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Listen to this podcast and learn how to reduce your while fasting!
Have you been wanting to take on a fast but feel scared because of hunger? If so, listen to this podcast and learn to conquer those hunger pangs during fasting! The tips that I mention in this podcast are methods that I personally have found helpful during fasting. Listed below are some common questions related to fasting. Some of these I do go over in the podcast. If you would like to learn more about hunger, you can also read my article called, How To Reduce Hunger Pangs While Fasting[ 8 Strategies]
Some common questions related to fasting
Now, I will go through some common questions related to fasting. I also featured these questions in the article that I mentioned above.
When do hunger pangs go away while fasting?
Ahh, the hunger pangs question. Such a common question! You are on a fast, and all of a sudden, you ponder the following, ” Will this hunger disappear? ” Okay, so here is your answer. Unless you take on a long fast for greater than two days, hunger doesn’t completely disappear. However, there are numerous ways to reduce those hunger pangs and make them manageable! Once you understand how your body operates the whole act of being “hungry,” you can employ different coping mechanisms.
First, understand that hunger comes in waves.
When first learning how to reduce hunger while fasting, it is important to understand that hunger tends to come in waves. Did you realize that hunger has its own circadian rhythm? Yes! Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, rises and falls in a natural circadian rhythm, with a low at 8:00 AM and a high at 8:00 PM1.
If hunger were simply due to lack of food, we would consistently be hungry in the morning after a long overnight fast. However, studies show that appetite is lowest in the morning, and breakfast is the smallest, not the largest meal 2.
When you encounter a “hunger wave,” you need to ride it out throughout the day! One of the main reasons I wrote this article is to help give YOU different methods to deal with these hunger waves. You are going to use all of the interventions I mention below to help you out!
So how long is the hunger wave?
If you are worried there is no way to learn how to reduce hunger during fasting then understand this concept. Hunger is not a continuous growing occurrence. The one thing you must understand is this; hunger will build up, peak, and then dissipate. All you have to do is ignore it – one thing you must realize when intermittent fasting is that it will return3. However, after you learn the different ways to deal with hunger, you can keep your mind occupied when the hunger returns. If you are mindful of hunger itself, it will help you deal with the “hunger waves.”
Next, understand hunger is a learned phenomenon
Even when we don’t think we’re hungry, smelling something yummy in the kitchen will prompt us to be ravenous. Did you remember learning about Pavlov’s theory in college? I do! In the 1890s, the Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov was studying salivation in dogs4. The whole premise was that dogs salivate when they see food and expect to eat. This reaction will occur naturally and without training5.
In his experiments, the lab assistants fed the dogs, and the dogs soon began to associate lab coats with eating! Nothing is appetizing about the lab coats; however, the dogs were fed by the men wearing the lab coats, and food became paired in their minds6!
What is the takeaway? Well, there may be learned behaviors in our life which may prompt us to be hungry! For example, whenever my husband comes home from work around 5:30 PM, I am always hungry. Now you may be wondering, “why does your husband make you hungry?” It’s not that he makes me hungry; it is because we usually eat when he gets home. So, when I am fasting, I find that I have to make an extra effort to ride that hunger wave whenever he walks in the door! This association is Pavlov’s theory working full force on me!
Incorporating intermittent fasting regularly will help to decrease hunger.
Surprisingly, practical experience with hundreds of patients report that they most often see their hunger diminish while they’re on an intermittent fasting regimen, not increase. They often say that despite their expectation, they are eating less than half their usual amount of food daily, yet they feel full7.
Links that I mentioned in the podcast
- MCT oil. I like Dr. Mercola’s MCT oil, you can purchase that here.
- Chilipad. This has been wonderful for helping my sleep continuity ( my ability to stay asleep at night). You can look at those here.
- Sauna. I love SaunaSpace.Click here to go to their website. You can use this coupon(HKGHEALING5 )
and get 5 % off. If you want to read more about how saunas can help, click here to read an article I published last year. - This article is about keto-friendly root vegetables. Click here to read.
If you want more info on fasting and keto diet, sign-up for my podcast!
If you liked this episode and want to learn more on how to reduce hunger while fasting, then sign up for my podcasts to get more updates on fasting, keto diet, chakra balance, and more! Every Thursday, I will send you updates on Keto and Chakra Balance!
Namaste!
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