Have you been officially declared the ‘resident refrigerator raider’? Here’s the reason why you are a 5 square meal person! Six reasons why you feel hungry all the time.
Published
Jan 17, 2022
Just chew on it!
Remember your granny scolding you for gulping down your food? Well, old grandma was dead right (May God bless her departed soul!). Eating too fast cheats the tongue and thus, the feelings of satiety, which indicate that we have had our fill, don't really kick in as they should. So you end up feeling hungry all over again, though your stomach knows otherwise. This tongue-tummy disconnect could be quite troublesome from the point of view of sticking to a diet or keeping the calories down. There are actually satiety hormones that decide if we are full or not. So slow down and let your sense of taste completely concentrate on your plate. Chew on your food at least 32 times (probably one chew per tooth) and go about your meal slowly and deliberately, concentrating on each morsel and each flavor hitting your palate. This way you will actually digest the food better and will have fewer indigestion complaints.
What you eat matters too!
Some of us were born to be the ambassadors of junk food and crisps! Sure, we need 4 square meals a day to live, but it really is fairly pointless, if those meals comprise of foods with virtually zero nutritional value. There are a few people who even after a healthy-sized feast, choose to reach for the crisps and glug down the cola! Include good fats in your diet along with proteins, which can help in filling your stomach at the first go. Research now indicates that proteins work better at stimulating the appetite-stimulating hormones, so foods rich in protein can definitely be a safer bet, than just fats in your lunch or dinner. Those who binge on food because they are depressed, generally gorge on fat-rich foods, as it seems to provide some a “feel good” factor. However, this sort of "feel good" factor comes at a price, as these foods may add to body weight, which is difficult to shake off easily. So opt for more protein and fiber in your food.
Emotional eating
There certainly is a link between emotions and eating. While on a diet, we might feel guilty of having our complete fill during meal time, out of the fear of being told that we eat too much. So you pass up a second helping of that delicious pasta or a bowlful of strawberries with ice-cream, to avoid your family's disapproving glare. Then in the middle of the night, that very denial is going to come back and haunt you. Not before long, you find yourself creeping down to the refrigerator and having more than your fill, like there is no tomorrow. Sometimes, an uneasy thought grips you in the middle of the night, and instead of tossing and turning in bed, you prefer to deal with it along with a light snack! That light snack soon turns out to be a mini meal. So, fact of the matter is that our emotions can take over make us eat more than our normal quota, and that too, at odd hours. Remember how mum would bribe you with that extra piece of pie, for keeping your room clean? So later in life, we continue rewarding ourselves with food, every time we are pleased with ourselves, or depressed, or lonely! Recognize this connection and the next time you will be able to make do with just a light snack, instead of that four course meal or your midnight steal!
The water connection
If you are in the habit of wolfing down your meals with liters of cola or water, then that is going to fill your stomach with just liquid and gas. Avoid having colas or fizzy drinks altogether and try not to have any water until after you have had your meals, as water fill you up temporarily and will make you feel hungry, in some time again. So it’s only when the food is very spicy that you are allowed to have a few sips of water; otherwise make it a rule not to have a glass by your plate during meal times.
The gourmand within? Or an undiagnosed condition?
Some people just love to eat. They should be appointed food tasters for royalty, as they are happy only when they eat. Not such a bad thing, as long as the health keeps up. Then again, the underlying problem with food binges or the eternally hungry could actually be an underlying thyroid problem or diabetes. Sometimes, pregnancy too can give you serious hunger pangs, while certain medications can also make you feel hungry all the time. So before you suffer from further guilt pangs, just get yourself checked to ensure you don’t have any such conditions.
Never skip breakfast
Some folks just don’t consider breakfast as a meal to be relished or even realize that this first meal of the day is going to affect their health in the long run. For one, if you skip breakfast, you are setting your body up for food cravings, well beyond other meal times. Having a healthy breakfast can ensure that the body doesn’t have sudden blood sugar or insulin spikes, which basically means fewer hunger pangs. Also, remember, including a protein rich breakfast like eggs or chicken sandwiches/cold cuts can fill the stomach, rather well and you will feel satiety like never before.
0 thoughts on “ Feel hungry even after eating? Here’s why!”
0 thoughts on “ Feel hungry even after eating? Here’s why!”