Dr Michael Mosley has revealed the four main reasons why you're always hungry despite eating enough. Cravings are one of the main reasons why many people fail diets in the long term, but there are ways you can reduce hunger pangs while making sure you get all the essential nutrients needed for a healthy lifestyle.
Hunger is your body's natural cue that you need to eat more food, but it does not indicate you need calories. This means, you may have already eaten enough calories for the day, but still feel hungry. Feeling hungry despite consuming enough can lead to weight gain, overeating and unnecessary discomfort.
Writing on his Fast 800 blog, Dr Mosley highlighted why may be feeling hungry all the time, identifying a lack of nutrients and dehydration as two key factors. He wrote: "Although you may feel you're eating enough, if you aren't getting the right nutrients you may feel more hungry after or between meals."
"If you are eating too many refined carbs, and your diet is low in protein, fat, or fibre you may feel hungry more frequently as your body is craving what it really needs."
This is often why following a Mediterranean-style diet comes highly recommended from both nutritionists and doctors. The diet is packed full of vegetables, beans, legumes, fish, fruit, Greek yoghurt and whole grains - providing ample amounts of nutrients and protein.
Dr Mosley went on to explain: "If you're feeling a little peckish but have recently eaten, have a glass of water and reassess your own hunger levels."
"Not only can dehydration lead to hunger throughout the day, but it can also lead to eating more at mealtimes. A study of 14 people who drank 2 cups of water before a meal found that they ate 600 fewer calories than those who didn't."
Two other factors highlighted by Dr Mosley are not getting enough sleep and eating too quickly. Getting the right amount of sleep has been shown to reduce the impact of the huger hormone ghrelin, meaning you are less likely to get hungry.
Meanwhile, Dr Mosley also recommends eating more slowly. Studies have shown consuming food quickly leads to you eating around 10 percent more than if you slow down.
