Our appetite may be related to certain nutrient deficiencies or eating habits. It can also be emotionally charged, because our body associates the satisfaction of hunger with pleasant sensations, resulting in a dose of dopamine.
Hunger and satiety are associated with the activation of hypothalamic centers in the brain. Hunger usually begins a few hours after a meal, when food begins to be absorbed into the bloodstream in the gastrointestinal tract. This is because the stomach is emptying and getting ready to take in food. When food is available, the body feels hungry and tends to fill the stomach.
The mechanisms of hunger and satiety are inherited from our ancestors when food was not always available. At the moment, our desire to fill our stomach can evoke positive emotions, but it can also lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes. For this reason, it is useful to follow the rule of keeping the stomach half hungry after a meal.
Even if the nutrients have not yet started to be absorbed into the bloodstream, we feel full about 20-25 minutes after eating. The body usually reacts in advance to stimuli. For example, eating sweets causes excessive insulin release. It’s important to remember that even small amounts of food can help you feel full if you wait a bit. Eating too fast can lead to overeating and negative health consequences.
Thus, hunger and satiety are associated with physiological mechanisms in our body that have been developed to survive in conditions of food scarcity. Now it is important to learn how to control your diet and not overeat to maintain your health and fitness.
Source: Ferra
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