Hunger Awareness Day: Here’s how to understand hunger cues for mindful eating

The cyphers of hunger are not very up-front! Sometimes your mind just plays tricks with you, as a result, you confuse boredom or emotional mayhem with hunger. Temptations, every now and then, chopped your capability to be aware of the signs of hunger, consequently, making you stuff untimely meals and that too in big proportions that will hamper your health goals. Paying heed to the cues of your hunger is a vital component of intuitive eating, an eating style that nourishes and nurtures you without taking you in any form of guilt while building a happy relationship with food. In today’s fast-paced world, it is quite overwhelming to get in tune with your body’s cues as plenty of factors including emotions, environmental distraction or boredom can affect your food choices. To eat in a more mindful manner, it is imperative to rewire with the wisdom of your body’s hunger cues.

So, here are some signs of hunger cues that will help you in differentiating between real hunger or just the casual food lust or cravings so that you can eat more holistically and avoid any food stuffing.

Low energy levels

Ever feel like you are out of energy even after you are following a healthy lifestyle? You are tired despite having a night of good sleep? You don’t feel like doing anything because of the lethargic vibes? Well, this is the most basic way of your body asking for food. Even if your stomach is not rumbling, this sign represents physical hunger. And it can only be solved after your body gets enough proportions to eat. Food = energy, when your body does not get enough food, it will not only make you feel crummy but also juices up your energy.

Rumbling stomach

This goes even without saying, a growling stomach demonstrates hunger. Growling that comes with a little sharp pain trying to tell you that your body requires food. When your stomach is empty, it contracts the muscles of your gut, leading to sharp pain. Make sure to fill yourself with nutritious items when your body is showing you such signs or else it can also lead to various problems like stomachache or headache.  

Body trembling and headaches

When your body is empty or when you are really hungry and it’s been some time without eating anything, the blood sugar levels in your body will start to drop. Now, when your blood sugar levels start declining, your body gives you signals in the form of vibrations. Your body starts jiggling, your hands won’t stop trembling. When this happens for a longer period of time, it further leads to the tightening of blood vessels, increases the blood pressure and causes headache or pinning sensations in the head.

Brain fogging

These two signs are quite relatable to low blood sugar levels in the body. When the body isn’t receiving the energy it needs from food, the brain also isn’t receiving the energy it needs to function properly. This can make things foggy! You may feel like your thoughts process a bit slower than usual, or you just can’t focus on usual tasks as well as you normally can. By functioning at a sub-par level, your body is trying to tell you that it needs more nutrients in order to raise blood sugar back up.

Listening to your body signals is a great way to understand the accurate cues of hunger to make your body feel and function effectively. When it comes to food, there is nothing like a no one-symptom-fits-all approach and so, actively hear what your body says. If you have been feeling less energy or mixed body signals, then try seeking the advice of a health professional so you can feel your best.