Munching and snacking can be addictive, especially when you’re loaded with stress. Often times we seek a fleeting relief in food, but if it is not controlled, you’re on your way to overeating, and the final destination is obesity. To avoid going on that path, it’s essential to curb the root cause from taking over your system. Your innocent hunger pangs which you always give in to can be harmless, but if it gets too frequent, even you will lose control.
So how can we prevent hunger pangs from striking every now and then? If you eat correctly, timely and healthily, these pangs will wane off by itself. Read on to know more.
Do not skip breakfast
There’s a reason why they say eat breakfast like a king! This is because breakfast is the first meal of the day that you’re fueling up on since your last meal before sleeping. It revitalizes your supply of glucose and gives you the much-needed punch of energy you need to get yourself through the day. So if you skimp or skip on your breakfast, you’re cutting off your body from gaining essential nutrients you need for a proper head start to the day. Eventually, you’ll end up grazing on unhealthy snacks to curb the hunger.
Eat frequently and snack smart
Eating frequently doesn’t equal to eating more. When you consume small meals every few hours, it aids your body in keeping the blood sugar levels in check. When there’s a dip in your blood sugar, you automatically feel hungry, which hints your mind to grab some food. So, try to eat every 3 hours. It’s also important to be smart on the type of food you’re consuming. Broccoli, sweet potatoes and strawberries are a few examples of food that are rich in nutrient but low in calorie. These type of foods are a great substitute to snacks and aren’t calorific at the same time.
Hydrate
Hydrating yourself offers many benefits. Apart from being essential in removing toxins from your body, water makes your system feel full. It acts like an appetite suppressant which is helpful when your hunger pangs strike. This is a good example of a win-win situation, where chugging down few litres of water a day will help your system as well as your food cravings!
Aim for mood boosting foods
Stress causes your body to stimulate a hormone called cortisol. This creates a resistance to leptin, which is yet another hormone that helps you feel full. So when you’re stressed, you easily feel hungry, even when you’re actually not. So instead, have mood boosting foods readily available in your house. It’s easy to give in to the tempting chips, velvety cheesecake or fritters. Its fine to give your tummy a well-deserved party after all that healthy eating, but not too frequent or worse, on a daily basis. Rely on almonds and dark chocolate that are known to be better your mood. Once your cravings are satisfied and you feel like you’re already in a better place, snacking time over.
