Hunger, fat, diet, Fit School, Epping, Essex, Fat Loss, Fat Loss, Ghrelin,  Hub, ghrelin

 

Peckish? Is your 3 o’clock appointment with the biscuit barrel ruining your good intentions? If so, you’re not alone. From lack of protein, to sleep deprivation, dehydration or just your body’s own clever chemical hunger warfare sending your brain ‘feed me’ signals, the mid-afternoon munchies are real.

But do you know why it happens?

Understanding the reasons for your afternoon cravings can help you manage them and satisfy them without sabotaging your healthy lifestyle choices.

Here’s my how, why and emergency guide to the mid-afternoon munchies.

Ghrelin

Think of your body like a finely tuned eco-system. It fights for equilibrium.

You get thirsty or feel sleepy, that’s just your body looking after itself.

The same goes for hunger. Our tummies produce hormones leptin and ghrelin. Leptin makes us feel full but the ghrelin gremlin is all about hunger. Like most of our hormones, they regulate themselves during our restorative sleep hours. Even mild sleep deprivation can wreak havoc with our hunger signals.

Scientists know that sleep deprivation will increase ghrelin levels in the body. A 2008 study, published in the Journal of Sleep Research, found that just one night of sleep deprivation can lower leptin levels and raise ghrelin levels.

The ghrelin gremlin peaks in the afternoon and signals the brain to eat, and to eat high calorie foods. Hence our visits to the vending machine or corner shop.

Scientists have also discovered that ghrelin is not good for waistlines. A study published in 2009, in the International Journal of Obesity, found that ghrelin favours an accumulation of fats around the tummy and also in the fatty tissues around our organs, especially the liver. Specifically those areas that put us at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

So if the ghrelin gremlins strike, eat happy fats (your omega oils, olive oil, avocados and nuts) which are much easier for your body to use as fuel and help prevent the unhealthy fat gain around your tummy.

Regulate your energy and hunger levels

If you are finding yourself hungry in the afternoons it’s also worth analysing your morning food intake.

Did you skip breakfast?

Did you nip out of the door with little more than a slice of toast and jam?

In order to regulate your appetite and blood sugar levels, the best thing you can do is have protein with every meal.

A boiled egg, nuts with your yoghurt or a tuna sandwich will all serve your dietary needs better than a teensy rice cake!

You may also be genuinely hungry?

Sometimes a craving for high calorie food is just your body’s way of saying ‘EAT’ – so rather than reaching for a cake, eat something more substantial instead.

There’s a great article on afternoon munchies and intuitive eating on Refinery 29, which explores how to manage or indeed, give in to cravings.

5 ways to manage the mid afternoon munches

1. Aim for at least seven hours sleep a night.

2. Eat breakfast – if you skip it then make sure your first meal contains a balance of proteins and good fats.

3. Eat protein with every meal and every snack – that might just be a few nuts (see below).

4. Drink at least two litres of fluid a day – if you feel hungry, try a drink first (you might just be thirsty).

5. Consider an omega oil supplement – it helps in the battle against unhappy fats.

Emergency Ghrelin gremlin busters

If the hunger has already kicked in, here are a few suggestions for damage limitation:

1. Drink a herb or fruit tea, or a fresh vegetable juice – it can take away the sweet craving and quench your thirst.

2. Have a square of dark chocolate with a few nuts. Ghrelin is most satisfied with a combination of sugar and fats, hence we often crave biscuits.

3. Eat oatcakes with nut butter or avocado.

4. Have an apple with a small piece of cheese.

5. Have some granola yoghurt.

For more information on Fit School’s, Fat Loss Hub, check out our seven pounds in six weeks checklist HERE