Hungry or Not?

Over the past few weeks I have been speaking to you about cravings, and for most cases when going through cravings you are more than likely not hungry at all.

Let me ask you a question? Are you someone who eats because it is that time of the day or do you only eat when you are genuinely hungry? Or do you not eat frequently enough or the right kinds of foods and end up over hungry?

It is very important that you know your body and are in tune with it and that you LISTEN to your body. If you eat when you are not hungry you are forcing something upon your body. This can upset your entire metabolism and more often than not lead onto weight issues, such as obesity and diabetes to name just a few.

One great way to see if you are really hungry or not is to drink some water when you think you may be hungry, you may in fact just be thirsty. If the body is dehydrated it will often get the signals mixed up and you may think you are hungry when you are in fact in need of some water, so always have water first, ensure you are fully hydrated and if 20 minutes later you get the pang or feeling again, eat. If you do not get ‘hungry’ or have that feeling again after 20 minutes then you were not hungry in the first place but thirsty. So bear that in mind for future reference.

When you get the message that your body is hungry it means it is now ready to accept food and is in a much better position to digest that food. So often we will eat when emotionally upset or overwhelmed without truly listening to what our body wants and needs.

Ensure you have enough fibre and good fats in your diet to help you feel fuller for longer. Often if you are constipated or have sluggish bowel movements you can in fact feel hungrier.

If you do not chew your food thoroughly you can over eat as your body struggles to break down half chewed food, it hits your stomach in chunks rather than a paste. If you eat slower you will in fact eat much less as you will know when you are full.

Also if you get over hungry your blood sugars will drop along with your feeling irritable and you will more than likely eat all the wrong foods. Keep your blood sugars steady by listening to your body and eating smaller portions more often over the course of the day.

Listen to your hunger pangs, ensure they are good and strong before you eat rather than just eating for the sake of it or because you are bored or because you are dehydrated or because it is the time of the day.