You are starving. Or are you?  We are so disconnected from the messages our bodies are trying to relay that we misinterpret them — a lot!

Often we think we are hungry when we actually are getting the “thirsty — replenish water supply” signal.  Before you start munching, stop and get a glass of water.  Slowly sip it.  You may feel your “hunger” fading, because you weren’t actually hungry at all.

Perhaps you think you are hungry because you have seen a commercial with yummy-looking food and it put you in the mood to eat.  That is not hunger!  That is a hypnotic-type of suggestion and you shouldn’t fall for it.

Maybe you smelled food cooking and you thought, “Wow- I’m hungry!”   Smells, and even the sizzling sounds of food being prepared are signals that put you associate with eating. That’s not hunger, either.  You are just remembering past pleasures and are mentally gearing up for a repeat.

Hunger is a physical feeling in your stomach.  It feels, well — empty — and you feel a bit of a sinking sensation in that region.  If you don’t eat right away, it is accompanied by pains known as hunger pangs.  They are not severe and will die off in a few minutes.  No need to panic. You won’t die from them and they are much less severe than you have endured with virus-induced stomachaches.

The hormone ghrelin will get the message to your brain at this point that fuel is running low.  THEN it is time to eat.

But don’t rush and stuff yourself.  Take your time. You won’t actually die of starvation for a very long time.  Slowly eat only what you need to make the hunger message die away.  More on that in continued posts.

Keep your perspective.  Hunger is not that serious. It is not to be feared.  It is just your tool. Learn to recognize it and to use it!

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown