Do you feel hungry even after a large meal? If this happens to you regularly, then you might want to check what you are eating. Quite often, it the food you eat that is responsible for post meal/snack hunger. Usually, natural whole foods make you feel fuller and satisfied, while processed and junk foods keep you craving for more. Here are 6 foods that make you feel hungrier:
1. Commercially available Chinese food (Specifically the type available in India and fast food)
Those who crave for Chinese food even after a big meal of Chinese food are doing so because of two reasons. One, the food contains specific types of carbohydrates which are usually high on the glycemic index and the body needs to produce additional insulin to digest this food, which causes the blood sugar to fall and increases your hunger. And secondly, these foods basically contain something called MSG, a chemical that provides flavor and makes food tasty. This result in continued cravings even after the flavor leaves the taste buds.
2. Pizzas / Burgers
Fast foods are highly processed foods and high in sodium. These foods, when ingested cause an increase of hydrochloric acid in the stomach and to neutralize the acid, the stomach sends a signal to the brain to eat more. Hence it becomes a vicious cycle.
3. Dark chocolates
Dark chocolates contain L-arginine (a vasodilator) and phenylethylamine, which makes you feel happy and the truth is that both sweet as well salty snacks are very hard to put down. Dark chocolate contains unhealthy fats, which is also another reason why we tend to keep eating more.
4. Alcohol
When we consume alcohol, it stimulates our hypothalamus which regulates things such as body temperature, circadian rhythms, and most importantly hunger. Alcohol is also high on the glycemic index, which leads to cravings for unhealthy food.
5. Artificial sweeteners
When we consume artificial sweetener, the brain keeps on waiting for the real calories to come. This causes a drop in blood sugar which triggers hunger and cravings for more food. People are not metabolically satisfied after consuming artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are known to rapidly stimulate the release of insulin and Leptin hormones that are involved with satiety and fat storage, and may therefore lead to weight gain.
6. Bakery products
Bakery products are processed and refined carbohydrates that contain high-fructose corn syrups that cause a spike in blood sugar and lower the Leptin hormone which leads you to crave more of those foods.
Nutritionally, you should make healthy changes in your regular dietary pattern like starting meals with salads, replacing alcoholic beverages with water, eating your meals slowly and keeping your portions in control.