Do you often feel hungry, even after eating?  Are you always on the hunt for food, even though you know you have eaten enough?   There are some reasons why this may be happening to you, and there are ways to deal with it.  I have a few ideas and tips.

One big reason we’re always hungry is that a lot of our food isn’t very nutritious – the vitamins and minerals are missing!  If you eat a lot of processed foods, junk food, white bread, sugary drinks, canned or frozen items – there’s not much there to truly feed you.  The answer is to eat foods that are fresh, whole and full of life energy.  Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit, whole-grain breads and pasta, and quality proteins.  You need less of these to feel satisfied.  That will help with weight loss and weight maintenance.  Eat better, eat less, feel full.

Another reason why we crave food is that we’re not eating enough or eating foods in the best combinations.  I recommend eating a little protein when eating carbohydrates, so that the fast peak of energy from carbs can be offset with the long-run of protein energy.  Again you don’t need much.  Eat more fiber in foods: oatmeal, vegetables, whole grains, and you will feel more full.

Time is also an important component.  After eating, it’s important to wait at least 20 minutes in order to feel full.  This is because there are natural chemicals that come from the stomach into the blood stream, and get to the brain to say it’s full.  But it takes at least 20 minutes.

It’s possible you’re too hungry.  If you have not eaten in 2-3 hours, you may be ravenous.  You may be eating so much to compensate for your increased hunger, in a short time, you may well be eating more than you need.  The answer is to feed yourself a little bit every 2-3 hours, to “take the edge off.”

There’s the subject of habits as well.  You may just simply be used to eating too much, and eating foods that don’t really “feed” you very well.

Finally, in the last ten years there has been quite a lot of discussion about hormones related to obesity.  You may have heard of ghrelin, a hormone secreted from the stomach and pancreas.  It tells the body it is hungry, and to eat.  Studies have found that in obese people, there’s often too much of it – we’re out of balance.  Without getting into specifics here, the answer to this problem is to eat foods that have a lot of fiber and nutrients, and to eat them regularly.  Have non-instant oatmeal with dried fruit and a little milk for breakfast, or for a snack anytime, especially nighttime.  This high fiber, carbohydrate and protein combination will help your ghrelin levels stay down, and your hunger curbed.

This is only a start.  There are many ideas, and ways to deal with insatiable appetites.  PLEASE ADD YOUR IDEAS AND TIPS with comments below.  TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THIS DAILY BLOG, too, please!

***Coming January 4th – a new diet program from Dr. Norris Chumley, that you will love!***