Intuitive eating is a philosophy of eating that helps you guide your eating based on your internal hunger cues. There is no theoretical diet pattern to follow, and the focus is on eating by listening to and understanding your body and its hunger cues. Following intuitive eating is a great way to build a healthy relationship with food and your body. In intuitive eating, there are four different types of hunger. In a video on Instagram, Sohi Carpenter, a popular fitness coach, simplifies these four types of hunger and explains how it is valid to honor each of them with a balanced approach.
Here are the 4 different types of hunger we experience:
1. Physical hunger
Physical hunger is a normal type of hunger you feel when your body needs food. It arises from the biological need for energy from food. You might feel it as a “grumbling in your stomach or maybe you’re irritable or have low energy,” shares Carpenter. It’s important to eat food and not suppress your physical hunger.
Also read: Watch: Why do we feel hungry immediately after eating food? Expert explains in viral video
2. Practical hunger
Practical hunger is when you’re “not physically hungry right now, but are eating to reduce physical hunger in the future,” Carpenter explains. For example, if you’re going to be leaving the house for several hours to run errands in the city, it may be easier for you to eat a proper meal at home first so you don’t have to worry about food while you’re out.
3. Emotional hunger
Emotional eating is when you eat in response to emotions. “Contrary to popular belief, while we may not want to adopt food as our sole coping mechanism to deal with negative emotions, emotional eating is not in itself a bad thing,” Carpenter explains. Food eaten with a positive outlook can be a source of great comfort and gratitude.
Also read: How to know if you are really hungry? Experts explain how to listen to your body
4. Hunger for taste
There’s always room for dessert, right? Taste hunger is when you eat something because you’re in the mood for it. If you enjoy ice cream after dinner, you’re satisfying your taste buds. Craving a particular kind of burger and going to the mall to eat it is a sign of satisfying your taste buds.
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Recognizing what kind of hunger you’re feeling can help you be more aware of what your body needs. “It’s okay to eat for reasons other than physical hunger,” says Carpenter.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides general information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
