Do you tend to snack throughout the day? Are you constantly hungry, or at least think you are? If you find yourself nibbling morning and night (and gaining weight before your very eyes!), you may be struggling to manage your hunger… Here are 8 valuable tips to adopt right now, to better manage the hunger that constantly gnaws at you.
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How do you know if you’re actually hungry?
That’s the first question to ask yourself! And the feeling of hunger isn’t straightforward for everyone, not by a long shot! Hunger is a sensation that arises after a period without eating, and it simply drives us to satisfy that feeling with food. Hunger responds to physiological cues: a rise in ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and a drop in blood sugar. The body signals its need for energy in ways that are hard to ignore: a rumbling stomach, yawning, low energy or drowsiness, a slight feeling of nausea, and sometimes headaches or chills. It’s also worth noting that certain external triggers — enticing aromas or the sight of appetising food — can spark hunger. So it has a psychological dimension too.
Emotional hunger is something else entirely: it’s more of a desire to eat. This desire can be driven by a range of emotions — boredom, stress, sadness, anger, frustration, or simply a love of food. The main downside: it’s often responsible for weight gain, since it doesn’t respond to any real physiological need. What’s more, emotional hunger is often satisfied with foods that are highly caloric, whether they’re sweet, salty, or fatty.
So, the first piece of advice for managing hunger better is to ask yourself honestly: am I genuinely hungry, or do I just feel like eating? If the second option rings true, then it’s worth asking:
- Why do I feel like eating?
- Is food really the best response to what I’m feeling?
- What else could I do to address this emotion?
If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll likely realise it’s not real hunger at all, but rather using food to suppress your emotions. In that case, it seems wiser to face what you’re feeling head-on — a much healthier approach for both body and mind!
I’m always hungry — what should I do?
Tip no1: build better-balanced meals
What’s on your plate can have a huge impact on how well you manage hunger. If you’re not eating enough fibre, complex carbohydrates and/or protein, there’s a good chance you’ll be hit by cravings just a few hours after finishing your meal. Watch your intake of fast-release sugars too: they send blood sugar soaring quickly, only for it to crash just as fast, around two hours after eating. To keep hunger in check, the goal is to stay satisfied for longer! At every meal, aim to include:
- Low to moderate GI complex carbohydrates, such as wholegrains, legumes, and root vegetables.
- Don’t hold back on the vegetables.
- Include lean proteins too: poultry, fish, eggs, or low-fat fromage blanc.
Tip no2: drink water
A highly effective trick for managing hunger, for two reasons:
- Liquid fills the stomach and creates a sense of fullness.
- Hunger is very often thirst in disguise. The reason: the brain receptors for hunger and thirst are the same! So what we interpret as hunger may simply be the body’s need for hydration.
Stay hydrated with water, tea, or herbal infusions. If you reach for a sugary drink instead, you’ll only make your hunger worse by triggering an insulin response. This not only promotes fat storage, but also causes a blood sugar dip — and renewed hunger — about an hour later. Completely counterproductive!
Make sure to keep hydrating steadily throughout the day.
Tip no3: chew properly!
To manage hunger effectively, it’s important to chew your food thoroughly.
What’s the connection? Chewing not only helps with digestion (salivary enzymes begin breaking down food before it even reaches the stomach), it also gives your body time to release leptin.
What’s that? It’s the satiety hormone — and the brain takes around 20 minutes to receive the signal that you’re full. By taking the time to chew each mouthful and regularly putting your fork down, you give your body the time it needs to realise it’s no longer hungry. Smart!
Tip no4: brush your teeth
A well-known trick that still raises a few eyebrows — but it genuinely works. Brushing your teeth after a meal helps manage hunger. It sends a clear signal to the brain that the meal is over and it’s time to stop eating. On top of that, the fresh feeling in your mouth and the minty taste of toothpaste make snacking far less appealing. Clever, right!
Tip no5: shop smarter
How can your grocery run help you manage hunger? Let us explain! Step one: plan your meals for the week. Step two: based on that plan, write a precise shopping list — and stick to it! Step three: have a small snack before heading to the shops. It’s proven that you’re far less tempted to buy fatty or sugary foods when you’re not shopping on an empty stomach. That way, your cupboards and fridge will contain no “temptation foods” — only what you need to prepare your planned meals. And as a bonus, you’ll save money too…
Tip no6: beat boredom
A word to everyone who heads straight to the fridge whenever boredom strikes! First: it’s a terrible idea. Second: it won’t cure your boredom — once you’ve eaten, you’ll feel guilty and even more frustrated by your lack of activity! Rather than reaching for food under the pretence of sudden hunger, find a healthy way to keep busy. Reading, exercise, and creative hobbies are all great ways to make the most of your free time and feel genuinely fulfilled.
Tip no7: allow yourself a snack
Managing hunger starts with listening to it. And if you’re genuinely hungry, eat! But choose wisely and mindfully. Stick to your 3 main meals a day, and add in a snack. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon — either works. Just keep it light: no more than 25% of your recommended daily nutritional intake, meaning 100 to 150 kcal maximum. Some good options include:
- A small bowl of fromage blanc with seeds and seasonal fruit.
- A hard-boiled egg with a few cherry tomatoes
- A homemade smoothie
- A slice of wholegrain bread with cottage cheese and lean ham
- A sliced banana with 2 tbsp of peanut or cashew butter
Tip no8: try food supplements
Finally, to better manage hunger, phytotherapy can be a helpful reflex — opting for food supplements made from plants. That’s exactly the idea behind our Gélules Minceur Coupe-Faim, which are vegan and made from 100% natural ingredients:
- Carob seed and fucus, known for their ability to support feelings of fullness and help reduce appetite.
- Garcinia Cambogia, which helps regulate blood sugar levels and supports lipolysis.
2 capsules before each meal help curb hunger and reduce the temptation to snack.