Why you constantly want to eat: 6 main causes of hunger

Dear reader, we present to you our beauty columnist Inessa Tsarkova!

Inessa is an active nutritionist, gastroenterologist, therapist, naturopath and aromatherapist, health coach, integrative medicine doctor with a holistic approach. And now he will share with us his knowledge in the field of both physical and mental health, nutrition and much more.

Just because you feel hungry doesn’t mean you really want to eat. There are different types of hunger, and only one of them is correct. Let’s figure out how to recognize real hunger and not fall into our brain’s trick.

Inessa Tsarkova

Body, Brain and Spirit

Friends, did you know that three essences actually live within us?

— Divine Eternal soul (our true essence) with its aspirations and development goals (incarnation goals).

– Our material body with your needs: maintenance of homeostasis (stability of the internal environment) and energy efficiency. The body is not us, it is the container of the soul embodied in the material world. Our body has its own needs: breathing, eating, drinking, sleeping, reproducing. And the soul has its own aspirations: to love, to create, to develop. This means that our soul in the body is like a genie in the lamp.

– Ours brain With brain activity whose task is to protect the body and protect it from damage. And it is not the real “we” either, it is just a serving organ (like the heart, lungs, kidneys), just a central organ, a “computer” created to control the body and its connection with the environment. .

The brain is always worried about something. Its task is to constantly act and make decisions for the “well-being of the body.” And the body is blind and deaf. He only “knows” what is happening outside thanks to his brain. This is why emotions and feelings exist; the body’s reactions to our thoughts.

For example, when we eat lemon, we feel sour. And when we think of lemon, we also feel sour. The truth is that the body does not know whether the event actually happened or whether we are just thinking about it.

For example, when turbulence starts in flight and we just we thinkA panic filled fear fills his body, as if the plane was already crashing. It is our brain that experiences fear, and the body reacts accordingly: palpitations, pallor, clammy sweat, shivering, flashes of heat and cold.

And a man sits next to you not thinkingHe thinks that the plane will crash and smiles at his thoughts, and even experiences joy and excitement from the adrenaline rush as if he were on a rollercoaster.

The problem with people is that they have become one with themselves. brainstopping hearing needs souls and we lost contact with them body. However, it is our body that can receive information from the “I” within us and acts as an intermediary between the brain and the soul.

What do you need to do to feel happy, healthy, active and find meaning in your life? You should try to distinguish these three essences in yourself: soul, brain and body. And understand what each needs.

How do you know if you’re really hungry?

Analysis of human eating behavior shows that people generally eat when our emotional brain is hungry (due to appetite), rather than when the body is actually hungry and needs recharging (from hunger). Therefore, when we smell the fragrant buns fresh out of the oven, we want to eat them even if we are not hungry.

In the modern world, it is often the brain that determines when and what to eat, based on its own interests. And the brain selects foods for pleasure, calmness, and relaxation while reducing performance. It is not for nothing that there is a saying: “After a delicious lunch, you should sleep according to Archimedes’ law.” The abundant and high-glycemic foods consumed by modern humans contribute to the release of endogenous opiates, leading to a feeling of “sweet happiness and happiness.” And all because in the modern world the brain is under constant stress.

But all other animals, including ancient humans, satisfied the body’s hunger with food. And after eating, the body received not only pleasure, but also energy for its vigorous activity.

Remember: After eating the right food and eating it on time, you want to run rather than lie down.

The feeling of hunger is our signaling system, just like the red light on the gas tank. What can it “signal” about?

6 types of hunger

It turns out that there are at least six types of hunger.

Thirst

Thirst often feels like a desire to eat. Our brain perceives water as food. After all, it is both an energy source and electrolyte supplier for itself.

hunger for diversity

If you eat monotonously, using the same limited set of products, then there will be a lot of some substances (including unhealthy ones), while others (useful ones) will be significantly lacking. The body will signal this with hunger.

empty stomach feeling

Stomach rumbling does not necessarily mean hunger. This is a physiological feeling that can be reduced, for example, by drinking water.

low blood sugar

People who are used to getting energy from simple carbohydrates are especially susceptible to this condition. To avoid sudden sugar spikes, you should eat high-quality complex carbohydrates (with enough fibre).

emotional hunger

If you are used to “eating” your negative emotions and stress, it is time to realize that there are other, more environmentally friendly ways to produce “joy and happiness” hormones: listen to your favorite music or do something that makes you happy and inspires you, or meet with a friend and watch your favorite comedy. follow. Dancing to a catchy song, taking a walk in the fresh air, or doing your favorite sport can help with this.

It is also important to realize that when you eat excess food that the body does not currently need, it is a lot of stress and a huge burden. After all, he needs to try to digest and assimilate it. And since the body no longer needs these substances, it will put them all aside for the future. This is how extra and unwanted kilograms and centimeters are formed.

To avoid overeating and harming your body, you need to ask yourself three questions:

– What emotions am I experiencing right now?
— What emotions do you want to feel?
— What can you do to feel this without the help of food?

It would be beneficial to write down at least 5 environmentally friendly ways to feel joy and calmness and start using them without resorting to “medicine products”.

Real Hunger

And finally, real hunger (and not just appetite) is when saliva is already dripping. And indeed, it is time for the body to replenish its reserves of energy and nutrients. This type of hunger increases gradually over 3.5-4 hours, is accompanied by a feeling of emptiness in the stomach and is not associated with a sudden change in emotional state.

My dear readers, in order to preserve your slimness and health, you must learn to be conscious, to realize the true causes of your desires. After all, taking care of yourself and your body not only gives us vitality and excellent well-being, but can also form the basis of a bright and productive life. You just have to start doing it.