Are you hungry?

by Arinola Adeniyi (arinola@venivicispa.com)     

Are you hungry?
| credits: File copy

‘A hungry stomach has no ears’

Hunger is that strong desire for food. It is a cue to take care of the body’s desire for energy and nutrients. This desire will usually initiate the eating response; we then reach for food to relieve the hungry sensation.

Ideally, once we feel full, we stop eating and it is said that we have attained satiety. It is quite instructive to note that babies follow their cycle of hunger and satiety naturally.  Babies will let you know when they are hungry (cry, yell or yelp to get your attention). They stop eating once they are full; no amount of your coaxing to get the breast milk or formula down their throat gets any positive response thereon. Feeding time is over and ‘I’d alert you when next I am hungry!’

More often than not, we know that the cycle of hunger and satiety is not that straight forward for most adults. It has been said that this is probably one of the reasons people are overweight or obese.

What is your relationship with food? Are you mindful of when, what, why, how, and how much you eat?

Many attempts have been made to classify the various types of hunger.

• Physical hunger:  Hunger is a physical feeling. It is an instinctive and protective mechanism that makes sure that the body gets the fuel it requires to carry out its functions well.  When you are physically hungry, you are more likely to choose food that will nourish you and tend to eat less. You also savour the food. Signs of physical hunger include, hunger pangs, low energy levels, difficulty concentrating and headaches. Physical hunger builds gradually and goes away once you are full . Eating leads to feeling of satisfaction.

• Habitual hunger: For some, this physical hunger is met habitually. Eating at set times whether you are hungry or not.  This is likened to being on auto-pilot. It is a routine, some must have their breakfast at 7a.m., lunch at 1p.m dinner at 7p.m. This is not about being hungry. It’s just time to eat and you go for the ‘spread.’  I have a friend who is so scheduled, her breakfast table is set the previous night and it is literarily the first agenda for the day on rising!

• Sensory hunger: All of our senses can trigger off hunger, craving or desire. The mere sight, smell or sound of food sends you to the dining table even if you just finished eating.

Eyes (sight of the food); nose (smell of the food); tongue (taste of the food); touch (mouth feel of the food); sound (noise of eating, noise present when eating).  It’s best to avoid places that will trigger off your sensory hunger especially parties where buffet is served including cafes with wide array of dessert and pastries.

• Emotional hunger: This is when we eat in response to feelings instead of hunger. Food is used to manage emotions. You eat when you are not hungry to comfort, soothe or distract you from unpleasant or unhappy situations. This type of hunger develops suddenly. It persists despite being full and would usually lead you on a guilt-trip thereafter.

The next time you reach out for your meal, please ensure it is a genuine physical need and not just an unnecessary craving.