Hungry? Or Thirsty?
How am I helping myself by doing the following?
Doing some of the techniques may actually help you in a way.
If you drink water, when your body is actually asking for water, you may save the unwanted, unhealthy food from entering your system.
Another way to think of it is when you drink a big glass of water and not an overkill amount of junk food, you are saving space in yourself for healthy foods.
How do I avoid the confusion in my system?
Why does this matter?
Your body needs the water it asks for and counts on it to satisfy your cells, tissues, and organs.
Water is required for proper functioning, so when you consume food instead of water, it can be unhealthy.
Your body will give you the truth about what it needs and this includes water.
Another part of why this is happening is because the region in your brain that sends the signals for thirst, is the same region where hunger signals are sent.
The best idea is to drink a cup of water before you eat, wait a bit, and then see if you are still hungry.
Usually if you have recently eaten and you seemed full, but seem hungry again in a short time, you are truly thirsty.
The websites I used
Why am I hungry when really, I need water?
If this is not the case and you try drinking water, but your hunger is not gone, you are probably still hungry.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=are_you_hungry_or_just_thirsty
http://www.inspiredfitstrong.com/2013/nutrition/5410/
The signal for thirst can be mistaken for the signal of hunger.
Another way to avoid confusion is to drink as much water as needed for your body because this will mean the signals are not getting so mixed up.
It is all about the way you take in the signals.
About 40% of human beings mistake thirst for hunger. So it is not surprising if you have this confusion.
Your body might truly need a cup of water, but sends a signal that can look like hunger signals.
Nervous System
Endocrine System
Your Brain Functioning
The region in your brain that receives signals for thirst and hunger is called the hypothalamus.
Your hypothalamus works with your nervous system to communicate with your endocrine system.
That may seem complicated, but your endocrine system maintains your body growth.
So this is why your hypothalamus can receive signals from your body about food and water needs. Remember, all this functioning is going on in your brain.