If you cut back on carbs, you lose weight. That’s a fact! But how to deal with the urge of munching in between meals is the biggest question being asked frequently.

You have just polished a heavy meal and still, feel hungry. What’s this about?

Hunger is your body’s language to tell you it needs more food. Many people go several long hours between meals and some feel it just a few hours after a meal. So, this urge varies in everyone.

But there are several possible reasons for the latter one including a diet that might look wholesome but lacks protein, fat, fiber as well as water.

To satisfy your hunger you start munching occasional tasty snacks that you think “a bite or two won’t hurt”. Honestly, it does and you need to stop this feeling of “won’t hurt” now.

Here you’ll get answers to all the questions on why you feel hungry every time. 

1. You Are Relying On “Unhealthy” Foods

Every time you feel hungry you run for a packet of chips, a bottle of soda, or maybe pizza (if you got time).

Why? The reason is you fall for the taste and forget about the nutrient value. This is the biggest mistake you might be doing! 

When you eat a packet of chips, the void of eating a bowl full of veggies is filled but not the nutritional craving of your body. Nutritional food that includes high-fiber carbs and fats are fuel to your body.

Make sure you eat meals rich in protein even when you feel hungry. Protein has hunger-reducing properties that may help control your appetite during the day.

Chew down a bowl of sprouts, plain yogurt, raspberries, or a bowl of roasted fox nuts as snacks between meals.

2. You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Your hyper-active lifestyle is full of tensions, stress, and also lack of sleep. It is recommended to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep for a healthy body. Sleep is essential for the proper functioning of your brain and immune system.

Additionally, enough sleep also helps in appetite control as it helps regulate the appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin. Lack of sleep increases ghrelin levels and makes you feel hungry more often.

What else? A peaceful sleep of 8 hours at night helps you have a fresh day and make you more productive on the work front. 

3. You Eat When You Are Distracted

Just like you give priority to your work, your food too needs your attention. Eating while you are working on a laptop, or on your mobile might save you a lot of time but distracted eating can be detrimental to your health.

The reason behind this is when you eat being distracted, you become unaware of how much you consumed and how much your body needed.

Studies show avoiding distracted eating help you feel full and help you cut down on occasional munching.

So, when you have your meals, sit down away from your workplace for a while and enjoy. This will give you a break from the uninterrupted work cycle and help you identify your body’s fullness signals.

4. Your Water Intake Is Very Low

Often people get confused between hunger and thirst. This happens because the hypothalamus part of the brain sends you mixed signals.

This one’s responsible for your hunger and thirst, so even when you are thirsty you might feel hungry.

That’s why a lot of doctors suggest that every time you feel like eating immediately after a meal, have a glass of water or 2 to make your hunger go away.

Proper dehydration is also important for your overall health. It keeps your digestive system and skin healthy. Also, water is quite filling and has the potential to reduce appetite.

Pro Tip: Drink at least 12-13 glasses of water per day and also one glass before every meal to feel full. 

5. You Are Stressed

Ever noticed yourself chowing a bowl of potato chips or chocolates when you are stressed? And even after this intake, your appetite is not satisfied!

This is because when you are stressed, levels of cortisol increase, a hormone that promotes hunger and food cravings.

According to one study, people exposed to stress consume more calories and sweeter food throughout the day than non-stressed ones.

So, if your still worried, why the cravings of burger and pizza not leaving you. The answer might be a stressful life.

It’s high time to relieve yourself and lower your stress levels by including exercise, meditation and other fun activities in your daily life.

Let’s Conclude

You need to analyze how you feed your body because what goes inside reflects on the outside. Unhealthy eating habits, stress, and dehydration are common factors that lead to various health diseases too and it’s high time to get rid of them not only to fight your hunger but toxins too!

Your body is your home, fill it with nutrition, activeness, and rest. When all this will fall in place, your body functioning will improve, your hormones will work effectively and your cravings will be controlled in no time.

Concluding the piece with a reminder to add food rich in protein and high fiber to your diet, keep healthy snacks handy to munch between-meal, exercise well, take a peaceful sleep and drink more water than soda cans.

Healthy eating is the pathway for long life.