The Physical Differences Between the Feelings of Hunger and Thirst

Who hasn’t overeaten or ate unhealthy junk and comfort foods, even when we are not even hungry. If our body had the the ability to talk what we would hear is “I’m thirsty”, but eat instead. Why is it that we have such a hard time understanding when we are truly hungry or we simply need to quench our thirst’ The sensations of huger and thirst are so similar.

[Tweet “I’d like to share with you some sublte differences between the feelings of thirst and hunger”]. Learn these and you won’t confuse the two ever again.

Listening to Your Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is the part of your brain that monitors and controls hunger and thirst. The next time you think you may be hungry, try drinking an 8 ounce glass of water. And then give your hypothalamus time (usually 15 minutes is plenty) to communicate to your body whether it is happy with your water treatment, or needs food.

After 15 minutes and  you still feel hungry, it is probably okay to go ahead and eat. Some of you may say what if my stomach starts to talk to me. A grumbling stomach could mean nothing at all, it could mean you are thirsty, or it might mean you are hungry. Learn to press the pause button before you put food in your mouth.

When Was The Last Time You Ate’

If it has been several hours, you may very well be hungry. That is where the “water test” mentioned above comes in handy. Believe it or not, we can go longer without food than water, so be sure to drink more often.

Another difference between thirst and hunger reveals itself if you continually eat and eat, but still feel like you have an empty stomach. Odds are, you need to get more liquids into your body.

If you believe that you may be hungry but you also have a headache and are feeling tired and fatigued, that is a physical sign that you are probably dehydrated.

[Tweet “Eating when you are thirsty, and drinking water when you are hungry, does not do your body much good”]. By using the above tips to differentiate between the physical signs of hunger and thirst, and you will treat your body properly every time.