Follow these five easy tips to help curb and control your hunger hormones.
Ghrelin, Ghrelin, Go Away
- Get adequate sleep.
It is very important that you get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Consider your sleeping habits and ways you can improve your nightly routine. Studies have shown that poor sleep has been associated with feeling hungrier the next day (2).
We all know what our hunger hormones can do when we don’t get an adequate amount of sleep. By getting the sleep you need, you will wake up feeling rested and be more inclined to make healthier food choices.
- Drink lots of (lemon) water throughout the day.
Drinking water is the easiest way to naturally detoxify your system. Also, drinking 8 glasses of water each day can provide you with a natural feeling of fullness, which can help to curb your hunger. Oftentimes, you may feel like you are hungry when you are actually thirsty.
Water is a natural appetite suppressor (3). On days when your hunger hormones are craving sugar or other refined carbs, drink a refreshing glass of lemon water, as lemon contains the fiber pectin, which is also an appetite suppressant.
Tame Your Hunger Hormones
- De-stress before bed.
Engaging in de-stressing activities can help you to unwind so you have an easier time falling and staying asleep. Instead of watching tv or looking at your phone, read a book. Stretch. Color. Listen to relaxing, meditative music. Try not to drink anything an hour before bed. Do you tend to wake up throughout the night? Chronic stress can also lead to poor eating habits, so de-stressing before bed can help give you the reset you need to get a decent night’s sleep.
- Exercise.
Engaging in daily physical activity is a great way to suppress ghrelin and get a good night’s sleep. Research shows that ghrelin influences your energy levels and metabolism (4). Therefore, daily exercise can suppress your hunger hormone because it helps to raise your metabolism and energy.
- Cut back on drinking alcohol.
Drinking alcohol dehydrates the body, especially the brain. Have you been struggling with weight loss and food cravings? If so, try cutting back on alcohol. Drinking before bed can cause your hunger hormones to increase, leading you to crave unhealthy foods (5). Try reducing your alcohol intake and drinking lemon water instead.
CentreSpringMD Has the Hunger Hormone Solutions You Need
The integrative and holistic medical team at CentreSpringMD can provide you with the solutions and supports you need to curb your hunger hormones. From nutritional counseling to weight management, we will provide you with natural, holistic treatments.
Schedule an appointment today with one of our integrative practitioners to get started on a health and wellness plan to control your ghrelin levels.
Resources:
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00662.x
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666317308899
- https://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2020/01/15/focus-on-wellness-drinking-more-water/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195666313001554
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1097/01.alc.0000191753.82554.7e
