What’s the key to eating smart each day? Don’t let yourself get too hungry! It’s hard to make healthy choices when you feel like you’re starving. Plus, we have a hard time feeling satisfied with regular portion sizes and nutritious food if we go into a meal super hungry.
Are you in one of these groups? The ones who notice they’re getting hungry but hold off on snacking for whatever reason; and those who may not even know they’re hungry because they’re too busy, or maybe they drink a lot of caffeine, or have other complex things going on with their metabolism.
To avoid excessive hunger, try this:
- Keep healthy snacks around; make it a habit
- Don’t go longer than three to four hours without eating
- Enjoy small snacks throughout the day
- Rate your hunger on a scale of one to 10. Don’t go past seven
If you have diabetes, the Queen’s Diabetes Management and Education Center at both Punchbowl and West Oahu campuses can help. Their skilled staff provides individualized plans for meals, exercise and weight management, self-monitoring of glucose, and more. Ask your primary care provider to make a referral or call the Center and the staff will call your doctor for you. At West Oahu: 808-691-3370. At Punchbowl: 808-691-4823.
