Hunger At All Hours: 4 Tips To Avoid It
If you have recently finished eating and are hungry again, you may not be adding all the nutrients you need to your diet. How to avoid being hungry at all times ? We explain it to you below.
Some of the reasons why you can be hungry at all times
Almost certainly, at times it will have happened to you that, not even an hour after a large meal, you have realized that you were starving again ! How can such a thing happen? There are several reasons to explain this mechanism, for example:
1. Hunger at all times: dehydration
Many times we think we are hungry, when in reality we are thirsty. This is because dehydration can have the same “symptoms” as appetite. Either way, the body needs fluids. However, the hypothalamus cannot identify whether it needs something solid or liquid. For this, it “awakens” the brain region in charge of both sensations.
2. Hunger at all times: insomnia
Lack of sleep causes ghrelin levels to go up, and this can make you feel hungry at any time. In addition, insomnia reduces the amount of leptin, the hormone responsible for making you feel full. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body is also likely to “ask” you for reward foods, such as sweets or flours.
3. Hunger at all times: sugar
Sweets are unhealthy and, despite the calories they contain, they only “fill your stomach” for a short time. Carbohydrates in sweets, cakes and biscuits produce spikes in blood sugar, which then drop considerably to normal. For this, just an hour after consuming a portion of dessert, you will want to eat again.
4. Stress
High stress levels cause adrenaline and cortisol production to rise, resulting in the same thing that happens in cases of insomnia: you don’t feel full after eating. These hormones are responsible, among other things, for the increase in appetite and the reduction of serotonin, which gives rise to the feeling of voracious hunger, even after having lunch or dinner.
5. Diet
Certain eating habits can make you feel hungry at any time. For example, if you don’t add the right amount of protein to your lunch, if you don’t eat enough healthy fats, or if you skip meals, your stomach is most likely still asking for food.
It may also be due to the fact that you are consuming too much alcohol (which dehydrates), that you are eating too fast (the brain does not receive the signal that the stomach is full) or that you are watching pictures of meals on social networks (which increase the levels appetite hormone).
Tips to avoid being hungry at all times
Knowing the causes of your constant appetite is the first step to coping with this feeling of hunger that never leaves you. Here are some tips that will help you not to be hungry at all times:
1. Eat several healthy meals a day
It’s not about eating out of control, it’s about eating intelligently. Instead of eating a lot 4 times a day, the healthiest thing is to eat 6 small meals a day. These include: breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, snack, mid-afternoon snack, and dinner. In the two additional meals, you can choose a fruit, a yogurt with cereals, a smoothie etc.
2. Have a nice breakfast
The first meal of the day should be large and allow you to satiate your appetite for several hours. On the one hand, it’s not good for you to drink coffee while wearing your make-up, changing clothes or walking to the office. Take some time to have your breakfast calmly and properly.
On the other hand, the menu must rely on proteins, healthy fats and carbohydrates. In this way, you will avoid insulin spikes in the blood and have enough energy from the early hours of the day. For example, you can have breakfast with a pan-fried egg (protein), a cup of yogurt or milk, a fruit or a slice of wholemeal bread (carbohydrates) with olive oil, avocado or dried fruit (healthy fats). .
3. Increase your fiber intake
Another strategy for not feeling hungry at all times is to increase the consumption of fiber. Fiber is a very important nutrient, which helps us feel full longer and maintain the energy needed to face the day. To take the daily dose (20 g of fiber), you can eat two fruits, two rations of vegetables, rice, bread or wholemeal pasta.
4. Drink green tea
It is an infusion with many properties, which prevents the sensation of constant appetite; besides, it has the ability to burn fat. And if you drink it hot, your stomach will feel full. In case you choose cold green tea, you will need it to avoid dehydration, which can be confused with hunger. It is ideal mid-morning or mid-afternoon, accompanied by a handful of nuts or seeds!
