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Lay Off Me ? I?m Starving!!
by briangryn | July 22, 2018 | Eat Clean
Who starred in this famous SNL skit?

That is right!!?
Chris Farley?
This term is way over used because most of us don?t know what true hunger is?
Hunger, most often, is?
not a reflection?of the amount of food filling our stomach.
It?s a?
learned?phenomenon.
We can become hungry for many reasons.
The?
smell of a cookie?can create salivation, pancreatic fluid secretion and insulin production upon the expectation, not the actual delivery, of food.?
Ok ? enough with the science?
There are infinite other possible?
associations?with foods that make us ?hungry.?
If we consistently?
eat every morning at 7:30am, then we develop a?
conditioned response?to that time and become hungry. The same applies to lunch, dinnertime and snacks.
We become hungry merely because of the time, not any true intrinsic hunger. This is?
learned?through years of association.
Notice?
most children?refuse food early in the morning because they are simply not hungry.
Of course, big food companies?
spend billions?trying to condition us to make the following associations:
- Movies =?Popcorn + Sugary drinks
- Ball Game =?Hot Dog + Beer
- Watching TV, Attending a concert, Listening to a lecture =?eat, eat, eat?
In the modern industrialized world, we are?
accustomed?to eating ?round the clock.
We eat when we are?
happy, sad, bored, excited ,stressed out?etc?
Vending machines in every location possible. Starbucks or McDonalds on every corner.
I think you get the point?we are?
bombarded?daily with images of and references to food.
So how can we defeat hunger conditioning?
Intermittent fasting?offers a unique solution.
By?
randomly skipping meals?and varying the intervals at which we eat, we can break our habit of eating 3, 4, 5 or 6 times throughout the day.
We no longer become hungry simply because it is 7:30am or noon or we are at the movies?etc?
Have you ever noticed a day when you are?
so busy you skip lunch?and keep going like nothing has happened.
You missed your?
hunger cues?so your body used its?
own?stored fuel (glycogen or fat) as energy. (this is normal)
The key with all this is to reconnect with the feeling of true hunger not by a conditioned response to a certain time or occasion.
We allow?
our body?to tell us when it needs nourishment rather than eating by the clock or any other conditioned reason.
If your stomach starts to growl have a warm beverage like
?black coffee or tea?and move on with your day.
Find a time?
when you are busy?and it will be easier to do?
You will realize it is really not a big deal?

It?s all about balancing your fasting and feasting times!
Have a great day!
Brian