More Grumbling Tummy Secrets
When you were little, did you ever tell your mom that you were hungry, only to have her reply, “You’re not hungry, you’re just bored!”
Turns out Mom knew you better than you knew yourself! If only you had something to keep you occupied…
Besides boredom, you could also feel hungry due to constantly seeing food, or from consuming artificial sweeteners (even the ones you think are healthy).
Catch up:
16) THE REASON: It may just be a craving, or you’re bored.
You just ate a meal and now you’re thinking of more food. Consider whether you’re actually hungry, or just craving dessert.
Or you could just be bored. Boredom can actually cause you lose your ability to make smart food choices and almost become an “emotional eater.”
Not only do you make the wrong food choices, you also crave more processed junk than you normally would.
Consider these 2 definitions:
HUNGER – the physical need for food when your body senses a dip in blood sugar, or the stretch receptors in your stomach sense that it’s truly empty. The need for sustenance.
APPETITE – the conditioned desire to eat. That “craving” feeling you experience when you eat a very filling meal but still want that chocolate cake you see across the room.
THE TIPS
- Ask yourself if you’d eat a piece of protein (like chicken or eggs). If you don’t want some protein, you’re most likely craving carbs or sugar, which aren’t the best choices. The feeling will pass once you distract yourself from sweet or junky cravings with something unrelated to food: a quick walk outside, a hot bath, a cup of herbal tea, a book or magazine, etc.
- Your appetite, not your hunger, may be making you think you need to eat when you really don’t. Use the hunger scale below to rate your hunger level before, during, and after meals. You’ll want to aim for #5 after a meal.
Hunger Scale
- You feel starving. You can’t concentrate and need food NOW.
- You feel hungry, but you could wait a few minutes before eating.
- You feel slightly hungry. You could eat something, but not a large meal.
- Your hunger has almost disappeared. You could eat another bite, though.
- You’re no longer hungry. You feel satisfied, not full.
- You feel slightly full.
- You feel overly full and uncomfortable. Your waistband is noticeably tighter.
- You feel stuffed, bloated, even a little nauseous (e.g. “Thanksgiving Day” full).
THE TAKEAWAY
Instead of giving in to a craving, take a few minutes to consider whether you’re actually hungry.
17) THE REASON: All you see is food.
You keep your snacks in plain sight. You watch all the commercials. You follow tons of foodies on Instagram. You keep candy on your desk (or your nearby coworker does).
And you wonder why you’re always hungry!
Apparently when we see food, it drives our desire for it even if we’re not hungry.
This happens through a channel of neural and physical responses called “visual hunger.”
The concentration of the hunger hormone ghrelin increases in response to merely seeing food.
THE SCIENCE
In one study at Google, researchers placed chocolate candies in opaque containers instead of glass ones, which lowered consumption by 3.1 million calories in 7 weeks.
Two meta-analyses, published in the journals The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Obesity Reviews, found that exposure to food commercials and food billboards acts as a “food cue,” which increases cravings, and leads to eating behavior (even if you’re not physically hungry) and weight gain.
THE TIPS
- Unfollow those Instagram accounts that post images of unhealthy foods.
- Follow accounts that post healthier options, for example mine!
- Keep your snacks in your desk drawer or in your pantry where you can’t see them. Then eat them when you feel hungry… i.e., when your stomach is actually rumbling.
- Invest in DVR so you can fast forward through commercials to avoid the temptation. Or get rid of cable all together and just use a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu.
THE TAKEAWAY
Seeing food all the time may impede your health goals (such as losing weight).
18) THE REASON: You eat or drink foods with artificial sweeteners.
Whether it’s diet or regular, soda is one of the sweetest foods you can consume.
You know sugar makes you crave sugar, right? Well, artificially sweetened products and sugar alternatives (like aspartame, acesulfame K, sugar alcohols, sucralose, etc.) can actually increase your appetite even more than real sugar!
This can cause increased food consumption over time. Even if it’s a “healthy” sweetener.
Aside from soda, manufacturers add artificial sweeteners to tons of other products, including sugar-free or low-sugar foods.
THE TIPS
- Drinking soda for the caffeine? Try some energy-increasing foods instead: tuna, eggs, chia seeds, green tea, red peppers, nuts, pumpkin seeds, wild salmon, spinach, blueberries, beef, and gasp – WATER! Eating these foods can also help decrease levels of hunger hormones and give you lasting fuel for tackling your day.
- Trying to avoid sugar? Instead of swapping your sugar-filled foods with artificial sweetener-filled foods (such as ice cream, cake, cookies, etc.), it’s better to take baby steps to reduce your overall consumption of these items. Even if they don’t contain actual sugar, they’re still processed foods and are meant only to be once-in-a-while treats.
- Need help with both caffeine and sugar? You’re in the right place! The Energy Recovery Program is a one-on-one program designed to help you kick both to the curb, all while naturally increasing your daily energy. Check it out here.
THE TAKEAWAY
Sugar-free isn’t always healthier. The best and healthiest options are whole, nutrient-dense foods that are low in natural sugars.
Did any of these hit home for you?
Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Catch up on previous posts in this series:
Click here for Reasons #19-#21.
If you’re always tired and hungry, and would love some one-on-one nutritional coaching from yours truly, click here.