Are Your Hunger Signals Leading Your Astray?
By Sara Butler
Are you one of those people who tempts fate and lets your gas tank in the car drop all the way down to empty? If so, you're brave, but it's definitely not a habit you should let spill over into other things in your life, like your hunger.
Listening to your body and its hunger signals is important. After all, this is how your body lets you know it needs sustenance to keep functioning optimally. While that may sound easy, your body doesn't have a gas gauge, so you have to learn how to understand the signals it's sending you. Sometimes signals you may think are hunger actually aren't and vice versa. The next time you think you're in need of a meal or snack because you're hungry, stop and ask yourself a few questions instead.
Could You Be Dehydrated?
Sometimes you feel headache-y and as if you need a snack to set things right. But it's important to stop and ask yourself if that headache is due to hunger or if the real problem is thirst.
Headaches can be caused by thirst, but you may mistake it for a headache that can occur when your blood sugar drops too low and you need to eat. The best way to ensure that you don't mistake thirst for hunger is to stop and have a tall glass of water. Drink it down and then wait for about 10 minutes. If your headache goes away and you're not truly hungry, then you were probably dehydrated. Don't forget to sip water continuously throughout the day so this doesn't happen!
Could You Be Stressed?
A craving for something sweet and sugary may seem like your body telling you it needs to eat, but it's important to stop and examine the way you feel because it may just be stress in disguise.
Many people soothe their stressed out and frayed nerves with sweets. That's because these foods flood your brain with feel-good chemicals that temporarily help you to feel better. But it's a losing strategy in the long run because it doesn't solve the underlying issue: stress.
If you find yourself craving rich carbohydrates or sugar, then have a nutritious snack instead. As you eat it slowly and mindfully, pay attention to enjoying the food and stop when you feel full. That way you won't be prone to emotionally eat and you can work on relaxing and taking steps to reduce stress too.
Hunger can be tricky, but remember that no one knows your body as well as you do. You simply need to take the time to decode what it's trying to tell you!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Mansfield, Tex.