3 Ways To Stop Feeling So Hungry All The Time

It’s been only half an hour since your last big meal and your stomach is already gurgling and growling and you’re constantly thinking about what you’ll eat next. What’s even worse – this happens every day.

Although you’re certain that you eat enough, it feels like your stomach is a bottomless pit and regardless of what you put in your body, you always seem plagued by extremely annoying cravings. In fact, you appear to be hungry during most of your waking moments! Since not even the strongest individual can suppress ALL of their cravings, you begin to worry about putting on weight, and rightly so.

What gives? What could be causing your excessive hunger and is there a way to tone it down?

According to experts, you should wait a bit before jumping to the conclusion that you have a superhero metabolism. If you’re constantly hungry even though you strive to eat a well-balanced healthy diet, it’s more likely that you’re making a few common nutrition mistakes and you should take a better look at what you’re eating on a daily basis.

Hunger is a pretty complicated function, influenced by both physiological and psychological factors, and there are a few scientifically-backed reasons why your stomach is constantly complaining. For example, certain foods are well-known for their ability to make you hungrier, while others can help you fill up your stomach and slow down the digestive process, and knowing the difference between them can make or break your fat loss efforts.

It’s time to learn how to prevent your cravings from getting the best of you. Try these 3 nutrition tips to regain control over your hunger and keep your belly happy and healthy!

#1. Drink More Water

Even though the issue of hydration often comes up in health magazines, most people tend to underestimate the benefits of increased water consumption. Our bodies need a lot of fluids every day to optimize both physical and mental performance and well-being and this amount goes up if you’re training regularly.

Water is essential to almost every organ in the body, where it helps flush out toxins and carries nutrients to cells; it also aids in digestion, lowers fluid retention and helps eliminate excess sodium from the body, all of which contribute to weight control.

According to a study from Penn State School of Nutrition, a diet containing water-rich foods can significantly reduce caloric intake and keep satiety after a meal higher for longer, while another study in which participants drank a glass of water before each meal produced similar results. Water helps create a feeling of fullness, sending your brain a signal that there’s no need to keep shoving food in there.

More often than not, our brains will confuse thirst for hunger, mostly because hunger is a stronger mechanism and we don’t feel thirst until we’re already slightly dehydrated. Keeping your body well hydrated will eliminate this false feeling of hunger. Also, whenever you feel hungry, simply drink a glass of water. Wait for a while, and if you feel satisfied you’ll know it was actually thirst. And if it turns out you were hungry after all, at least you drank an extra glass of water!

Recommendations for water consumption may vary but the average guidelines suggest that women should drink a minimum of 9 cups of water per day, while men need at least 12 cups per day. This can be a hard feat to accomplish given our busy modern lifestyles, but you should definitely give it a try. The easiest way to make yourself drink more water is by carrying a water bottle everywhere you go. Also, know that for every 15 minutes you work out, you should drink another 5-8 ounces of water.

Of course, you don’t have to drink only water – you can alternate between water and other types of low-calorie or calorie-free fluids during the day and you’ll get the same benefits. Just avoid sugar-loaded fruit juices and sodas!

#2. Eat More Fiber

Here’s a hardcore nutrition fact: eating foods with low caloric density will help you control your hunger and maintain a healthy weight, while keeping you full and satisfied at the same time. How come?

Energy/calorie density refers to the number of calories in a specific amount of food. High energy density means that there are a lot of calories in a small portion of food, while lower energy density means that there fewer calories in a large portion of food. Therefore, you can eat bigger quantities of low-energy-density foods without having to worry about the calories, which is the absolute best way to lose weight without starving yourself. Studies have repeatedly shown that more fiber equals less hunger after the meal is over.

And the ultimate low-calorie foods are of course, high-fiber foods! Not only do fibrous foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains provide volume, but they also take longer to digest. By filling you up for fewer calories and slowing the rate at which you digest the entire meal, high-fiber foods will keep you satiated longer. Sadly, fiber is one of the most overlooked parts of our diets and most Americans are only getting a fraction of the daily recommended 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men.

Getting more fiber isn’t that hard to do – just swap your white bread, rice and pasta with their whole-grain versions and you can increase your fiber intake by more than 5 grams per meal. Also, you can give any meal a fiber boost by adding some fiber-rich vegetables that will slow down the digestion rate of the entire meal.

Flaxseeds are another excellent source of fiber, providing 3 grams per tablespoon for just 55 calories, so make sure to add a tablespoon of flaxseed to your nightly Greek yogurt or morning oatmeal.

Or – even better – try to replace one of your typical meals with a huge, heaping plate of raw and cooked veggies, grains like quinoa or millet, and flaxseed, to provide your body with an abundance of fiber, water and precious vitamins and minerals. The best choices include dark green leafy vegetables, artichokes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, collard greens and green peas. You’ll be surprised to find out that you can’t even think about food for hours after loading your belly with multiple sources of fiber!

What’s even better, over time, as your digestion improves, instead of feeling drowsy and tired after a meal you’ll start feeling full yet light and vital. Yes, fiber is THAT awesome!

#3. Eat More Vegetables

The reason why veggies get their own section is because we really want to emphasize the importance of increasing your intake of all types of vegetables, not only for suppressing hunger pangs, but also for improving overall health and well-being.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that most Americans eat less than half the amount of recommended vegetable servings, which is really frightening, given that science has long ago uncovered that diets rich in vegetables and fruits are associated with lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and many other chronic health issues. Consider that most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories, while providing an abundance of nutrients such as potassium, fiber, folate, vitamins A and C and many, many others.

To reap all possible benefits from fruits, you need to eat a minimum of three servings of leafy greens and red, orange or yellow veggies such as carrots, peppers and beets each day. Besides being loaded with nutrients and powerful cancer-fighting antioxidants, vegetables will help suppress your excessive hunger, thanks to their fiber and water content. What’s best – they can be easily added to almost any type of solid or liquid meal, and you can eat as much of them as you want without breaking the calorie bank.

You can prepare a delicious vegetable soup as an appetizer to fill up, add veggies to your omelets and instead of topping cooked fish or meat with a sauce, use use sautéed vegetables, such as peppers, onions and tomatoes. Also, you can grill your veggies to improve their flavor or make a vegetable smoothie with a juicer for a healthy addition to any breakfast. The options are literally countless, and the benefits will be pretty amazing!

These three tips are guaranteed to help you make your diet both healthier and more filling. Keep in mind that creating new habits takes time, so be patient with yourself and try to incorporate them into your diet as much as possible and great results will follow.


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