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 hunger… Here are 8 valuable tips to adopt right now, to better keep that nagging hunger in check.
Sommaire
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 simply drives us to satisfy it 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 smells 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 various 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 it?
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 far wiser to face what you’re feeling — 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 cause blood sugar to spike quickly, only for it to crash just as fast a couple of hours later. To keep hunger well managed, 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 a need to drink.
Stay hydrated with water, tea, or herbal infusions. If you reach for a sugary drink instead, you’ll actually make 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!
Also, make sure you stay hydrated consistently 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 setting down your fork, you give your body the time it needs to realise it’s no longer hungry. Clever, right?
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. Surprisingly effective!
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 you head 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 the moment boredom strikes! First: it’s a really bad idea. Second: it won’t cure your boredom — once you’ve overeaten, you’ll feel guilty and even more frustrated about having nothing to do! Rather than reaching for food under the pretence of sudden hunger, find a healthier outlet. 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 means learning to listen 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. Good options include:
- A small bowl of fromage blanc with seeds and fresh seasonal fruit.
- A hard-boiled egg and 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, you can always turn to phytotherapy and explore food supplements made from plants. That’s exactly the idea behind our Gélules Minceur Coupe-Faim, which are vegan and made with 100% natural ingredients:
- Carob seed and fucus, both 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.