about restriction — it’s about information.
This article outlines what research shows can happen when alcohol is removed, even temporarily:
Liver cells begin to repair
Insulin resistance, blood pressure, and weight improve
Digestion and gut lining start healing within days
Mental clarity and emotional regulation improve
Sleep quality and immune function increase
Cancer risk begins to decrease
Alcohol affects nearly every system in the body — metabolic, neurological, hormonal, and emotional. A pause allows those systems to recalibrate.
Action Step: After your next meal (even holiday leftovers!), take a short walk around the house or outside. It signals your nervous system to settle, your digestion to activate, and your brain to clear.
System Shift (Try This Now)
You don’t have to decide anything today. Simply notice:
When you drink
Why you drink
How you feel afterward — physically and mentally
Awareness is the first system. Sober January doesn’t start in January — it starts with curiosity now.
Recommended Listen
Nutritional Experts Reveal Why You Have Cravings — and How to Stop Them Ed Mylett Show
Why It Matters:
This conversation reframes cravings, energy dips, and brain fog in a powerful way.Your cravings are not a character flaw. They are biological signals.
Experts like Dr. Amy Shah, Andrew Huberman, Max Lugavere, and others explain how:
Gut health drives cravings, mood, and hormone balance
Women experience cravings differently due to cycles and stress load
Blood sugar instability fuels anxiety and fatigue
Food, movement, sunlight, and sleep directly shape mental clarity
Change can begin in as little as three days
This isn’t about dieting. It’s about reclaiming your biology.
System Shift (Try This Now):
This week, focus on one stabilizer:
Add fiber or fermented food to one meal
Take a 10-minute walk after eating
Get sunlight within an hour of waking
One signal at a time. The body responds quickly when supported.
Human Moments in Motion
Today’s Human Moment in Motion came from a Lyft conversation with someone frustrated that his ads weren’t working — despite doing everything “right.” When we walked through the Conversion Equation (Interrupt. Engage. Educate. Offer.), the problem became clear: the message wasn’t speaking to the real problem or emotion his audience was experiencing. A simple system brought instant clarity — and a completely new direction.Download the equationhere.
That’s the heart of Human Moments in Motion: awareness → understanding → action, without shame or force.
👉Follow the Human Moments in Motion series on Instagram:@WendyHarmon_Coachlink
Quote of the Week
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…?
Therefore honor God with your body.
— 1 Corinthians 6:19–20(Whatever your faith tradition, the message is timeless: your body matters.)
Reflection Prompt
What’s one habit you’ve been repeating automatically — and what might change if you paused long enough to choose differently?
To your vitality,
Wendy
P.S. If this newsletter helped you pause, reflect, or see something more clearly, please share it with a friend who could use the same reminder. Sometimes the most meaningful support starts with a simple “this made me think of you.”
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