Emma Miller
Are you worried about constant hunger? We will tell you why this happens and how to deal with it.
Even after lunch and a snack, you still want to make a sausage sandwich and take another candy. Constant hunger has unexpected causes, says nutritionist Natalia Nutri on her insta-blog.
“There are two types of hunger, physiological and emotional, which are very important to distinguish. If it happened suddenly against the background of complete well-being and for no apparent reason, then first of all you need to see a doctor (and you can read the text on the way to the specialist).
Why you are constantly hungry
Physiological hunger
This hunger warns you that you need to replenish your body’s reserves. The feeling is caused by the hormone ghrelin. Hunger occurs gradually, and data about the need to eat are transmitted from the stomach to the brain by nerve impulses.
It is very easy to satisfy it: even a crust of bread is enough and the physiological need of the body will be satisfied.
Emotional hunger
Food has a psychological function because our emotions sometimes depend on what we eat. If you want to “eat” your emotions in a bad or good mood, you should think about it.
Sweets, which we use to try to restore calm and balance, can turn into extra pounds in the future. In turn, excessive eating of unhealthy snacks can cause remorse, which will lead to emotional hunger. It’s a vicious circle of sorts.
What to do when you’re hungry all the time
The nutritionist makes several recommendations that will help control emotional hunger:
- before eating something, try to calm down, take a deep breath, can drink a glass of water;
- take care of sleep, it should last at least 7-8 hours a day. Lack of sleep reduces energy, which you then compensate for with chocolates;
- work on your self-esteem and improve it: food is often a calming agent for people with low self-esteem;
- solve all problems;
- minimize stress in your life. Anxiety is a trigger for the body, which, when it feels threatened, wants to store food;
- be physically active and do what you love in your free time
