We love food! Of course, it forms part of our daily sustenance, but more than that, it’s literally our bread and butter – or is that meat and gravy? Working in the Johannesburg and Cape Town meat wholesalers industry means we are constantly surrounded by the sight of food, the smell of food and the taste of food. It’s easy to sate our appetites and we are fortunate enough to rarely experience hunger – if we do, then a quick bite is usually able to sort out the gnawing in our bellies, which is true for most of us.
But, have you ever thought that what you might be feeling is not hunger, but something else entirely? Turns out there may be other reasons for those hunger pangs, so read on!
Let’s begin with ghrelin – the hunger hormone. Our brains trigger the release of ghrelin when our stomachs are empty or when we’re anticipating the next meal. Ghrelin starts a chain reaction which then has our body release stomach acids to digest the anticipated food – when that food isn’t forthcoming the stomach acids begin to attack the lining of the stomach which is what causes the hunger pangs.
But ghrelin also interacts with insulin, the hormone that regulates our blood sugar. When insulin levels fall; ghrelin levels rise which means hunger intensifies – now many things affect our insulin levels, including junk food. When we eat foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, our insulin levels spike which means ghrelin increases and soon we feel hunger pangs even though we’ve only just eaten an hour or so before – a prime example of hunger pangs not actually being about our body’s need for sustenance.
Stress also plays a huge role. When we’re in fight or flight mode, our bodies release adrenaline and another hormone called cortisol, which increases appetite. When the stressful moment has passed, cortisol is supposed to drop, but if we’re constantly caught in that stressful spiral, cortisol may stay elevated which in turn affects insulin which in turn affects ghrelin – and hey presto, we’re hungry, although not really! And to satisfy that ‘hunger’ we turn to insulin-spiking foods like chips and sweets, and not healthier options like Halaal fish for example.
Something similar happens when we don’t get enough sleep. Studies show that a lack of sleep also increases cortisol levels, which again drives appetite. And how about this – when you’re dehydrated the symptoms can be very similar to hunger, so the stomach pains, the shakiness, the irritability may just mean you’re thirsty!
Our bodies really are incredible, but we’d be forgiven for occasionally misinterpreting its messages. So perhaps the next time we’re hungry, we shouldn’t automatically reach for something to eat; perhaps we should consider what we’ve eaten recently if we’re stressed, whether we’ve slept enough or if we’re thirsty? Then reach for something delicious to eat – did we mention we love food?!
Sources:
Medical News Today
Harvard Medical School
