Hunger Vs. Cravings! The truth.

Jeanine_Colavecchi

Saw this and thought it was good stuff!

Hunger Cues vs. Cravings

Everyone has experienced hunger at some point. Hunger is the body’s biological reaction to not having adequate nutrients at a particular time. When you don’t have enough nutrients that provide calories (carbohydrates, fat, and protein), your body goes through a set of changes. Your blood sugar drops, your hormone levels change, and you start to feel physical hunger. The signs of hunger can vary from person to person. Common signs include:
• A growling stomach
• Sleepiness
• Light-headedness
• Weakness
• Irritability
A craving, on the other hand, is a psychological (not biological) reaction. A craving is the desire for a certain food or flavor. Most of the time, people have cravings because of the feelings or associations that come with certain foods. Unlike hunger, cravings can go away even if you do not eat.
Cravings are part of why people eat even though they are not hungry. Some common non-hunger reasons that people eat are:
• Celebrations (for example, a birthday, promotion, or marriage)
• Holidays
• Family traditions (for example, Sunday dinner)
• Feelings of boredom, loneliness, anxiety, tiredness, stress, depression, or anger
It’s important to be in touch with the reasons you eat. Whenever you sit down for a meal or grab a snack, make note of why you are eating. If your body is telling you that you are hungry, you are making a healthy choice. If you are eating for any other reason, you may want to put the fork down. Make it a goal to eat only when your body needs food.

dougii

Nice, Thanks for posting this.