Hunger attacks: so you keep them at bay

Everyone, sooner or later, can experience sudden hunger attacks. To defeat them, it is enough to recognize them in time and, when necessary, get help from the specialist.

There is a lot of scientific evidence that shows a close correlation between food and mood. In fact, eating any food, at any time, greedily and in large quantities, often means seeking comfort in food when stress, anxiety, anger or melancholy for something or someone we lack, have exceeded the level of control.

So it happens that, without having a real and biological hunger (the one that induces the search for food when it is necessary to fill the energy and nutritional needs) you still begin to eat, without distinguishing between sweet or salty, lean or fat, the important thing is to satiate. This is nervous hunger.

Whatever the emotional condition that triggers a nervous hunger attack, the end result is always the same. Once the momentary comforting effect of the food is gone, the negative emotion returns, often aggravated by guilt for not being able to control the attack.

The only thing not to do is, in any case, to restrain yourself and deprive yourself of the food so desired; Deprivation and prohibition only make the situation worse.

Attack coming!

If hunger attacks are very rare (once or twice a year) it may also be that mood and emotion have nothing to do with it. And you don’t have to worry too much.

But when nervous hunger occurs frequently (once or twice a week for a few months) it can be useful to keep a food diary on which to take note of the day and time of the attack and, above all, of the emotional state in which we find ourselves and the conditions that may have triggered it.

The well-compiled diary should then be taken to your doctor to find a solution together, also because too frequent attacks can lead to excessive food intake which, in the long run, affects body weight and health in general.

Fortunately, by recognizing them in time even with the help of the diary, nervous hunger attacks can be controlled and, often, even eliminated altogether. And those who think they can’t make it can always get help from a dietician or a psychologist experienced in these disorders. Or, better yet, both.

Ready to counterattack

First of all, it is good to know that there are alternative remedies to food that can help defeat negative emotions.

For example, if the cause is anxiety or stress you can resort to some activities such as yoga, meditation, body relaxation techniques or even, more simply, some regular and constant sports activity.

There are also tricks and foods that can help counteract the attack of nervous hunger. For example, if the attack comes a short distance from a meal it is almost certain that it is not real hunger and, therefore, you can prepare in time for the counterattack.

A winning move is definitely to never skip meals. For example, it is a good habit to always have breakfast so as not to be surprised by hunger while you are working or studying or doing household chores.

At home the probability of finding food is very high and, therefore, when shopping it is better to avoid stocking up on sweets, chocolate, bread, focaccia, creams and sweet or savory sauces to spread on bread, candies, biscuits or other tempting foods.

Instead, you can buy many healthy and low-calorie vegetables such as fennel, carrots and celery that, in case of close attacks, can be munched raw, without any seasoning and with the certainty of not harming us.

Another good habit is to drink plenty of water throughout the day: in addition to improving intestinal and urinary functions, water helps fill empty stomachs.

Eating small and frequent meals during the day, always chewing slowly, will not only improve digestion, but also make you feel full in a fairly short time.

Finally, sleeping more, when possible, is very useful. Better yet, if you drink a nice hot and relaxing herbal tea before going to bed. Or even a good glass of hot milk, partially skimmed and without sugar.