How to stop yourself from feeling hungry?
Whether it’s on the morning commute, when you’re sat in a meeting or you’re in the middle of nowhere, pangs of hunger always tend to come at completely the wrong time. The urge to snack between meals because you’re feeling hungry is an all-too-common occurrence for most people - but what can be done to reduce the want to devour everything in sight?
Follow these top tips and you’ll have no problem keeping those pangs of hunger well and truly at bay.
Keep hydrated
One of the common misconceptions with hunger is that you’re actually mistaking it for being thirsty. On average, we should have two litres of water a day to ensure we are fully hydrated. But not having enough liquids in your body can leave you with the feeling of hunger. Having a water bottle on you at all times will help you get all the water you need into your diet. So next time you’re feeling a bit peckish, have a glass of water instead of snacking.
Make sure you have breakfast
In the morning, you need to get the right fuel down you to set you up for the day and keep your appetite at bay until lunchtime. Without breakfast, your body will feel as if it is being starved. You’ll experience tiredness, a lack of concentration and, of course, hunger pains in your stomach. Whether it’s a bowl of cereal or a fresh omelette, having some form of breakfast once you’ve woken up is key to staving off hunger pangs.
Get your protein
Acting as an appetite suppressor, eating more protein is an effective way of staving off any hunger pangs. Not only does protein help give you a boost in energy through the day, they’ll also help increase your body fat metabolism by 32 per cent. From seafood to beans, try having around 50g of protein every four hours to truly keep you going and fight off the urge to snack on sugars and sweets.
Stay away from sugar
If you’re feeling hungry and you eat a sugary snack, you aren’t actually solving the issue. Sugars cause a disruption in the communication between your brain and your stomach as to when you’re full - in short, sugars only mask the problem, they don’t actually fix it. Don’t have sugars on their own - instead, ensure they are part of a mixed meal to help control your hunger.
Boost your fibre intake
Foods that are packed with fibre will take longer to digest than other food groups, so getting plenty into your diet will leave you feeling fuller for longer. Apples, carrots and spinach are three great examples of fresh produce to eat, but the likes of red kidney beans, chia seeds and pumpkin are fibre alternatives. Plus, eating fibre-rich food will help with your bowel health and reduce the risk of you feeling constipated.
Slow down!
According to research, it takes approximately 20 minutes for food to reach your stomach and start to make you feel full. But the study highlights that the majority of people eat their meal in five minutes and complain about still being hungry. When eating, try putting your fork down between mouthfuls to elongate the time you spend eating to 20 minutes, then you won’t feel the need to snack as soon as you’ve finished.