High salt, eating too often or even boredom could be why you are constantly hungry!
YOU EAT, BUT THEN AN HOUR LATER YOUR STOMACH IS SCREAMING. HERE, WHAT’S GOING ON, AND HOW TO STAY SATISFIED.
Eating salty food triggers a physiological reaction that makes you hungry, research shows.
Most of the time, hunger has an obvious cause, like not eating enough or choosing meals that don’t contain the right amount of nutrients (carbs, protein, and fat), says D. Enette Larson-Meyer, a professor of human nutrition and the director of the Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory at the University of Wyoming. Other times, though, it’s mysterious. Your appetite appears to defy explanation, and nothing you eat seems to tamp it down. But those hunger pangs have a cause, too. Read on to find out what’s behind them and how to fuel up to feel comfortably full.
SALT IS STOKING YOUR APPETITE
Yes, it makes you thirsty in the short term. But over time, a high intake of salt actually causes you to drink less but eat more, recent research shows. After weeks on a high-salt diet, participants in studies published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation reported being hungrier. Salt triggers the body to conserve water, which it does by producing a compound called urea. That process requires a lot of calories, so it revs up your appetite, the study’s authors explain. Processed food often has hidden sodium, so aim to eat more of the fresh stuff.
YOU’RE BORED
You need veggies at breakfast
When you start the day with starchy, quickdigesting carbs – like cereal, waffles, or toast – you “wake up” your hunger hormones and make them more active all day, says Brooke alpert, a dietition and nutritionist. That’s because these foods cause your blood sugar to spike, leading to a rise in insulin and cortisol (a hormone that promotes fat storage), which makes your blood sugar plummet, so you get hungry again. this up-and-down cycle happens whenever you eat starchy foods, but research shows that it’s most volatile when you wake up with an empty stomach. To keep your blood sugar stable, Brooke suggests having a breakfast of protein and low-starch carbs, like eggs and vegetables, and saving bread and grains for lunch and dinner.
You’re on edge
If anxiety and worry are keeping you up at night, the lack of sleep can increase your appetite, D. Enette says. plus, “stress raises your levels of cortisol, which can stimulate hunger,” she adds. To decompress, try hot yoga. Studies show that working out in heat can prolong the natural appetite-suppressing effect of exercise, while yoga helps you relax.
You eat too often
Grazing all day throws your hunger hormones out of whack, says Brooke, author of The Diet Detox. “When you eat small bites and don’t sit down to real meals, you never feel truly hungry or full,” she says. “Eventually, your appetite cues become muted, and you’re vaguely hungry all the time.” Instead, eat every four hours or so. Have a meal with protein, fibre, and healthy fat three times a day, and supplement with good-for-you snacks when meals are more than four hours apart. A smart choice: Walnuts. Eating them activates an area of the brain that regulates hunger and cravings, a recent study found.
– RACHEL HERZ, DIETITION AND NUTRITIONIST
TEXT MARNIE SOMAN SCHWARTZ
PHOTOS 123RF.COM
