Physiological hunger or psychological/emotional hunger?
During these days of quarantine due to Covid-19, we can find ourselves constantly eating. So, do we eat because we are really hungry or do we eat to cope with our emotions?
At this point, we need to distinguish between our own physiological hunger and psychological hunger. So how do we do this? First, it is useful to look at the difference between physiological hunger and psychological hunger.
Physiological hunger is when the stomach sends hunger signals to the brain approximately every three hours.
At this point you feel the need to eat. Therefore, a sudden physiological hunger does not occur. In physiological hunger, you notice what you eat, the amount and the spices in your food. As a result, a feeling of satiety occurs.
In psychological hunger, there is a sudden need to eat. Gradual hunger is not possible as in physiological hunger. Therefore, hunger signals, which we call the feeling of scratching in the stomach or stomach rumbling, do not occur. When a person eats psychologically, he is often unaware of how much he has consumed and does not feel full. Since there is no feeling of satiety, the brain will not be able to press a "stop button" to end the meal.
According to research, it is seen that our desire to eat more than normal in some periods is highly dependent on the emotional state. We can say that behind the sudden desire to eat lies another emotion we need. These emotions are negative emotions. Eating behavior occurs to cope with emotions such as sadness and shame. As a result of eating unnecessary food, emotions such as regret and anger emerge again. While a person tries to cope with negative emotions by eating, negative emotions emerge again as a result of eating. So what can we do when we have the urge to eat emotionally?
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Am I really hungry? How many hours ago did I last eat? Looking for answers to your questions will be the first step. If it hasn't been more than half an hour since you've eaten, think about your relationships. What is bothering you inside at that moment? You may have had a fight with your spouse recently. Are you? Think about where the source of the problem is. If this is psychological hunger, you can suppress your desire to eat by drinking a large glass of water.
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To distract your mind from psychological hunger. It will be useful for you to beat. Combing your cat's fur, completing your unfinished work, listening to music may be a few ideas.
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A very long time between meals is psychological. It may increase your hunger. Therefore, it will be useful to make healthy plans for your meals.
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One of the bad aspects of psychological hunger is that people generally consume fast food, He prefers unhealthy foods such as fatty and sugary foods. If the person wants to eat something when this hunger comes, green foods (arugula, parsley, spinach, etc.) can be preferred.
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If constantly eating makes you stressed and anxious, all these will trigger your psychological hunger. Remember, during stressful periods, we either eat more or stay away from food.
Despite all this, if eating attacks bother you a lot and feelings such as regret, anger and sadness come to the fore after the foods you eat, consult a psychologist and simultaneous consultation. You should proceed by getting support from a dietitian.
Stay healthy
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