Physiological hunger versus emotional hunger

Several keys to recognize emotional hunger and control it through healthy habits.

Surely in some situation you have felt this: cravings and need to eat at untimely hours, open the pantry or the fridge without knowing what you are looking for, or think about food when you have to sit down to do some task.

Did you know that this feeling is known as emotional hunger? These are impulses that are detrimental to your diet, and identifying them will help you to control them. Some of the main situations that we identify as "emotional hunger" are associated with the end of a hectic day full of stress, moments when the body relaxes; with when you have fewer tasks to do and you confuse boredom with hunger; or as an escape route from personal problems, turning to food for the release of happiness hormones that it produces in our body.

We explain the difference between physiological and emotional hunger and some tips to control it..

What is physiological hunger?

Physiological hunger is the natural sensation that is produced in our organism when you need nutrients to satisfy the needs of the body.. People need nutrients derived from food to fulfill a multitude of internal and external functions.

We can classify nutrients as macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbohydrates), and as micronutrients: vitamins and minerals.

Identifying physiological hunger

Physiological hunger is natural, we all feel it, and it is okay to even arrive at the next meal feeling a little hungry. It is just an alert from our body that we need food..

Here are some notions to learn how to identify physiological hunger:

• It is not for specific foods, but can be alleviated with different alternatives.
• It is gradual, that is, it goes from less to more sensation.
• It can wait to be satisfied.
• It does not produce negative feelings, such as guilt at the end.
• It disappears when we reach satiety.

What is emotional hunger?

Emotional hunger occurs as a reaction to escape certain emotions, which are usually negative.. Our body is prepared to survive and feel good, it looks for a quick way to escape from certain situations that displease us... and from this short term point of view, what better than a quick hormonal release through food.

Identifying emotional hunger

Analyzing our body and understanding it will make you have a better relationship with it and therefore you will bring out a better version of yourself.

Surely you have ever felt this instant hunger after a hectic day in the society we have built, or during the weekends of boredom without knowing what to do. Here are some notions to identify when it is emotional hunger:

• It is usually for specific foods, as it is often called "cravings".
• It is instantaneous and not gradual like physiological hunger.
• It has to be satisfied at the moment, unlike physiological hunger, it cannot wait.
• It produces negative feelings when it is over, such as feelings of guilt.
• It takes longer to satisfy and does not end when we are naturally satiated.

How to control emotional hunger

Once we have differentiated emotional hunger from physiological hunger, we have to learn to control emotional hunger in order to have a better balance in our habits and our health, obtaining a greater sense of well-being.We need to learn to control emotional hunger in order to have a better balance in our habits and our health, obtaining a greater sense of wellbeing and fullness. Therefore, here are some guidelines to combat emotional hunger.

• Many times we do not know how to differentiate hunger from thirst; staying hydrated throughout the day will help you not to confuse these two sensations.
• Having structure in your diet will keep you satiated and energized throughout the day, avoiding possible food cravings at specific times when circumstances are beyond your control.
• Know yourself a little more, emotional balance is a fundamental pillar of health, for this it is always good to ask for help from a psychologist.
• Meditation can be a great ally against emotional hunger, keeping your emotional instability at bay.

Improve your relationship with food

Improving your relationship with food is fundamental to improve your nutrition, it is the first step.. This means breaking the traditional concept of diet, commonly understood as a circumstantial methodology to lose as many kilos as possible in the shortest time, in whatever way, without taking into account health or other patterns. This is a mistake, the ideal is that your diet brings you a greater sense of wellbeing and fullness, that helps you to have more energy or even helps you to prevent diseases.

The word diet really means the set of foods that we eat in our day to day, and this has to be varied, balanced and adapted to your individual needs.. There is still the belief that when a person goes on a diet there are forbidden foods, when in fact it is not true, but perhaps it is necessary to reduce their consumption.

There are no bad or good foods

A common mistake is to categorize foods as good or bad, depending on your goal. For example, thinking that there are good foods for weight loss. There are no healthy foods per se, health resides in the total computation of foods and actions of the day to day..

We recommend you to vary foods, this will contribute to the richness of nutrients in your diet and avoid generating allergies and intolerances due to excess. In this sense, a motto that we like very much is:

"Neither a salad is going to make you healthier, nor a hamburger less healthy."

Help yourself to improve your health by incorporating different habits incorporated into your routine, such as:

• A better balance in our diet.
• More physical activity.
• Better rest.
• A better emotional balance.

Changing your lifestyle is a process

Don't go from black to white, bringing a better balance in our life and habits is a gray scale.. Start little by little, changing and improving certain habits, it all adds up! If you can't do physical exercise 5 days, maybe you can do 2, and that's ok, you don't have to make every meal perfect.

It's a process, so small steps will help you develop a habit and help you to and to control those emotional impulses more and more. If you set your mind to it, you're sure to make your total day-to-day diet count more balanced and sustainable.

Start now! Don't go back to dieting, but change your lifestyle for good.