ALWAYS HUNGRY? WHO ISN’T!

Are you always feeling hungry? From the moment you wake up till the time you fall asleep? You even crave for food in the middle of the night and can’t resist checking out on your fridge?

And the more important is that the craving is always for junk food, sweets, pizza and burgers, never for healthy food. Let’s not blame all this hunger on the lockdown, although it IS one of the most important reasons why we always find ourselves unwillingly walking towards the kitchen (nowadays). We call this “FAKE HUNGER”.

WHY ARE WE ALWAYS IN A HUNGER MODE?

I eat just in case I get hungry later

• First let’s talk about the real stuff. Are you depressed? Stress is the main psychological reason behind hunger, although some people lose their appetite when they are stressed out (I wish I was one of those). All I can think of when I’m under stress is the bar of snickers in the fridge and when am I going to grab it and take the first bite. Don’t give in to stress!

• When you’re bored, all you think of is food. Yes, boredom is another cause of hunger.
• Don’t let your head decide when you must eat. As they say, it’s all in the brain. Let your stomach give you the order when it’s starving, or else you will feel hungry and eat just for the fun of it.
• Lack of sleep is another reason. Whenever I can’t sleep, I always turn to food for comfort.
• Easy on the food porn! Those delicious images of recipes in food blogs obviously triggers your craving for food.

• Exercise is recommended; Good for you if you’re already there! But that does not mean that you miss meals, because this leads to intense hunger pangs later in the day after workout.
• Dehydration. Believe it or not, when your body needs liquids, your brain can mistake this message with hunger. Shame on you Mr. Brain!
• Low rates of glucose, amino acids and fatty acids in our body sends a wake up call to our brain to open our appetite for food.
• Your meals might be lacking fiber. Fiber is an remarkable ingredient that fills up your stomach. So after a fiber meal, you won’t feel hungry for a long while.
• Are you eating too much sugar? When this afternoon sugar desire hits you, get out of the house, entertain yourself with anything but these delicious desserts you dream of.

• Are you skipping breakfast? Are you having a late lunch? Well don’t. This leads to your desire for constant snacks.

• You are missing out on protein. Don’t be scared to have meat, poultry or fish more often. Decrease of protein can lead to hunger.

If you’ve lost your appetite today, I think I have it

• Did you check your blood sugar recently? My dad is diabetic; he always has the need to snack on something. That’s why I can confirm this theory. On your way, also check your thyroid. It’s also advised!

• Alcohol is a major factor for feeling hungry. Ever remember a time when you were drinking without snacking on something? Alcohol tricks your brain. Beware of alcohol!
• You’re not consuming enough coffee. Coffee has proven its efficiency in cutting off the appetite. That’s not a hard task… who doesn’t like coffee?

Briefly what to do to stop feeling hungrier than a hostage…

Which by the way is so irritating:

• Stay hydrated – only water (skip the soda drinks)
• Get enough sleep
• Don’t let your mind manipulate you
• drink coffee or have a cup of dark tea

• Pamper yourself with dark chocolate
• Consume enough protein, omega-3 and fiber in your daily diet – Walnuts, salmon, cottage cheese and quinoa are a perfect example

• Consider having some ginger – add some spices to your meals
• Eat slowly – in smaller plates

• Go for a walk – exercise. But please drop the protein bars which precedes or proceeds it

• Have some air popcorn. By this, I don’t mean stick to your sofa and watch movies all day! (it fills the stomach and is healthy)
• Olive oil intake is advisable
• Add avocado to your menu
• Believe it or not, peanut butter! yesss have a teaspoon of peanut butter without any fear.

• Oh! and the most effective method to stop eating, and it works perfectly for me, is to brush your teeth 🙂 Trust me, this hunger feeling will just flee!
• Go out more often. Staying at home triggers this brain of yours into feeling hungry when you are not.
• Distract yourself with house work, by singing and dancing, fixing your cupboard, crafting, gardening, drawing,…

“Did you eat?” has to be one of the most romantic questions ever

• Although some say that gum opens the appetite, but for me, it makes me forget about my hunger as my mouth will be chewing on something (but please don’t chew like them 🙂

• Get away from all devices which lead you to luscious recipes and succulent pictures.

Still not convinced? Still feeling the need to bust a gullet?

Meditate, do some yoga. A hot bath would be great to relax. I bet you will forget all about your stomach’s rumbling sounds.

Please tell me what do you do to stop eating!