Do you always feel ravenous, even though you just polished off a tasty meal? If this applies to you, you're not alone. Some people are just more prone to feeling hungry all the time. A thyroid issue, for instance, or being on certain antidepressants that have been linked to increased appetite, for the most part, the culprit is likely your diet or lifestyle, something that's totally in your control. Here are 5 possible reasons while you may feel like a bottomless pit, along with small tweaks you can make to your lifestyle to keep you feeling satisfied.
1. You Didn’t Have a Big Enough Breakfast
According to a long-term study by University of Cambridge researchers, people who ate just 300 calories for breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500 calories or more. The reason, eating a big breakfast makes for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day, meaning you have fewer sudden food cravings.
2. Drinking Too Much Soda
Need another excuse to cut soda out of your diet? Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are chock full of high-fructose corn syrup, which has been linked to lower levels of satiety, according to a study conducted by Yale University.
That's because consuming fructose blocks our brain's ability to process signals from the hormone leptin, the “satiation hormone” that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat, essentially tricking our brains into craving more food, even when we’re full.
3. Not Drinking Enough Water
Dehydration often mimics the feeling of hunger. That's because the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates hunger and thirst, can send you mixed messages when you're super thirsty, leading you to think that you need a snack even though you really just need a glass of water.
4. Consume Came Out of a Can
Many plastic food and beverage containers contain the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA. The low levels of BPA we're exposed to are safe, but studies have shown that BPA can affect your waistlines. According to a study from 2014, BPA changes the levels of hormones leptin and ghrelin, which control hunger and satiety. A spike in these hormone levels can lead to food cravings, which can in turn lead to weight gain.
5. Don’t Eat Enough Salad
Leafy greens are high in vitamin K, an insulin-regulating nutrient that helps quash cravings. You should get at least 120 micrograms of vitamin K a day, which is equal to about one cup of kale.