December Issue 2023

WHY WE GET HUNGRY CONT’D
When you get hungry, it is because your body is releasing hormones
that trigger these feelings. “Migration Motor Complex (MMC) is
regulated by a hormone called motilin. Motilin-controlled
contractions cause rumbling in our stomachs and coincide with
hunger pains in humans.”3
BODY’S REACTION TO SKIPPING A MEAL
When you abstain from eating,
you begin to feel tired and slow.
Your hypothalamus is the part
of the brain that is responsible
for regulating your body’s
homeostasis. When you skip a
meal, your hypothalamus must
work extra hard to keep your
body regulated.4 Not only is
your body working overtime to
offset this imbalance, it’s also
literally starving. This means
the body is deficient in fuel and
nutrients.
A common misconception is
that skipping a meal will help
you become thinner... here’s
why it’s not that easy. When
you’re hungry, your body's
cortisol levels (stress hormone)
go up, causing your body to hold
onto every little sliver of
nutrition it gets.4 Cortisol can
also cause you to feel anxious
and depressed.1 Once that
nutrient supply is dried up, your
body will go into ketosis, a state
your body enters when it begins
to burn fat.
As you continue to abstain from
eating, your body begins
breaking down your muscles,
resulting in a loss of muscle
mass. When you begin eating
normally again, your body will
revert to its normal weight.
People will often overeat or
gorge on holiday food and end
up gaining more weight than
they started with.
Eating should never feel
stressful. This mentality can
put you at risk of developing an
eating disorder or losing the
enjoyment in food. Constantly
worrying about food and what is
“bad” for you can become
obsessive and lead to bulimia or
anorexia.5 To prevent these
occurrences from happening, it
could be helpful to practice
mindful and intuitive eating.5
This involves listening to your
body’s natural hunger and
fullness cues. Your body will tell
you what it needs. This can be a
great way to stay healthy.
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