If you often feel hungry, you are not alone!
There are many reasons to feel hungry. Of course, the most obvious one is that you are actually physically hungry. Perhaps there is nothing in your stomach, your blood sugar has dropped, and your Ghrelin (the hunger hormones) are having a wild party.
But physical hunger may not always be the cause. It might actually be triggered by emotions or it could be your body craving something. These are pretty standard reasons why some people eat too much. It could also be brought on by a particular type of diet, stress, or a multitude of other things going on in life.
It is all too easy to confuse ‘psychological’ hunger for ‘physical’ hunger.
In my blog today I’ll take you through the difference between both of these types of hunger, and even give you some tips on how to figure out which is which.
Plus, I’ll leave you with a tasty filling recipe to try out at the end!
Physical hunger vs. psychological hunger
Your ‘physical’ hunger is regulated by the body through your hunger hormones. And of course, it should be. You don’t want your body to be completely drained of fuel and nutrients for long periods of time. So, you’re programmed to seek food when your body physically needs it. Some of those physical needs are that your stomach is empty or your blood sugar has dropped.
‘Psychological’ or ‘emotional’ hunger is eating to overcome boredom, sadness, stress, etc. It’s based on a thought or feeling, not a physical need. It’s what happens when you see an ad on TV for your favourite chocolate bar or when you’re heading into a hardware store on the weekend and you catch a whiff of the sausage sizzle. It’s not because your stomach is empty or your blood sugar is low.
So, here’s how to tell which is which.
Eight steps to figure out if you’re physically hungry or not
1 – The first thing you need to do is pause, and take a moment to evaluate. Scoffing down that protein bar at the first sign of hunger isn’t necessarily going to help you.
2 – Now that you’ve taken a moment have a think about where this hunger is actually coming from. Can you feel or even hear your stomach growling? Did you skip a meal, and haven’t eaten in hours? Or did you just walk past a bakery that brought out some fresh cheese and bacon rolls? Possibly you’re sad, tired, bored, or stressed? Assess all these and really pay attention.
3 – Have a big glass of water. Wait for a few minutes and observe the feeling you have. Really dig into the source of the feeling. It can be easy to jump to a conclusion, but that may or may not be the right one. So listen to your body and mind very deeply.
4 – If you find that your feelings are the cause, face them. Acknowledge the way you’re feeling and observe them. The feeling may just need some recognition, even if they sound like they need food. Instead of reaching for something to eat try going for a short walk, concentrate of deep breathing for a few minutes or even some light stretching to release some of these emotions. Not only is this good for your health but it also gives your mind a chance to focus on something other than the feeling of hunger.
5 – Even if you’re pretty sure that your body physically needs nutrition, just wait and give it a few more minutes to make sure.
6 – By now you can be sure whether your hunger was from emotions, boredom, thirst, or actual physical hunger.
7 – If it’s physical hunger, go ahead and eat something healthy and nutritious. The food you eat should be high in protein, fibre, and water to fill you up. Be mindful when you eat. Eat slowly, chew each mouthful and savour every bite of it.
8 – At the next sign of hunger go back to step 1 to determine if your hunger is physical or psychological.
Conclusion
The feeling of hunger can be caused by many things. Of course, the most obvious reason for your hunger is your body is physically in need of food and nutrients!
But there is often an underlying psychological or emotional reason you might feel hungry.
You now know my eight steps to determine if your physical body is hungry, or if you’re bored, sad, or stressed instead.
Use this process over and over again to feed your body what it actually physically needs (and not overdo it).
Recipe (Filling): Slow-Cooker Roast Beef and Potatoes – serves 6
2 onions, sliced (do this and go to step 1 before preparing the rest of the ingredients)
1.8kg beef roast
450g potatoes, peeled & chopped
450g carrots, peeled & sliced
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 tsp dried thyme, sage or parsley
2 cloves garlic crushed
Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Place a layer of sliced onion at the bottom of the slow cooker. Put the lid on and turn up to high; this will start caramelizing the onions while you wash and slice the rest of the ingredients.
- When all ingredients are ready, take off slow cooker lid and add meat and the prepared vegetables, garlic, herbs, and spices. .
- Cook on high for 3 – 5 hours, or on low for 6 – 8 hours, or until done.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: You can substitute different vegetables if you like. For example, you can use sweet potatoes in place of the regular potatoes; or parsnips instead of carrots.
References:
https://authoritynutrition.com/ghrelin/
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/dealing-with-mysterious-hunger
https://authoritynutrition.com/18-ways-reduce-hunger-appetite/