Time to Eat

It’s happened to us all.

You’re in the middle of an important meeting when your stomach starts to rumble. As hard as you try to will it away, the rumbling gets louder until, finally, your gurgling belly lets out an angry growl you’re sure everyone around you hears.

Though embarrassing, a growling stomach reminds us that the Creator designed our bodies to uniquely sound the alarm when it’s time for our next meal.

The Body Clock

Your biological clock keeps your body on a strict schedule. In fact, your body follows circadian rhythms—physical, mental, and behavioral changes that organize our 24-hour days. Our brains act as the “master clock” for the body, sending and receiving hormones to keep the rest of our body’s clocks in sync. Come noon, you may feel hungry even if you had a big breakfast and your body doesn’t need the energy reboot yet. It’s just your brain ringing the lunch bell.

Of Fat and Fructose

Foods high in protein, fat, fiber, and complex carbohydrates keep you feeling full longer because they take longer to digest, releasing nutrients more slowly into the bloodstream.

Processed and high-sugar foods make you feel hungry sooner because they lead to abrupt swings in blood sugar levels.

Meal Time

When your stomach is empty, the walls of your stomach begin contracting to squeeze any remaining food into the intestines. This process releases a hunger hormone that tells the brain it’s time to eat.

All Done!

Have you ever been told not to eat so fast? There’s a reason for this warning! Nerves in your stomach send signals to the brain when your belly is full. But these messages can take up to 20 minutes to deliver. So when we eat too quickly or inattentively—such as while watching TV or scrolling through our phones—we don’t pay attention to the body’s alarm system, causing us to overeat.

Room for Dessert?

Even after we eat a meal and our body receives all the nutrients it needs, our hunger alarms can switch on by seeing a slice of raspberry cheesecake or a warm fudge brownie. The first time we try a treat that we deem delicious, the region of the brain that processes pleasure lights up and releases dopamine, the “feel good” hormone. Our brain remembers this feeling and prompts us to experience it again. Though we might feel full of one food, a delicious delicacy can revive our appetite.