"Hunger" vs "Thirst"

Okay . . . so the question for today is this . . . are we really "Hungry" or just "Thirsty"???

Well . . . guess what???

A lot of the symptoms are the "same" . . . for both "hunger" and "thirst".

And the "same" part of the brain is "responsible" for interpreting both "hunger" and "thirst" signals

And when we're dehydrated . . . we can feel tired, have grumbling in the stomach or become light headed . . . just like when we're hungry.

So ultimately . . . this "snacking thing" that most Americans do . . . is REALLY just a "thirst" thing . . . and we don't even know it.

And guess what???

There's an element we "eat" everyday that can "trigger" this miscommunication process in the brain . . . which we'll talk about later.

So how can we tell if we're "hungry" . . . or really just "thirsty"???

Well . . . the human body actually needs to eat a meal every 3 to 4 hours . . .

And "IF" you feel "hungry" between meals . . . you're MOST LIKELY . . . just "dehydrated . . . and NOT REALLY "HUNGRY" AT ALL.

Right there . . . we just "eliminated" a bunch of calories by NOT eating snacks between meals.

Now . . . according to the recent report from Mintel, Snacking Motivations and Attitudes U.S. . . . nearly all Americans (94%) snack at least once a day . . . and with this . . . snacking has become the "new American pastime" . . . especially since the pandemic started.

SO HOW OFTEN DO YOU SNACK???

Well . . . the truth is . . . most people confuse "thirst" and "hunger" . . . and therefore . . . clinical studies have shown that people mistake these signs and signals all the time.

And therefore . . . "WE SNACK ALL THE TIME"!!!

So let me ask you this question . . . do you have dry skin????

Well . . . this is a sign that you're dehydrated and "thirsty".

Some other symptoms would be . . .

Headaches

Fatigue

Lightheadedness

And difficulty concentrating

Okay . . . so since we've been talking about our "weight loss efforts" the past few months . . . how can keeping "hydrated" help with our losing weight???

Well . . . water can help to take up space in the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness and reducing hunger.

And drinking a glass of water before reaching for something to eat can help curb unnecessary snacking.

Again . . . this helping to cut the calories and lose weight.

Okay . . . so LISTEN UP PEOPLE!

Unfortunately . . . as we age . . . our ability to sense "thirst" . . . "decreases" . . . making it "important" for people over 60 to "hydrate" even "IF" you don't feel "thirsty".

"Dehydration" contribute to reduced "enzyme activity" and slower "metabolic" processes.

You see . . . water is needed to break down "fats" into fatty acids, polysaccharides into monosaccharide and glucose and protein into amino acids . . . so we can utilize this process for energy to burn calories and our fat.

So moral to this story is . . . when you think you're "hungry" and it's not a meal time . . . "THINK TWICE PEOPLE" . . . and ask yourself . . . am I really "hungry" . . . or am I just "thirsty"???

And "grab" a glass of water . . . instead of a calorie filling snack.

Now tomorrow . . . we'll talk about the element that can make it difficult for the body to determine if its . . . "hungry" . . . or "thirsty".

As always, feel free to DM or contact me at: miraclemeadows.net/contact/