Hunger or craving?

5th October 2014

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Hello there

Have you ever wondered why you feel hungry? It could be that you’re genuinely hungry and you need more food to re-fuel but maybe it’s something else:

A habit you’ve formed, eg you always have a biscuit with your mid-morning cuppa or you always have a latte and muffin on the way to work or maybe you always have a pudding after dinner.
You’re bored.
You’ve eaten a high amount of refined carbohydrates ie sugar, which has led to an increase in your insulin levels followed by a drop in your blood sugar levels so your body wants more.
Your body really needs nutrients. Although you’ve eaten, the food choices you made contained very little nutrients and now your body is trying to get you to eat again in order to get them.
You’re actually dehydrated and thirsty rather than hungry.

So, how do you know if you’re genuinely hungry or just having a food craving?

Next time you feel as if you HAVE to eat that biscuit, cake, crisps or whatever your guilty pleasure is, stop and drink some water and wait for 20 minutes.

If it’s a craving it will pass after 20 minutes. However, if you’re still feeling hungry then it’s genuine hunger and you need to eat - a healthy snack of course!

So remember, hunger is felt in the stomach, but cravings are felt in the mind.

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