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Hidden Hunger: Are You Suffering From It?

hidden hunger - are you suffering from it? Rita, a 22-year-old student, loves to snack – especially on quick, tasty, and readily available junk food. Over time, she gained excess weight. But what bothered her more was how constantly tired and dull she felt. A routine health check-up revealed nutrient deficiencies – something she found hard to believe. After all, she was eating enough… wasn’t she?

But like many of us today, Rita was suffering from Hidden Hunger.

What Is Hidden Hunger?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Hidden Hunger as a deficiency of micronutrients – the essential vitamins and minerals our body needs in small amounts. These micronutrients play a crucial role in:

  • Enzyme and hormone production
  • Metabolism
  • Tissue repair and maintenance

Despite eating sufficient calories, if your meals lack nutrient density, your body can still be undernourished. This form of malnutrition is often unseen – hence the name Hidden Hunger.

How Do You Know If You Have Hidden Hunger?

You don’t need to look ill to be deficient. Common symptoms include:

  • Constant tiredness and low energy
  • Poor focus and brain fog
  • Dull skin or hair
  • Low immunity
  • General disinterest in daily activity

Left untreated, long-term deficiencies can impair cognitive function, physical development, and overall well-being.

The Modern Diet Dilemma

In today’s time-poor, convenience-driven world, it’s easy to fill up on ultra-processed foods – high in sugar, salt, and calories, but low in actual nutrition. These “empty calorie” foods are designed to taste good, not nourish us.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Hidden Hunger affects not just developing nations, but increasingly, urban populations worldwide.

Rebuilding With a Balanced Diet

The best way to overcome Hidden Hunger is to eat a varied, balanced diet that includes all major food groups. Here’s a breakdown:

Food Group Key Nutrients
Whole Cereals, Pulses & Millets B vitamins, Iron, Selenium (especially in unrefined forms)
Dairy & Meat Products Vitamin B12, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Iodine, Vitamin A
Fruit & Vegetables Vitamin C, Folate, Beta Carotene, Potassium, Magnesium, Phytochemicals (antioxidants)
Nuts & Oilseeds Magnesium, Zinc, Healthy fats, Vitamin E, other fat-soluble vitamins

Also, avoid skipping meals and choose nutrient-dense snacks like roasted seeds, mixed nuts, yoghurt, or fresh fruit.

Small Changes, Big Impact

Start by evaluating your meals – are you relying too much on convenience foods? Make a conscious effort to include more whole foods, natural produce, and variety. Over time, this simple shift can transform your energy, mood, and overall health.

If you’re unsure where to begin, consider speaking to a qualified expert.

Subscribe to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching for guidance on creating balanced meals tailored to your lifestyle and health goals.

For more topics on weight loss and managing your health, check out Healthy Reads.

#BeTheForce

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for general awareness and educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised medical guidance or concerns related to your health. Images shown are for representation purposes only and may not depict the exact recommendations or outcomes.

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Easy Hacks To Control Hunger Pangs

control hunger pangs

Hunger is an important signal that should not be ignored, but how often have you felt that this is a genuine one? Although growling and gurgling in the stomach are real signals to watch out for, here are some simple and effective hacks to control hunger pangs.

Effective Ways To Control Hunger Pangs

  1. Chew Well: This advice has probably been repeated several times since childhood but is often ignored. Mindful eating begins by sniffing the aroma and savoring every bite. When we chew the food properly, the flavors linger in the mouth, bringing about a satiety value and a feeling of fullness. This helps curb binge eating.
  2. Stay Hydrated: Quite often, our body signals hydration, but we end up eating instead. Getting confused between thirst and hunger is very common. Drinking water from earthen pots quenches thirst more effectively than refrigerated water. You can add lemon water and buttermilk to your diet. Summer coolants like aam panna and kokum sherbet are also great.
  3. Adequate Protein: If, despite eating breakfast, you find yourself eagerly waiting for lunch, you may need to look at the protein content in your diet. Research has shown that adequate amounts of protein help keep you full for a longer period. Ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone that signals you to eat, is lower with high-protein intake.
  4. Soup: is a great rescue from the immense hunger pangs, especially in the evening. The high water content, along with fiber from the veggies, helps control hunger. Having a warm soup surprisingly reduces the appetite. Stick to broth-based soups rather than creamy ones.
  5. Spice It Up: Major Hunger pangs occur due to bland and unsatisfying food. Adding a few spices not only curbs your appetite but aids digestion. Spicy food is known to increase satiety. A simple salad can become interesting if you add a dash of lemon, sprinkle some chaat masala, or throw in some mint dip!
  6. Healthy Snacking: What you eat when hungry during odd hours plays an important role in controlling hunger pangs. Having a small mid-meal snack is good, but watch out for the quantity and quality. Seasonal fruits will keep you full and healthy. Nuts and seeds, being rich in proteins, are good as well. 
  7. Limit Excessive Sugar: There is a direct link between sugar consumption and increased hunger pangs. Besides keeping a check on high-sugar food intake, watch for hidden sugars in food labels. Opt for natural sugar sources like jaggery, dry fruits and fresh fruits.
  8. Exercise: Many people believe that exercise increases appetite. However, with regular aerobic exercise, appetite actually decreases
  9. Sleep: Lack of sleep can impact our eating patterns. Inadequate sleep leads to low energy levels. To compensate for this, we often choose sugary foods, leading to a cycle of empty calories and overeating.

And that’s it! Follow these hacks to control hunger pangs. If, despite these tips, you still feel ravenous, consider consulting a doctor. Check out other articles for healthy recipes and more topics on hunger, food, nutrition and health. For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce! 

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How To Control And Fight Hunger Cravings

hunger cravingsFor many of us, our lifestyle has become sedentary, leading to increased mental and emotional stress which often results in binge eating. When we are stressed, we find outlets to overcome it, and the first thing that comes to mind is eating! A sedentary lifestyle coupled with irregular sleep leads to hunger cravings which ultimately results in gorging on unhealthy food such as junk food, chocolates, refined foods, bakery products, juices, soft drinks, pizza, etc., leading to weight gain. Let’s take a deeper look. 

How Much Time Does It Take Food To Get Digested? 

  • After having a meal, our GI tract slowly empties by pushing food through the stomach. From there, it goes to the small intestine where it gets absorbed and then it reaches the large intestine. It takes approximately 2 hours for this entire process.
  • Hunger cravings occur 2 hours after having a meal when the food gets digested. So, our brain picks up messages from the stomach and tells us that it’s time for our next meal.
  • This entire system is regulated by two hormones in our body known as hunger hormones – Ghrelin and Leptin.
  • Ghrelin stimulates appetite and is produced in the stomach when it’s empty, promoting fat storage.
  • Leptin controls appetite and signals the brain to stop eating.
  • If we eat after every 2 hours, ghrelin will not be released, and there won’t be any overeating.

Tip To Control Hunger Cravings 

  1. Eat before you feel hungry at an interval of 2 hours.
  2. Have 6 meals in a day: 3 main meals and 3 mid-meals. Eat slowly and have a fruit as a mid-meal, avoiding fruits with the main meals.
  3. Snack on nuts like foxnuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and a mixture of various seeds to help you stay full.
  4. Add spices and chillies to your food as they increase satiety.
  5. Avoid fasting: Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
  6. Have jaggery, jaggery powder, stevia leaves and honey to curb sugar cravings. 
  7. Include proteins in all your meals. Proteins are the building blocks of our body. They take longer to digest than carbohydrates and are considered to be more satiating than carbs and fats. They keep your energy levels up and appetite down.
  8. Eat fiber-rich foods since they help regulate bowel movements and make you feel fuller for a longer duration. They don’t add calories to your diet and cannot be converted to glucose. Include leafy green vegetables, fruits with the peel like apple, pear, plum and even berries, sweet potatoes with skin, potatoes, oatmeal, fenugreek seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon powder, drumstick, garden cress seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, figs, raisins and prunes.
  9. Quench your thirst to control your appetite by drinking plenty of water. Drink 12-15 glasses of water throughout the day. Have 1 glass of water before and 1 after a meal, as water is a no calorie quencher. You’ll be able to decrease your hunger before you start eating so you aren’t starving at the table. In case you don’t like the taste of plain water, have green tea, cinnamon tea, buttermilk, coconut water, lemon water or detox water.
  10. Exercise for 30 mins every day: It lowers the level of ghrelin. It increases the feeling of fullness, boosts your metabolism, and helps in burning more calories. Indulge in yoga, pilates, cardio, stretching, skipping, dancing, etc. 
  11. Maintain a regular wake up and sleep schedule: To avoid midnight hunger pangs, don’t stay awake for a long time post-dinner. Have soups, salads and protein-rich meals for dinner to avoid eating junk food. Make a habit of having 1 tsp flax seeds post-dinner since they have fibers that will make you feel satiated.

We hope this article helps you understand your hunger cravings and how to curb them. For more tips on controlling hunger cravings, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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Get To Know Your Emotional Hunger

Emotional hungerHave you ever made room for dessert even though you’re already full? Out of nowhere in the middle of doing something important, you start feeling hungry? Do you feel hungry before any important meeting? If yes, then you should check your emotional status as this might be due to emotional hunger!

What Is Emotional Hunger or Emotional Eating? 

Emotional hunger or emotional eating is the practice of consuming large quantities of food, usually ‘comfort’ or junk foods in response to feelings instead of hunger. Emotional eating is a maladaptive coping strategy used by many of us to deal with negative emotions. Emotional eating can be caused by many reasons which include stress, tension, depression, boredom, and sometimes due to excitement.

Under high stress, your biological age can be 30 times higher than your calendar age. Modern life is full of frustrations, deadlines, and demands. For many people, stress has become a way of life. When stress becomes overwhelming, it can damage your health, mood, relationships and quality of life.

Stress also affects our food preferences. Emotional distress increases the intake of food high in fat and sugar, and you sleep excessively under stress. Also, some people consume alcohol and all this leads to gaining weight around your abdomen and unfortunately, abdominal obesity puts you at risk for several lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and heart related issues.

In stress, adrenal glands release a hormone called cortisol, which makes you crave for carbohydrates, sugar and fatty foods. Food is soothing due to the chemical changes it creates in your body. Chocolate is an excellent example. When junk food is calling your name, it’s possible to put boundaries on your emotional eating habits. Ready to break free from stress eating?

The Solution To Beat Emotional Eating 

  • When you’re tempted to snack for emotional reasons, try moving instead. Just walk for 10 minutes.
  • Try a quick breathing exercise: Slowing down your breathing can trick your body into thinking you are going to sleep, which in turn relaxes your body. Close your eyes and slowly breathe in and out.
  • Sip black tea: A study in the journal of Psychopharmacology found that subjects who consumed black tea, experienced a 47% drop in their cortisol levels.
  • Try self-massage: It can be as simple as sitting down, rubbing your feet, one at a time, over the top of the heel, until you feel relaxed.

You’ll eat better and healthier foods if you don’t let your emotions guide your food choices! So be mindful about your choices. For more on stress, you can check Healthy Reads. To help you cope with emotional hunger or help you manage stress better, reach out to a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

Do leave your thoughts in the comments below!

#BeTheForce

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