In fiction, vampires hunger for blood and search for it voraciously to ensure their survival. Animals store food for winter to survive. Human beings continuously need to eat to live, and our brains realize we need to eat by making us feel hunger. But, what happens when that is all one feels. Let us explore the reasons this could be happening. Here are 10 reasons you are always hungry.
- Thirst: Lack of proper hydration is often overlooked or confused with hunger. The body can sometimes give signals of hunger when a person is thirsty because both hunger and thirst are controlled by the same site in the brain which is the hypothalamus. It has also been proven that when there is an adequate intake of water, it can boost weight loss. Drinking water before meals is great because it makes one eat less thereby, cutting down daily calories. Therefore, when hungry, sipping water can help to alleviate the feeling and besides water is excellent for the health.
- Seeing pictures or perceiving the aroma of food: From the appearance, the aroma and just a taste of food, it is normal to start salivating or getting hungry. Because of these kinds of stimulation, visual or olfactory, ghrelin, also known as the hunger hormone is produced and secreted leading to increased appetite and hunger. Lovely and colorful images of food on social media or watching exciting cooking shows can cause cravings and ultimately hunger. Furthermore, the aroma of food has the very same effect in people.
- Lack of high fiber diet: it is necessary to include fiber in our diet every day as a high fiber diet plays a key role in our nutrition. Some of these benefits are decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Another advantage which is relevant to the topic is it slows down stomach emptying and takes a longer time to digest thereby putting hunger under control. Additionally, a balanced meal with high fiber is beneficial because it regulates the release of hormones which reduce appetite and has been observed to be vital for satiety. There are numerous examples of great sources of fiber, some of them are oatmeal, sweet potatoes, sprout and flax seeds.
- Eating Inadequate Protein:
Have you ever finished eating a portion of well-prepared steak and lose appetite? Alternatively, can you recall, eating bread with that creamy chocolate, tea, or coffee and you feel so full? This is because when you eat reasonable amounts of protein, it creates the feeling of fullness. So, if you discover that you are never filled to your satisfaction, check the protein constituent of your meals. If you find it contains little or no protein, add that and not only will your body benefit more, your stomach will be happy.
- Taking a lot of Simple Carbs:
Children are used to making requests for things like candy, cake, pastries, and biscuits, and all these fuel their extremely active nature. However, as people get older, their activity levels tend to drop. Normally, even when kids eat cookies and pastries, their parents or guardian encourage them to eat a balanced meal. This is because those simple carbs give a quick supply of glucose but it gets used up pretty fast. Hence, the need to sustain their energy requirements which the balanced diets provide. The challenge now occurs when individuals are no longer under the supervision of their parents or responsible adults, or when they are too busy; they go for the easier and more desirable option only to find out, they get tired quickly and are easily having episodes of mood swings, they get famished almost constantly. This is because their diet comprises of simple carbohydrate largely.
- Enjoy the Meal:
You know the irony of being quick at the table is that by rushing the meal, one thinks at the moment that the hunger has not been satiated and satisfied. Then one suddenly discovers that too much food has already been eaten, then bloating and discomfort ensues. This is not as a result of the kind of food; it is merely because the food was taken too quickly. While eating food is best enjoyed in a regular rhythm that is not too fast nor too slow, one also aids in breaking the food down into smaller forms which aid digestion and keeps constipation at bay. Therefore, next time when eating, try to see if you could identify all the ingredients used in making the meal, whatever it may be. However, do not get frustrated if it does not come to you at first or if it does not even come at all, because the goal of the exercise is to slow you down from swallowing too fast and not turn you into a culinary critic or cynic.
- Stress:
There have been numerous cases of people that get very hungry under stress. Jughead in Archie comics is one of those people. There is no judgment intended here, in reference to the character that has now made it to the screens in the TV adaptation of the comic series, Riverdale. Jughead like a lot of average people seems to eat more food when under stress. Life is funny, and it is experienced in different forms and perspectives. Some people only realize they are getting stressed and agitated when they suddenly become aware of the realization that they are eating more than usual. This could be called stress eating or binge eating. So watch out!
- Pills :
Medications such as steroids which could be either the anabolic steroids or the typical traditional steroids may lead to individuals having increased or monstrous appetite. Some other drugs like the ones prescribed for people combating mental disorders such as Prednisone can also increase the rate at which the person consumes food. This is the reason some of the people on regimens assisting in the balanced functioning of the cerebral spheres add weight and get larger when on the drugs. These conditions can be monitored with the help and involvement of healthcare professionals and dieticians. There is nothing to be alarmed about; one should always note that what goes inside the body is entirely under one’s control.
- You are not Alone:
Well, your friends are meeting up somewhere for a brief reunion, and your partner is trying to confirm he did not forget his phone, the only thing you could think of checking is the extra snack for the road. That is not too good when you are not pregnant. Wait a minute, what if you are pregnant. Yes, there may not be observable morning sickness or even nausea, maybe you even saw your last menstrual flow, but there is only one way to be sure, and that is pregnancy test (Very quick and fast). This is very likely especially when an individual has had sexual encounter not too long ago.
- Alcohol Intake:
Now, I am being careful not to say alcoholism because that will be a different ball game entirely. Drinking too much alcohol affects the brain and creates a false feeling of hunger and desire to eat. Take it from me, this as a result of lessons learned from the best, if you must drink alcohol, make sure you hydrate. Drink one or two cups of water after the drinking bout and all the unnecessary hangover and mental confusion is mitigated. However, anything done in excess is dangerous. This is not an encouragement to abuse alcohol but instead a note to manage its momentary damage and not the long-term ones. Like I said that is a different ball game.
If this becomes a serious concern, please visit the nearest hospital and get a physician’s advice. Also, try to watch out for any of these points above, as they could save you the energy and money. You are what you eat, so be in charge.
References
10 reasons you’re always hungry | Shine365 from Marshfield Clinic. (2018). http://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/always-hungry/. Retrieved from http://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wellness/always-hungry/
Elliott, B. (2018). 14 Reasons Why You’re Always Hungry. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-reasons-always-hungry. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-reasons-always-hungry#section8
TARANTINO, O. (2018). 30 Reasons Why You’re Always Hungry | Eat This Not That. http://www.eatthis.com/always-hungry/. Retrieved from http://www.eatthis.com/always-hungry/
