Learn to avoid anxiety and psychological hunger

“For many overweight people the question is not what to eat, but when to stop eating.” They emphasize from the European Medical Institute of Obesity. Explains how to control psychological hunger. That which does not arise from physiological need but from anxiety. The problem The proliferation of so-called ‘fast food’ is not the only indicator that something is wrong in our relationship with food. This is how blunt Rubén Bravo, spokesperson for the European Medical Institute on Obesity (IMEO) and nutrition expert, is. For this specialist, “the key is when to stop eating. Today we consume many more calories than we need. About 3,437 calories on average per inhabitant. But most women and men do not need more than 2,000 or 2,500 calories a day, respectively.” According to Bravo, “it is very important to know how to distinguish between hunger that arises from a physiological need and anxiety. Which we can describe as ‘psychological hunger’. Often nourished by stress, depressive tendency, gluttony or simple boredom.” How to deal with psychological hunger “For this reason, it is best to ensure that you are not hungry by eating between five and seven meals a day.” The IMEO expert suggests. Explains that an intake is the set of substances that are ingested in a certain period of time. “People who for work reasons are forced to have breakfast or dinner, respectively, very early or very late, should increase their usual intakes with an ‘after dinner’, which may consist of yogurt before going to bed, and a second snack mid-morning,” he adds. “The hunger e produced by eating a few meals a day is the perfect ally for anxiety and psychobiochemical binge eating,” he highlights. Plan your diet Always include proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats in each main meal, is another way to ensure that, throughout the day, we are not hungry. According to Bravo, who, however, recommends “avoiding sweets and simple or refined carbohydrates that are not whole grains or high in fiber.” For this nutritionist, “it is essential to plan our diet. This way we will avoid improvising when we feel hungry. It is always better to take the lunch box, the piece of fruit, the snack or the yogurt to work, than to take chocolates, sweets, industrial pastries and other products from the vending machine.” To reduce anxiety, the IMEO recommends not skipping meals and avoiding impersonal diets, that are too strict or that limit our social life, because in the long term they fail. And sleep for seven to eight hours a day, which favors the biorhythm of diurnal vitality and rest night. “Eliminate caffeine in coffee, tea or energy drinks.” It is also positive for reducing stress. As well as taking two to four ounces of chocolate with 70 percent pure cocoa or more every day. This will enhance our emotional well-being,” according to this nutrition expert. “People who sense that they eat because of anxiety are recommended to have their serotonin, acetylcholine, and brain dopamine checked. These three hormones are usually responsible for stress and anxiety. And, if their levels are low, they can be corrected by improving nutritional and physical activity habits.” According to Bravo. &#82 20;If we continue to be anxious, we can use phytotherapy products such as velvet bean (Mucuna Pruriens). A plant whose seeds promote the proper functioning of the nervous system. Or Griffonia, some African seeds that help reduce anxious and depressive states without affecting the functioning of the brain or creating addiction.” According to the expert.