THE HUNGER GAME
ARE YOU REACHING FOR THAT CHOCOLATE BAR BECAUSE YOU’RE GENUINELY HUNGRY? WHEN IT COMES TO CONTROLLING YOUR APPETITE, THERE’S OFTEN A LOT MORE GOING ON
Appetite control may seem like a really, really simple process … telling yourself what and when you can eat while the rest takes care of itself. But here’s a little insight into how the process really pans out. When your stomach is empty, it releases a hormone called ghrelin, which sends a message to the hunger and fullness centre of the brain, called the hypothalamus. The tiny, yet super important hypothalamus has appetite receptors that give us the urge to munch. After eating, a hormone called leptin is released from the stomach and intestines. Leptin suppresses appetite by travelling back to the hypothalamus in the brain to say you are satiated or full — this can take up to 20 minutes to register. Normally, this feeling of fullness causes you to stop eating and not think about food for several hours. Appetite is the desire to eat food, sometimes due to hunger. Appealing foods can stimulate appetite even when hunger is absent. Appetite exists in all higher lifeforms and serves to regulate adequate energy intake to maintain metabolic needs. So, from what we now know, there is a lot more going on than just a mouth-stomach connection — there’s a brain-gut connection. The brain is where we need to turn in controlling our appetite. Instead of trying to tune out internal voices that are saying you are hungry, try these tips to free yourself from seeing food as the enemy.
1. CONNECT WITH YOUR FEELINGS
If you have eaten within the past two or three hours, there is a high chance that your hunger may be stemming from other reasons … perhaps stress or boredom? Check in with your emotional eating patterns and learn to differentiate these feelings.
2. EMBRACE YOUR APPETITE
This may sound a little crazy, but learning to stop fighting the voice within by giving your body what it is truly asking for will create space to just get on with it. Starving yourself and worrying about food can create so much anxiety. Write a list of alternate ways you can divert this energy into being productive. Of course, this doesn’t give you the freedom to chow down on a block of chocolate — oh no. A block of chocolate would only be coming from a place of sadness or loneliness. A square of dark chocolate comes from a place of enjoyment. Eating a small piece of what is going to satisfy you will likely stop you from going through the process again 15 minutes later.
3. BE WARY OF SUGAR
Constantly going through the turnstiles of the sugar rollercoaster is a big driver of appetite. Shortterm highs after starchy or sugary foods lead to crashes throughout the day. Begin your day with a low-sugar meal and this will set up your appetite. Meals with a protein component (plant-based sources include quinoa, chia seeds, spirulina and nuts) leave you feeling fuller for longer.
4. GET MORE SLEEP
A lack of zzz’s can cause appetite mayhem. According to a study published in the Annals of
Internal Medicine, those who slept only four hours a night for two nights had a decrease in production of the fullness hormone, leptin, and an increase in the hunger hormone, ghrelin, compared with those who got more rest. When we are exhausted we tend to crave comfort foods because they cause the release of serotonin, the brain chemical that elevates mood and keeps us awake.
5. MANAGE YOUR STRESS LEVELS
You owe it to yourself to find what helps you ease stress. Is it meditation or exercise (which helps regulate appetite if it is not excessive amounts)?