In a previous blog post Hunger Cues Come in Many Forms, I talked about stomach hunger and “cellular” hunger. In today’s blog post I’d like to dive into a few other aspects of hunger that we’ve yet to discuss. Really hunger isn’t just about a need for energy, it’s a complex process that is tied to our experiences and our environment. Understanding the drivers of hunger can help us better understand how to take care of ourselves day to day.
Eye Hunger
As you can probably guess, eye hunger is stimulated by our sight, one of our five senses. Our eyes can make us feel hungry when we see a buffet of food or even read about food in a cookbook or on a recipe blog. Colors, textures and presentation all evoke eye hunger and play an important part of our eating experience.
Day to day our meals can become monotonous and pretty unexciting. See if you can recall a time when you were at a friend's house or even your own where you set the table, added decorations and fancy plates. How enjoyable was the meal? Probably a lot more enjoyable and memorable than a typically weeknight dinner sitting in front of the television or on your cell phone. If you haven’t done this in a while, try it out at home and notice if eating becomes more mindful and enjoyable.
Nose Hunger
Another type of hunger that is from one of the five senses is nose hunger. We have all been walking down the street and smelled something absolutely delicious! Chances are we then became hungry or desired that type of food. But, when was the last time you smelled your meal or snack? To satisfy nose hunger, try smelling your food before eating to take in the aromas and different flavors and smells. Does smelling your food before your meal have a positive or negative effect on your eating experience?
Mouth Hunger
Next, we have mouth hunger. Taste is another one of the five senses, which can actually vary person to person due to genetics, culture and family food habits. Our mouth has the ability to sense different tastes and textures. Our upbringing plays a huge role in this type of hunger. Certain cultures may use different spices and cook foods differently. To satisfy mouth hunger we can be open and try out various foods. Being open minded and trying out new foods helps us have an overall balanced diet with lots of choices to choose from! Reflect on what tastes and textures your mouth desires - salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy?
Mind Hunger
The next type of hunger, mind hunger is based on what we see and hear, essentially our beliefs. Diet culture can creep into this type of hunger as “good” vs. “bad” thinking about food can be present. For example, if we’ve been on a restrictive diet and have tried to avoid anything sweet we might experience a strong mind-driven hunger for dessert foods. We have to acknowledge the role of psychology and mindset here as a driver of our hunger experience. When you experience this, can you move your mind to assess the other types of hunger like body hunger and how you feel physically?
Heart Hunger
Lastly, we have heart hunger. What the heck is that?! Heart hunger can arise from the desire to be loved and cared for. It can also bring up memories from special times associated with food, such as a holiday with loved ones or even your mom making you homemade chicken noodle soup when you were sick in bed. The type of food isn’t as important as the emotion that was present. We “feed our heart” when we take care in preparing food for ourselves.
Now, I don’t expect you to set a nice table and cook a gourmet meal every day but we often forget about our environment, mood and overall dining experience when it comes to eating. Are these types of hunger you have considered before? As you navigate your own hunger and fullness cues, considering and reflecting on the different types of hunger can help you reconnect with your body’s cues as an intuitive eater.
