Is Feeling Hungry a Good Thing?

Before I answer this question let me start from the very beginning! The basic physiological function of every human being is to provide the body with adequate nutrients and minerals to produce the amount of energy we need. Thanks to this, our body gets “fuel” to function and thus it is able to do it properly. The widespread availability of a variety of food products has made uncontrolled snacking a habit for some of you. Few people focus on whether they eat when they are really hungry, or whether it is simply due to boredom or harmful habits. Working on eating habits is a difficult and long process, but an effective one, so don’t give up! Remember about our #SmallSteps#BigChange challenge, which you can join any time 🙂

 

How is it possible that you feel hungry?

The organ responsible for this feeling is our brain, and more specifically the pituitary gland and all the signals that reach it. These are, among others, motor signals, i.e. contraction of the stomach walls or thermal regulation, in which thermoreceptors are involved in the recognition of hunger. This contributes to adjusting the portion size of the food consumed to the body’s energy needs, which in turn are related to maintaining body temperature. Probably each of you knows this feeling when you suddenly have this warm feeling all over your body after a meal and it’s really pleasant!

Hormonal signals are also crucial here, and ghrelin, commonly known as the “hunger hormone”, plays an important part in the process. It participates in maintaining the energy balance of the body and is secreted in the lining of the stomach. During the fasting period, the plasma ghrelin concentration increases and thus it leads to an increase in the feeling of hunger, while it decreases quickly after a meal.

Metabolic regulation leads to a decrease in blood glucose levels. You may feel weakened then. In addition, external factors, such as cultural and social ones, as well as stress, temperature, the appearance, smell, and taste of food, also participate in the complex process of feeling hungry.

 

Psychology and the feeling of hunger 

However, we shouldn’t forget that apart from satisfying basic nutritional functions, the psychological aspect plays an important part. You often find that you have trouble distinguishing between physiological and emotional hunger. Why, despite the lack of a physiological need, do you reach for food? Here are some possible reasons.

You eat under the influence of various emotions – both the positive and the negative ones. The reason may be stress and the so-called eating away your sorrows, or treating food as a reward. Unfortunately, the reward method is popular when raising children and thus contributes to the formation of unfavorable eating habits that will persist in the future.

Another reason are social meetings, often accompanied by excessive overeating and uncontrolled amounts of food consumed along with alcohol.

It also turns out that a much greater consumption of food takes place, for example in front of the TV, where it is more difficult for you to assess whether you have satisfied your hunger.

 

Are you really hungry?

Therefore, it is extremely important to answer the question – why are you reaching for food at the moment? Is it really hunger or maybe a whim, a way to kill boredom, or to eat your stress away?

In order to avoid unnecessary overeating, it is worth remembering a few basic procedures:

• drink enough water every day;
• eat your meals on a regular schedule;
• properly balance and diversify your diet (e.g. with the help of Diet & Training by Ann);
• remember about the right amount of sleep and regeneration;
• celebrate your meals – eat in a calm and nice place.

 

Let’s go back to the main question: is the feeling of hunger a good signal? Of course it is, if it is actually a sign of a physiological need. Unfortunately, it is often a signal caused by various external factors (e.g. emotions) and therefore it is perceived incorrectly. That’s why you should try to remember the above-mentioned guidelines and apply them in your life. This way you will avoid filling your stomach with unnecessary calories.

To sum up I would like to quote Socrates here: We should eat to live; not live to eat! 🙂

 

Bibliography:
1. Kocełak P., Zahorska-Markiewicz B., Olszanecka-Glinianowicz M. Hormonalna regulacja przyjmowania pokarmu, Katowice
2. Leszczyńska S., Błażejewska K., Lewandowska-Klafczyńska K., Rygielski P. Emocje a zachowania żywieniowe u kobiet w wieku 18−30 lat
3. Niewiadomska I., Kulik A., ; Jedzenie Uzależnienia: fakty i mity; Wydawnictwo KUL
4. Ziółkowska B., Mroczkowska D; Dlaczego jemy? Uwarunkowania stosunku do jedzenia w cyklu życia na podstawie analizy wyników wstępnego sondażu; Poznań 2012 r.