Tidbit Tuesday - The Science of Hunger
Hello,
Welcome to another Tidbit Tuesday where we aim to teach you something new about health, nutrition, lifestyle, training, and so much more, every week!
Today we are talking about the science of being hungry, A.K.A. fasting.
Hunger is not an emergency!
And yet, it is something that most of us try very hard to avoid. And the moment we feel it we want to fix it by eating something.
Sometimes we find ourselves digging through the fridge or cupboard thinking "why is there nothing to eat!", when in reality we aren't even hungry, we're just bored.
What causes our hunger in the first place?
Basically, we’re driven by a complex play of chemicals that orchestrate food intake, desire, and food associations.
Appetite is our desire to eat.
It’s controlled by a complicated interaction of hormonal signals. These signals are also processed through cognitive and emotional filters.
The foods that we crave are a product of our physiology and our psychology.
And, just to make the journey a little tougher, when we lose stored fat, our body organizes a major response to conserve energy and boost appetite, defying further weight loss and encouraging regain.
Our body wants to maintain homeostasis. Even if we don't agree where it is keeping our "normal."
If we under- or over-eat, problems arise.
For those who want to decrease body fat, a conscious restriction of energy intake is generally unsuccessful (more than 90% of the time weight is regained – and then some).
You see, appetite is governed by two organ systems of the body, the endocrine system and the nervous system — their connection is sometimes known as the “neuroendocrine system”.
This is done by the hypothalamus, a small but important area in the center of our brain.
The other key player in appetite is our gut. And no, I don't mean your "gut feeling". But, rather the plethora of hormones your gut produces for all kinds of needs.
Your brain and gut talk to each other via the vagus nerve.
Some of you may have heard that we have a "second brain". There is actually a book written all about this by Michael D. Gershon titled "The Second Brain".
While some appetite control originates from nervous and hormonal connections between the digestive system and the brain, the digestive system possesses its own, localized nervous system, referred to as the enteric nervous system.
It’s the “mini-brain” located in your gut, and this mini-nervous system can modulate different signals between cells of the body.
Meaning you can take "you are what you eat" a little more literally.
Physical activity plays an important role in appetite regulation.
Those who regularly exercise become more efficient at using body fat as a fuel source. Not only does this help with body recomposition, this can also help with regulating appetite.
When we don't exercise we have a tendency to eat more carbs. More carbs creates greater blood sugar fluctuations, which in turn equal appetite swings!
So, by that measure, exercise is a double whammy.
You are actively working to improve your body recomposition, get stronger and lose fat. But, you are also helping to regulate your appetite and prevent poor food choices later.
In a perfect world, our physiology would regulate our appetite perfectly. We evolved to eat when we’re hungry, and stop when we’ve had enough.
But, it isn't that simple is it?
Appetite has a massive “real life” component. Various subtle eating cues that you wouldn't typically think about can trump physiology.
Things like, the size of your plate, accessibility of the food, a commercial or advertisement for food, we even tend to get more tempted by certain colours!
And that is barely scraping the surface. We eat for every reason from celebrations, to stressful times, to simply because we are bored.
These cues aren't going anywhere. If anything, the convenience of the 21st century has left most of us stressed out and starved for comfort, with that comfort being only a few clicks away on an app.
The world is too convenient for our impulsive decisions!
We need to understand our cues, and know how to remain in control of our choices when the impulse hits us.
When we honour homeostatic hunger signals, we achieve optimal health (eat when you're hungry, stop when you're satisfied).
If we eat when we are NOT hungry,
the distraction and pleasure are only temporary; consequently, we have to eat more to feel better, feeding the cycle.
If we DO NOT eat when we ARE hungry,
our body gets us back eventually by cranking up our appetite signals and smothering our fullness signals. The biggest trigger of binge eating? Dieting.
Years of mindless eating, restrictive dieting, and the “good” versus “bad” food mentality can warp the way we respond to internal body signals.
If we eat each time we get lonely, sad, bored or happy, or if food is around us, we’re in trouble.
When the idea of “bad” food is discarded, it often removes the punishing cycle of restricting and gorging. Why? Because when we acknowledge that a food is available to us whenever we want, we can begin to select a variety of foods we enjoy and become the expert of our own body.
“Dieting” can work in the short term. People can and do lose fat and weight… for a while. But more than 90% of individuals who lose weight will regain it within 2 years.
If you’re trying to get or stay lean, it’s OK and normal to feel hungry occasionally.
It’s important to accept this feeling because it’s not going anywhere. Nor would that really be a good thing since hunger plays a vital biological function.
While eating sweet treats and processed carbs, it tricks our body into thinking we need more.
Very much like the dopamine response to some addictive drugs.
Sugar, literally, lights up your brain the same way cocaine does.
Unprocessed foods help keep hunger cues clear, and it’s easier to make adjustments. Remember, if you’re not hungry enough to eat broccoli, you’re probably not hungry.
So, from now on, at meal time, eat slowly and without distraction. Choose more protein, and less processed foods (think less packaged food). And finally, don't make food choices impulsively or based on emotion.
Even though you think that treat is going to make you feel better, it won't. You'll just be kicking yourself for it later. Trust me.
Start today. Start with what you have. Be consistent!
Your Friend in Health & Fitness,
Coach Sean