The title might sound dramatic, but if you’re self-conscious about your body image then there’s no doubt torture is the perfect word to describe the feeling of hunger. You by no means want to dip into that packet of chips, but your stomach is telling you otherwise.
While some of us might believe that we are just “naturally” hungry and its “built into our genes”, there are actually some weird and wonderful reasons behind this sensation. In other words, it can be helped, and you don’t always have to turn to Sono Bello for laser lipo at the first sign of weight gain (although this is a valid solution if things have got out of hand).
Bearing the above in mind, let’s take a look at some of these reasons in detail through the page.
Air conditioning
It’s an absolute Godsend when the temperature rises – but some studies have suggested that air conditioning can wreak havoc with your cravings as well. Most people find that they eat far less in hot weather, yet require more calories when it’s cold. As such, when the air con is blaring out, it stands to reason that you are more likely to dip into your trusty snack.
Salt
We all know about salt and its ability to make us reach for that extra glass of water (in other words, it dehydrates us).
Well, there have also been some interesting studies regarding this ingredient as well. One university found that the initial thirst is completely valid, but this in itself makes your body produce more of its own liquid. This process naturally requires energy and as such, over time, you will become hungrier.
You need more pillow-time
Sleep seems to always be in the headlines nowadays and when it comes to hunger, it’s for very good reason. We’re not here to debate whether or not the famous eight hour rule really is true, but what we will say is that if you don’t receive enough sleep you are asking for a rumbling stomach later in the day.
The reason is scientific and relates to the hormone leptin. This is a hormone which can make you feel hungrier, whilst it also affects another hormone going by the name of ghrelin which unfortunately has the same effect.
Your meal last night was too substantial
This final reason sounds absurd, but again there is plenty of science to back up the claims. If you consumed a lot of carbohydrates last night, you will have experienced a spike in glucose, meaning that sugar is removed from the blood.
The upshot of this is that in a short while you will start to experience more cravings, as your body attempts to replenish the sugar it initially lost. This tends to only happen when you consume a meal full of carbohydrates, so being shrewd with your choice of meal on an evening can have significant repercussions for your stomach the following day.