Boredom eating, is it really hunger ? or an addiction ?
So then, what’s the difference between the two?
Hunger exists so we strive for better things in our lives. Hunger is good !
Hunger is positive as much as it is negative, depending on how you look at it and with what foods you treat your hunger with.Hunger makes us wake up, go to work in order to get a paycheck and put the food on the table.
Physical hunger is true hunger, which is characterized by an empty feeling in your stomach and discomfort that can only be relieved by eating.
You experience hunger headaches, nausea, and constant growling in your abdomen. And once the food needs of the body are met, these symptoms are relieved naturally.
Contrary to this, psychological hunger is associated with cravings, emotional eating, and boredom eating.
Now, What really causes unnatural hunger ?
It may be Clinically associated or born out of weariness.
Polyphagia (hyperphagia) is a feeling of extreme, insatiable hunger. It’s a common sign of diabetes, but it can have other medical causes, such as hyperthyroidism and atypical depression. It’s important to see a healthcare provider if you’re experiencing polyphagia.
But, you need to check out when you feel hungry despite eating.Sometimes consuming fewer calories than the body burns can cause the body to produce a hormone called ghrelin. Some refer to ghrelin as the “hunger hormone” because the stomach releases it when the body needs more food. A low-calorie diet can increase ghrelin production and cause hunger, even after a person has just eaten.
And so when in hunger or low-calorie foods and you still experience the hunger headaches, growling in the abdomen and nausea make sure to eat something healthy in proportion, wait for sometime and check whether your symptoms improve or worsen, that’s a clean indicator of your hunger, natural or unnatural.
Unnatural hunger also comes out of apathy, picking on sweets, chocolates or that pack of fried potato chips or something that delights your taste buds just to alleviate your mood. Such hunger is never satiable and you constantly keep on craving more.This is when you should assure yourself, Unnatural hunger, here it is !!
Unnatural hunger doesn’t necessarily be associated with some medical problems.It may merely arise because you have that sweet tooth or lickable cravings. These foods are addictive, they compel you to binge on more and more until we realise it was the last potato chip from the packet and you still want to eat more.You are left disappointed with insatiety. Such foods are full of purely empty calories and one lands up gaining weight in pounds .In Fact in Clinical practice, while taking medical history, I have repeatedly discovered that carbohydrates,preferably simple carbs especially sweets are addictive and this addiction is the root cause of the majority of chronic diseases.
Simply curbing sugars and sweets from your diet will over a period of time improve your health performance and you will start realising your body is more sound and energy is effortlessly better.
Does that mean you need to cut-off sweets completely ?
No,Not really.By cutting off Sweet treats completely no one will attain the state of healthier being, cause we cannot take the fun out of food.But what we can do is limit its consumption.Eat sweets more wisely.
Treat yourself on weekends, but again in moderation.Portion control should be your priority.Choose your sweets wisely too.Pick the ones that are least processed.Search for sweet substitutes while your cravings are on peak.
So now, what’s the ideal time to eat sweets ? First and foremost thing to remember is never eat sweets directly on an empty stomach.Secondly eat sweets post-lunch, when you are almost full so that you don’t binge on !!
The other rituals that you should follow to resist your cravings are
- eat small and frequent meals to prevent spikes in hunger
- Consume plenty of fiber
- Don’t keep trigger foods in the house
- keep yourself busy
- create non-food rewards for eating healthy
- When in doubt, give it on to a healthy snack
Healthier snacks you can munch on can be the one among the following
- Popcorns
- peanuts
- walnuts/pistachios/cashews/dates/figs
- seasonal fruits
- fox nuts
- home-made khakras
- roasted chana
- sprouts with salads
These foods help you keep satiated for long, improve your digestion, and lessen your cravings.This has to be followed ritually to reap the results and incorporating these habits and lifestyle will draw you closer to your fitter self.
While feeling hungry is a normal sign from your body that it’s time to eat again, it’s not fun to constantly feel hungry, especially if you have just finished a meal.That may be a sign you are not eating enough or not eating the right combination of foods.
Finally whats needs to be added to the moral of the story is that your food should be a complete meal.It should contain proteins, fibres, complex carbs, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals, water, rest and sleep to meet your body needs for healthier survival.The cravings will reduce so on with this food style !