What Are You Really Hungry For

There are lots of reasons to eat.  From the dawn of time, it was about survival.  Hunt and gather and survive.  Food was hard to come by.  Consuming was intense when food was found.  The body then held on to the calories because food meant energy to survive.

Fast forward thousands of years, and food is so easy to get.  It looks tempting.  It can be cheap.  It is socially acceptable to consume practically everywhere.  Instead of thinking of food as a means of survival, we think of it as a pleasure to behold, a way to pass time, a coping mechanism, a mindless habit, something we deserve for dealing with a long, hard day. Unfortunately, our body still wants to hold on to the calories, because it hasn't gotten the evolutionary message that says--no worries--more fuel is readily available. This poses a major health problem contributing to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, some cancers, sleep apnea and at the very least inactivity. 

There are a few ways of looking at hunger.  One way is to identify it as internal, meaning that it is a physical problem that can be solved by eating.  Breakfast, lunch, dinner and the snacks in between are meant to be fuelers and hunger-satisfiers.  Those are the times when we can consider the foods groups, i.e. fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, dairy, and 2 tsp of healthy oil to solve this problem. 

A different kind of  hunger is external and can be associated with urges and opportunity.  Maybe you just ate breakfast, but then you go to work and find donuts in the break room.  They look appealing.  This is really an urge that you can actually do something about.

Today's world is full of temptation.  We can't control free samples, party buffets, restaurant menus or candy dishes.  We can control our behavior.  The first plan of attack is to stay fueled.  Eat at regular intervals, from a few food groups at a time if possible.  A protein, carb and healthy fat is considered the trinity of satisfaction.  That could be a peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread and a piece of fruit, for example.  Eat every three hours so that you can avoid getting too hungry or "hangry.".  External cues will be nearly impossible to resist when your hunger is primal.  The next thing to consider is that food that isn't planned, that isn't at a meal or snack time may not be worth the points?  Maybe you can avoid the situation altogether by brushing past the free samples at the stores because you are chewing gum and focusing on shopping not eating?

This sounds like work.  It is work.  It is the most worthwhile work you can do because you get closer to what you really want every time you make an effort, no matter how big or how small that effort may be.  Now that's sounding more like a dream come true.