Switching off Food Noise

What is food noise?

The term “food noise” has become commonplace in conversations about weight loss, especially when it comes to GLP-1 injectables. The phrase refers to constant thoughts of food, to the point where it becomes a distraction – the only thing one can think about, regardless of hunger or satiety. GLP-1 medications help deaden, and in most cases completely switch off, food noise for users. This is one of their many benefits. If you’re not constantly thinking about food, then you’re less likely to eat outside of meal times.

The sugar burner’s struggle

I’ve been trying to think of instances where food noise has disrupted my life in the past and, almost without fail, it’s happened when I was a sugar burner – that is, relying mainly on carbohydrates for energy. The constant peaks and troughs of blood sugar on a high-carbohydrate diet almost ensure a persistent desire for food, regardless of the calories consumed. Anyone who has eaten a high-carb Chinese meal can attest to the fact that they feel hungry again soon after, a result of a blood sugar peak and crash.

How keto quietens the chatter

Low-carb or keto dieting not only ensures satiety by levelling out blood sugar (after all, without carbs, you can’t get a blood sugar crash), but it also does something remarkable. It kills food noise by promoting satiety. When the body is short on carbohydrates, it starts to burn its own fat for energy – an evolutionary adaptation that helped us get through times of scarce food and even famine. A by-product of this fat burning is ketones, chemicals produced by the liver when it breaks down fats. 

Compared to other sources of energy like glucose or fat, ketones can be a more efficient fuel that produce more power while using less oxygen. And whilst the brain may still prefer glucose as its primary source of energy, anyone in ketosis (the state of burning ketones for fuel instead of glucose, usually brought on by a ketogenic diet) for a period of time will tell you of the mental clarity they feel, with no brain fog. The brain likes ketones.

GLP-1 medications: the emergency brake

GLP-1 medications mimic some of the benefits of a ketogenic diet, including the absence of food noise. But it isn’t due to satiety in the traditional sense. Rather than working through metabolic changes like ketosis does, these medications target the brain directly. They cross the blood–brain barrier and interact with specific regions involved in appetite regulation and reward processing. In effect, they act like an “emergency brake” in your brain, flooding it with GLP-1 signals that shut down areas responsible for food-seeking behaviour, decision-making about food and the psychological reward we get from eating.

Two different routes to the same result

Think of it this way: ketogenic dieting switches off food noise by keeping you genuinely satisfied through stable blood sugar and efficient fat burning, whilst GLP-1 medications switch off food noise by directly dampening the brain’s food-focused circuits. Both approaches achieve the same peaceful quiet from constant food thoughts, but through completely different pathways – one metabolic, one neurological.

Primal eating: a sustainable solution

For those who find keto too restrictive, a primal approach to eating also helps to quieten food noise. By focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods – meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts (in moderation) and healthy fats – while minimising (or ideally eliminating) processed carbohydrates and sugars, primal eating naturally reduces blood sugar spikes and crashes. This way of eating isn't about rigid restriction but about returning to the foods we evolved to thrive on. Many people find that when they eat primally, their appetite regulates itself, food noise diminishes, and eating becomes simple again.

Which approach is right for you?

The question many people face is which approach suits them better. Ketogenic dieting requires significant lifestyle changes and discipline, but it’s sustainable long-term without ongoing medical intervention. GLP-1 medications offer immediate relief from food noise with minimal lifestyle disruption, but they typically need to be continued indefinitely to maintain their benefits. Some people find success combining both approaches, using GLP-1 medications as a tool to establish healthier eating patterns whilst transitioning to a lower-carb lifestyle. Ultimately, both methods offer a genuine solution to the exhausting mental chatter about food that so many people experience – they just take different routes to get there. 

Take the next step

If food noise has been a struggle for you, there are natural ways to switch it off – without relying on lifelong medication. Book a free discovery call to discuss how ancestral nutrition principles can quieten food noise and create the foundation for lifelong health.

 You can email me at jamie@ancestralally.coach or get in touch via my Contact page.