Since winter began and many women began to suffer from winter hunger and ask how do I control winter hunger?
The feeling of craving for food increases throughout the day, specifically starches and sugars.
And here a bigger problem appears and the meaning of weight loss begins, it increases at a rapid rate, and your diet
pattern and your previous effort to maintain a healthy weight are lost.
That is why let us discuss in our topic today, how do I control winter hunger and control it?
What is hunger in general?
What is hunger in general? Hunger is a biological process that we move around constantly throughout the day, even when we don’t realize we’re doing it.
In general, hunger is signals from your body that it needs energy through food.
While feeling hungry is your body’s natural sign that it’s time to eat again, it’s not fun to be constantly hungry,
especially if you’ve just finished your meal.
This could be a sign that you’re not eating enough, or not eating the right variety of foods.
If you’re trying to lose weight, get hungry in the winter, or follow a new meal routine like intermittent fasting, you
may be wondering how to reduce your hunger throughout the day. (Reference)
However, hunger and appetite are a complex process; Because it is affected by many internal and external factors
that we will discuss now.
What are the causes of winter hunger?
Once you start feeling hungry, ask yourself: Is this real hunger or false hunger?
Real hunger doesn’t care about the quality of food as much as you care about eating the food itself, in addition to
continuing to feel hungry even when you are busy or talking.
False hunger is the feeling of craving for a specific type of food, in addition to forgetting about hunger when you are
preoccupied with something else.
Winter hunger is mostly due to false hunger and a constant feeling of craving for food, especially carbohydrates
(bread, pastries, pasta, sweets, chocolate, sweetened drinks, …)
Why carbohydrates specifically?
Because it increases the secretion of chemicals in the brain that increase happiness, it is especially popular for
individuals who suffer from depression in the winter.
But here comes the scientific question, which is what are the causes of hunger in the winter?
There are many reasons or theories that explain this condition, including:
1- To warm the body
There are two ways to get this fuel to heat you up, either by:
Energy stored in your body in the form of fat.
Or get instant energy through food.
But in winter, the body often resorts to the easiest way to get energy, which is to eat food rather than break down fats.
This is why the body starts sending you messages to eat.
2- free time
There is a permanent positive relationship between free time and hunger, the more free time you have and the less
busy you are, the more hungry you will be and the search for food.
The reason for this is because:
Food is a source of time and pleasure for many people.
When sitting in a vacuum, the mind begins to think about food; Which increases your desire to eat right away.
3- Vitamin D deficiency
The sun is a major and important source of vitamin D, and once winter sets in, our daily intake of vitamin D
decreases dramatically, causing vitamin D deficiency in most individuals.
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the main causes of excessive hunger in winter.
4- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
This condition occurs in some individuals, but not all.
It is a depressive state that occurs only in the winter season, and it often occurs in residents of countries where
winter temperatures drop very significantly.
This depression is accompanied by an increase in appetite and winter hunger, in addition to deep sadness, extreme
lethargy, and unwillingness to do anything (even the ones you love).
It is recommended to see a psychiatrist when these symptoms are present.
How do I control winter hunger?
that is one of the best nutritionist NesssFit helped me alot to control my hunger
1- When you feel hungry, ask yourself what do I want to eat?
Whenever you feel hungry, ask yourself what do I want to eat now? If you find yourself craving a very specific item,
and lose the desire to eat if this item is not available, here you can tell that this hunger is false.
And you have to overcome it by occupying your time with things that will benefit you, such as: playing sports, your
hobby, or hiking.
2- When you feel false hunger, drink hot drinks without adding sugar
Because hot drinks warm you up, and at the same time give you a feeling of satiety for a good period, which reduces
your hunger.
Such as warm herbs, matcha, cinnamon and latte/cream coffee.
3- Eat soups with high nutritional value constantly in order to heat up and get energy
So that the soup contains protein, fats and vegetables, but do not add too much carbohydrates in the soup because
it may return you to the feeling of hunger within a short period.
Such as beef bone soup, chicken or meat soup, vegetable soup, lentil soup.
4- Don’t bring home a lot of carbohydrates and sugars
Because as soon as it is in your house, you will think of it as soon as you feel hungry and want to eat it first.
Although they are harmful foods full of carbohydrates and sugars, but in the absence of them, you will resort to
better food options.
5- Do regular exercise
Among the main benefits of exercising during the winter:
Aerobic exercise and resistance training help increase your satiety hormones and decrease your hunger hormones,
but high-intensity exercise may have better effects on your appetite.
It also helps your body rely on heating itself from stored fuel (fat), not by constantly eating.
In addition to the fact that sports
Fight winter depression for some, making them happier and more cheerful.
6- Take a vitamin D supplement
It is recommended to take the equivalent of 2000 international units daily, because vitamin D contributes to:
Curbing hunger caused by vitamin D deficiency
Reduce winter depression, which is one of the causes of vitamin D deficiency
In addition to some general advice that nutritionists constantly recommend; In order to reduce excessive hunger:
- Eat your full daily protein requirement
- Always choose foods with fiber
- Drink a lot of water
- Eat your food carefully and slowly
- Choose small dinnerware
- Get enough sleep at night
- Try to control your stress and irritability
- Add ginger to your food and drinks (Reference)
- Don’t deprive yourself too hard
Conclusion
One of the most common questions that occupy our minds in winter is, how do I control winter hunger?
But winter hunger is not a complicated or impossible situation, but rather it is a physiological and psychological
matter that occurs naturally due to the winter season, which increases appetite and desire to eat.
And we must know how to handle it properly, to ensure that the winter passes without gaining excess weight, or
losing the effort to maintain an ideal weight during the rest of the year.
We thank you for reading the topic and we hope that we have helped you. Do not forget to share the topic with your
friends and ask your questions and comments below, we are here for you.. Stay well.
