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Do you often fall into the “craving trap” and buy yourself an ice cream, a warm croissant, a slice of cake or a cheese roll even though you’re not hungry? Here’s the problem: these “cravings” come from the different types of hunger, and there are several of them.
Hunger has 12 faces
Hunger can have many triggers, from physical needs to emotional and social factors. Only stomach hunger is true hunger, while all other types often trigger cravings for food without our body needing food. It is important to know these different types in order to deal with food cravings more consciously and to better control your own eating behavior.
1. eye hunger
“Look at this heavenly cake with its juicy red raspberries and tempting chocolate icing!” Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? But wait a minute, sometimes our bodies are a little rascals. If hunger strikes as soon as we see something delicious, then we’re dealing with the infamous eye hunger. And to be honest, eye hunger isn’t really hunger, it’s just an appetite that’s triggered when we see something that appeals to us.
2. nose hunger
The tantalizing smell of food can trigger nose hunger, even when the stomach is already full. Smells such as freshly baked bread or fried food tempt us to eat more. Nasal hunger tricks us into believing that we are hungry, even though our stomach is probably not empty. This happens when tempting aromas surround us and try to entice us to eat. But don’t be fooled! Distraction is also helpful here: close the window or walk quickly past fragrant temptations.
3. head hunger
Eye hunger and nose hunger usually merge seamlessly into head hunger. Head hunger is characterized by the fact that your thoughts suddenly only revolve around this one food. You can’t think of anything else but this one particular food. One of the biggest challenges to head hunger during your weight loss journey is deprivation. Prohibitions trigger emotional eating and make them much more appealing than they actually are. If you forbid yourself chocolate, you will soon have nothing but chocolate buzzing around in your head, and the desire for it will become ever greater. Instead of practicing abstinence, it helps to consciously plan food for a later meal.
4. mouth hunger
Mouth cravings are the need for a certain texture or flavor. We want to feel something crunchy, sweet, or savoury in our mouths, even if we are not hungry. Here it helps to satisfy the mouth by consciously chewing at mealtimes and paying attention to the consistency of the food.
5. thirst
We often confuse thirst with hunger. A glass of water can help to quench thirst. Make sure you drink enough throughout the day to avoid unnecessary calorie intake.
6. habitual hunger
This hunger arises out of habit or because it is mealtime. We eat because our brain tells us it’s time for a meal or because we don’t want to be rude, especially in social situations. Your colleagues always go to the canteen at 11:45 and so do you. Or: You meet friends at a restaurant in the evening; you’re actually quite full because you didn’t eat lunch until later, but you still order two or three courses. Afterwards, you’re annoyed because you ate without being hungry. We often eat in situations like this because we don’t want to stand out in the crowd. The others are eating, so I eat too, and it tastes good too.
7. stomach hunger
So there it is, stomach hunger or also known as abdominal hunger. Here we are dealing with REAL hunger. It can be quite rebellious and make itself heard loudly. You feel that unpleasant tingling and pulling sensation in your stomach that clearly tells you: “Hey, it’s time for more!” This hunger reminds you that it’s time to provide your body with nutrients and, of course, good food. Your stomach now needs something nutritious so that it can carry on full of fresh energy.
8. cell hunger
Cell hunger – also known as “demand hunger,” is a very special hunger that announces itself quietly but persistently. Your body sends you a specific message that it is craving specific nutrients. It’s as if your cells are communicating with each other and whispering: “Hey, we need some of that good stuff to keep us going!” Whether it’s meat, carbohydrates, dairy products or fresh raw food – your cell hunger knows exactly what it needs. For me, it’s often the urgent need for a fresh, crisp salad and/or dairy products such as feta or yoghurt. This special hunger signals to us what our body needs at the moment (hence the term “hunger”) in order to function optimally.
9. cravings
Oh yes, we all know it! This hunger often arises when we haven’t eaten enough during the day or have eaten unbalanced or incorrectly. Your blood sugar levels go on a rollercoaster, and you feel a strong craving for quick energy, usually in the form of sweet, fatty or carbohydrate-rich snacks.
Cravings are often triggered because we have eaten too little or the wrong food. Not eating for many hours or after consuming sugar, white flour products, and/or alcohol is quite likely to trigger cravings.
10. hormone cravings
Hormone cravings usually plague us women in our physically sensitive phase, on the one hand, before or during menstruation and on the other during and after menopause.
During the menstrual cycle, your body undergoes various hormonal changes, including an increase in progesterone and oestrogen.
These two hormones can influence appetite and eating behaviour. Progesterone levels increase especially in the luteal phase of the cycle (the time between ovulation and the start of menstruation). This can lead to increased hunger and cravings for certain foods—unfortunately, these cravings are often for sweet or high-calorie snacks.
11 Emotional hunger
The fact that some of us go overboard with food very often has little to do with actual hunger. However, it can become “dangerous” when food is used as an emotional coping mechanism.
Yes, food is food for the soul—but only as long as you have control over how much you eat.
Emotions play a major role in our lives. They are our inner compass that guides us and shows us how we feel. However, sometimes we can be overwhelmed by our emotions. Then we often try to control or suppress them in unhealthy ways. By eating and eating and eating some more, we try to deal with difficult emotions. For example, the urge to eat can be triggered by feelings of anxiety, sadness, loneliness or even joy. Eating then becomes a means of suppressing or even “numbing” these emotions.
12. hunger of the heart
Heart hunger is closely linked to emotional hunger but goes even deeper. It arises when we feel emotional emptiness or unfulfilled longings. We often eat to comfort ourselves or to distract ourselves from stressful feelings.
In this case, it helps to consciously deal with our own feelings and find solutions that are not based on food
So there you have it—the 12 different types of hunger. To develop a healthy, mindful relationship with yourself, you need to pay attention to your emotional needs and, above all, make the connection between your mind and your body. By learning to consciously perceive, reflect on, and respect your feelings, you will strengthen your inner balance.
Try to listen to what you really need in order to be happy.
This will also help you develop a healthy relationship with food and, subsequently, with your body.
- source: gesund24.at/picture: Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
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