Over the years I’ve learnt not to reach for a donut or a packet of crisps when the hunger pangs hit.

Instead these days I grab a piece of fruit with some nuts, which keeps me satisfied until my next meal…

How about you? When do your hunger pangs usually kick in, mid morning or mid afternoon?

So why do we get these feelings of hunger and how do you control your appetite?

These hunger pangs happen because of the hormone ghrelin, taken from the word ‘ghre’ in the Pro-Indo-European language, meaning to grow.

Ghrelin is released when the stomach is empty. You need to keep ghrelin’s level low during the day to keep your hunger pangs under control. Apart from an empty stomach, eating too few calories for your body’s needs and drinking alcohol can also raise your ghrelin levels.

Here are my 5 tips to help you control your appetite:

1. Eat breakfast – aim for a bowl of slow burning complex carbs such as oatmeal with blueberries & scrambled eggs.

2. Stick to your meals times – stay on a schedule when it comes to your 5 small meals a day. Always be prepared, meaning if you are out and about carry a bag of trail mix with you.

3. Stay away from processed foods, fast foods and anything that isn’t wholesome, natural and fresh.

4. Eat protein – this helps you feel fuller for longer. Always have protein with every meal whether that be with your snacks, breakfast or dinner. Try adding whey protein to a smoothie.

5. Get your 8 hours of sleep each night. When you haven’t had enough zzzz’s, your food cravings will shoot through the roof and the desire for calorie dense high foods will increase.

So, keep those ghrelin levels low by following my 5 tips. Not only will they keep the hunger pangs at bay but they will also stop you from putting on any excess weight.

Stay fit, keep focused and feel fabulous!

Steph.

Author of The Flat Stomach Solution

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