Can you think about a life without food? It is impossible. Because food is the fuel we need for energy. But when you tend to always think about food all the time and indulge in unhealthy eating patterns, it can be a serious problem. Thinking about food is somewhat normal as we need to fuel up our bodies continuously. But as they say, too much of everything can be problematic. In today’s world, following a diet culture is what people assume to be a healthy eating habit. However, dieting won’t be effective if you are preoccupied with food and worry about it all the time.
This article examines the various pathways that control your eating habits and how to stop thinking about food all the time by using some simple methods!
Why Do You Always Think About Food?
Food is important to nourish our life energy. But when you always think about food, it can be a real issue. There can be several reasons why you always think about food. Before diving into that, you should understand two basic and interrelated pathways that control your hunger and food intake.
According to National Center for Biotechnolgy Information , homeostatic and hedonic signaling pathways interaction is a main part of regulating food intake. Here is how these pathways control your food intake and regulate hunger responses.
Homeostatic pathway
In this pathway, your hunger is stimulated as a result of energy depletion to maintain energy balance. It is carried out by the circulation of hormones such as leptin and ghrelin. It is associated with basic metabolic processes and you feel the need to eat when you are in a caloric deficit state.
Hedonic pathway
This is a reward-based regulation system that causes food cravings. It causes you to consume hyper-palatable foods (foods high in fat and sugar) even though your body has enough energy for metabolic functions. Hedonic pathways are connected with dopamine receptors in the brain as hyperpalatable foods can stimulate the instant release of dopamine.
As we have learned what are homeostatic and hedonic pathways, now let us discuss the triggers behind them.
- Triggers behind homeostatic pathways
As a primary mechanism that helps you stay balanced in energy levels, homeostatic pathways are usually triggered by the current energy balance in your body. As mentioned earlier, two hormones are released when your body wants to signal it is hungry, and they are ghrelin and leptin. The thoughts of food are caused by ghrelin, the hunger hormone which is produced when your body needs calories. But on the other hand, leptin is the hunger-suppressing hormone, which is released when you are full.
- Triggers behind hedonistic pathways
Unlike homeostatic pathways, hedonistic pathways need not be triggered by the energy balance of your body. Some of the factors that stimulate these pathways include:
- Your environment
- Thoughts
- Food availability
- Stress
- Emotions
- Advertisements and commercials on food.
How to Stop Thinking About Food All Time?
There are many ways through which you can stop thinking about food all the time. Some of these tips are listed below for your convenience.
1. Ensure that you are eating enough
One of the main reasons why you tend to think about food all the time is that you are not eating a sufficient amount of food. The thoughts of food are simply a signal that your body and brain send you to eat more food. So before jumping to any further conclusions, ensure that you are eating enough food daily.
2. Stop the guilt trip
Often when you tend to think about food all the time, it can lead to a cycle of guilt and shame. Do not fall for that trap. Show yourself some grace and accept that you are having this recurring thought. Acceptance is the key to success so compromise with yourself first and don’t label your thoughts as negative.
3. Identify your hunger cues
Most of the time, you might be eating out of hedonistic pathways. So understanding what triggers your hunger is a crucial step. Some of the triggers that can cause you to think about food all the time are stress, being emotional, seeing someone else eat, food commercials, boredom, etc.
4. Consume foods that make you full
Eating more vegetables and fruits can fulfill you and don’t leave you starved. Make sure you are eating nutrient-rich food every day as this can help you prevent the cravings for high-fat foods. Research published by NIH has supported the effectiveness of healthy snacking in reducing thoughts on food.
5. Drink more water
Hydration can help you get the thought of food out of your brain. Drinking water has proven to make you feel fuller for longer. According to research published in the Physiology & Behaviour journal, increasing water intake can influence hunger and food preference, causing you to have fewer cravings for unhealthy foods.
6. Go for mindful eating
Mindfulness is a term we repeatedly hear nowadays. Applying the principles of mindfulness to eating can stop your thoughts on food. When you eat mindfully, by being more present and aware of what you are eating, you tend to eat less and more healthier.
7. Seek professional help
In case your thoughts on food are out of hand and it affects your life quality, do not hesitate to seek out medical help. It can be a symptom of some kind of eating disorder so an expert can help you identify the triggers and stop the thoughts.
Building a Better Relationship With Food
One of the ways through which you can stop thinking about food all the time is by building a better relationship with it. Yes, you heard it right. It is similar to a relationship that you put effort into such as a friend, spouse, or any other family member. It is crucial not to see food as an enemy but as a friend. Here are a few tips to create a better relationship with food.
- There are no bad foods- Even if that can sound a bit exaggerated, it is a fact. If you want to create a better relationship with food, stop labeling it as good or bad unless you are medically advised to do so. The so-called unhealthy foods like ice cream, pasta, pizza, etc become unhealthy only if you consume them regularly. Instead, once in a while, there is no problem in eating it as a treat or indulgence.
- Learn about your hunger cues- As discussed earlier, understanding the specific times and environments where you are triggered to eat is important to have a healthy relationship with it. Understand what makes you crave certain foods and at which time it happens. Examine whether those urges come from a feeling of hunger or just to fill the gap or boredom you feel.
- Mindful eating- We have discussed that mindful eating can help you stop thinking about food all the time. It can also help you build a better relationship with food. While eating, give full attention to what you are eating and enjoy every bit with full awareness and satisfaction.
- Don’t skip meals- Skipping meals can lead to overeating and result in eating disorders. So do not try to replace your breakfast with a cup of morning coffee in the name of hustling. Invest time to eat your meals at a regular time.
Asking for Help
If you have tried all the aforementioned methods and still can’t stop thinking about food, the problem might be due to some underlying reasons. In that case, seeking professional help might be ideal. A trained expert, such a dietitian or psychologist, can assist you in identifying the situations or people that cause you to overeat. They can help you go through self-examination and find out the cues that lead to unhealthy eating patterns.
So if you are struggling with such situations, do not hesitate to seek help and support from medical experts. Understand that there is no shame in asking for help, and the problem only aggravates if you don’t do so.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it can be understood that there are various reasons why one can’t stop thinking about food. Even though food is necessary to maintain our energy, too much indulgence in thinking about it can be a symptom of an underlying condition. Understanding the triggers behind such a behavior can be an effective way to treat it. Also, eating at regular intervals, drinking more water, not labeling food as good or bad, ditching dieting, etc can be helpful measures to stop thinking about food. After all, having a healthy relationship with food is necessary. For that practicing mindful eating and seeking professional help will be ideal.
FAQs
Accept your thoughts and sit with them. Examine why they are coming and what your body is trying to say. Also, adopting healthy eating patterns and seeking guidance can be helpful.
Hunger and cravings are two different things. If you have a hormonal imbalance of leptin and serotonin, you tend to crave food.
Practicing mindful eating, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, consuming more protein-rich foods, etc can stop you feeling hungry.
Instead of junk foods, consume fresh fruits, Greek yogurt, dark chocolate, fruit and nut butter, etc.
Underfueling means you are not having enough food or you are not consuming the right kinds of food.
References
- Rogers PJ, Smit HJ. Food craving and food “addiction”: a critical review of the evidence from a biopsychosocial perspective. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2000;66:3–14. [PubMed]
- Chapelot D. The role of snacking in energy balance: a biobehavioral approach. J Nutr 2011;141:158–62. [Google Scholar]
