We ask our Facebook fans their most burning questions ...

Question: Why am I hungry two hours after eating a full meal?
 
- Dawn Schommer

Answer: Though it feels like it, your stomach is not a bottomless pit. Nor is it your enemy. You may have heard it a million times, but when you control how and what you eat, your body should respond in your favor.
 
Here are a few things you should consider before you deadbolt your pantry, Dawn.
 
Slow it down. You need to give your body time for your satiety hormones to kick in, which tell your body that you don’t need to keep eating. I recommend making a meal last about 20 minutes to kick those hormones into high gear. If that means keeping a stopwatch near your plate, then so be it. If those hormones aren’t kicking in, it could also be because of a hormonal imbalance, often caused by eating processed foods that are high in carbs and sugar. Concentrate on making it last and lay off the shitty stuff.
 
Eat breakfast. It’s not called the Breakfast of Champions for nothin’. Skipping it can make you feel hungry all day long and intrigue you to eat more later. So make sure you put something in your belly before you tackle the day.
 
Make sure you’re getting enough protein, fiber and (healthy) fats. Keep a food journal and jot down everything you eat in week. Assess your diet to make sure you are getting the recommended amounts of protein, fiber and healthy fats. These essential nutrients help boost your levels of the hormones that suppress appetite, thereby curbing your desire to eat. In fact, adding a little of the good fats to your diet—polyunsaturated and monounsaturated—causes intestinal secretion of cholecystokinin (a.k.a. CCK) bile, which acts as a kick-ass appetite suppressant. Throw some pine nuts or avocado in that salad.
 
Eat foods with a higher water content. Chow down on foods with a higher water content—they’re more filling but low in calories.  Think soups with a vegetable-based broth, green salads, vegetables and fruit.
 
Finish off with a cup of green tea. Green tea helps satiate your appetite, so sip on a hot cup following a meal. Green tea isn’t only good for fighting those hunger pains—it also releases “feel-good” dopamine to improve your mood, lowers your risk of heart disease (the number one cause of death among American women), and word has it, it fights cancer. Sip away.
 
If the hunger persists, check with your healthcare professional to make sure that you don’t have a problem with an overactive thyroid or diabetes. Some types of oral medications will make you feel hungry even after meals, so if possible, consider holistic alternatives.
 


Kim Barnouin
After five years atop the Skinny Bitch phenomenon, author Kim Barnouin has grown as a cook, a nutritionist and a momma. Now she delivers the “Ultimate” cookbook for everyone looking for a healthier way to feed themselves, their families and friends.