Difference between real hunger and f... 
iandthou
9 y
2,339
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Reading Shelton, Moser, Fuhrman one gets to know that most of us do not experience real hunger. Real hunger is a sensation in the throat and mouth, the quality of this sensation is very instinctive rather than thought out, and it is probably felt once a day in its fullness.
I have not experienced this. What I do experience is a sensation in the stomach, sometimes going up to the chest. The quality of this sensation is like gas building up in my stomach, or something churning. At times I can also feel the muscles of my stomach pulsating, or moving in other subtle ways. It seems to occur 3-4 hours after a meal, unless I am constipated or sick. Sometimes it can be very strong and hard to ignore.
So what is the latter, if not true hunger? Why does it occur? And most importantly, what does one do with this sensation if it is raging in one's stomach?
I read in Fuhrman and Moser that anything other than true hunger is a sign of detoxification. How exactly is this sensation I describe detoxification - I do not understand.
I know people who eat just because it is time to eat, or because they feel drowsy or weak or tired. I no longer eat on those cues but I used to think that the sensation I describe is a good signal to eat. In ayurveda there is the idea of agni, the digestive fire, which must be present when you eat. If you eat without it, you are not going to absorb nutrition. There are specific remedies to stoke the digestive fire, like ginger tea. The ayurvedic books even say that if you don't have a good digestive fire you cannot live a healthy life or a long life.
How does one reconcile ayurveda with naturopathy on this matter?
One reason I ask this is that I became pretty slim and felt fit after my 7-day fast about two months ago. In the last week I feel I am gaining fat in my abdominal area, more fat than I think should be there. I feel slightly less fit, although so far the changes are only mild. I have been eating according to the sensation I described above. I am strongly considering ignoring that sensation now, and just eating one large meal of salads and some nuts a day, and if hungry, two small servings of fruit. That would be according to Shelton's prescription. If I don't do this I think I will end up with a paunch and therefore, more fat than one should have.
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- passing out, acidity versus hunger DesertLili
9 y
1,998
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The stomach has a strong muscle wall, therefore it is normal for it to move - being hungry or not. It propels digestive secretion (with or without churning) and food downward (or upward if vomiting).
I don't feel that ayurveda and naturopathy are in contradiction.
While not fasting hunger or true hunger are not scary. Even if you let them be for hours everyday. I believe this is what nature had built to make you find food or drink. Sometimes (I believe both by Aurv and Natur) we feel "hungry" just because we are dehydrated. I remember when I was replenishing potassium at some point of time (it happened to be with potassium bicarbonate) that my hunger would disappear right after drinking it or water.
PPl tend to feel hungry when there is slight excess of acidity in the stomach, especially if there is gastritis or Helicobacter pylori problem. I am positive that 10-12 day fast can eradicate the problem, or building up the immune system through echinacea, garlic, clove and ginger. I knew a whole family with H.pylori. It can spread through kissing, sharing drinks or utensils, etc. MI'd say the passing-out-type of reaction is reduced greatly by supplementing with things like CoQ10, vitt B-s, BCA, creatine or acetyl-Carnitine ... I have had positive experience with these, which does not mean one needs to take them constantly. I believe they can help re-calibrate the body together with minerals, given the soil (therefore food) depletion problem worldwide.
BTW the statistic showed also, that greater acidity is associated with dairy consumption.
- the server cut previous txt DesertLili
9 y
1,961
This is a reply to # 2,269,519In your case, if I felt I have it, I would try drinking more often, reinforce immunity (as with echinacea; garlic; ginger; cloves) and if you continue to feel excess burning or acidity still, fast for another 10-12 days, I believe it resolved in published cases for that number of days. However, by your description, I do not feel big differences btw my and your sensation of not-really-hungry state, and in my own experience let my stomach churn is inconsequential, if not for a little drowsiness, which can come after eating too, if the food quality is not superior or some nutrition is missing. I trusted my scale over my appetite when my body mass is at its best, since there are periods of time when the body would try to accumulate more than usual, if fasting had been done. Big salads - like enormous ones - with good fats (nuts, avocado. olives and flax) in them usually take care of the evening hunger, together with allowing maintenance of weight or weight loss.
- Re: the server cut previous txt iandthou
9 y
1,876
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Thanks so much for all the information!
I need to do some research to see if I really have excess acidity or not. And yes, it does make sense to just let the stomach churn.
I am off dairy so that is not something to worry about.
I also think that what ayurveda calls digestive fire is not necessary in contradiction with the naturopathic idea of real hunger. The digestive fire is not so much an INDICATION that one should eat, it is more a PREREQUISITE when one eats. At least this is my humble understanding of it.
It is so fascinating to explore all these systems. Such a great heritage we have, if only we would turn away from mainstream medicine to look elsewhere. I think it is Plato who said that a man should be his own doctor by the time he is 40. That makes perfect sense.- Re: the server cut previous txt DesertLili
9 y
1,853
This is a reply to # 2,270,177You said it all very well and right ! "Prerequisite" - brilliant!
Let us know the result of your investigation on acidity, hunger and connected.
- Re: the server cut previous txt DesertLili
9 y
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- Re: the server cut previous txt iandthou
9 y
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- the server cut previous txt DesertLili
9 y
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- Re: Difference between real hunger a... LIndaWu
9 y
1,918
This is a reply to # 2,269,511For me, real hunger is in the stomach and fake hunger, cravings, is in the tongue. I know that because I sometime feel this craving thirty times a day, so if what you said is true, that the tongue hunger is real hunger and I am supposed to eat every time I have this hunger, then I am going to be very fat indeed. I used to have to be forced to come home from tongue cravings while at school doing hw, but I learned a really good technique searching for an iPad cravings app. This one free app taught me three ways to conquer cravings, but I only use the first one, thinking of a stop sign. Their ways are all supported by research. Studies show that thinking of a shape helps distract you, and only after seconds of thinking the stop sign, my cravings miraculously disappear! I also don't have cravings because I truly want to be honest and so when I promised to go on a water fast, I am going to really do it. Being honest and keeping promises are very important to me. This new way of thinking makes me have no cravings at all. I never have hunger in the stomach, because I eat very little, not three times a day, so I don't get acid or anything else. You get that way because you are used to eating a lot. I agree with the other commentor, try fasting.
- Re: Difference between real hunger a... iandthou
9 y
1,897
This is a reply to # 2,269,819Advertisement
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Thanks. Perhaps there is more than one hunger sensation in the mouth and throat, and the one you describe is not what Shelton, etc. mean when they talk of true hunger? I think they talk of the mouth and throat, not specifically the tongue.
The app sounds interesting. My cravings are not very strong and I can let them be, so I don't think I need the app as of now but I will keep that in mind!
What you say about the hunger sensation in the stomach being there because one eats too much - I wonder about that. How much do you eat?
This is an important issue for me. Since I don't think I experience real hunger I have to be careful about not eating more than the body needs. That I gained an inch or so on my waist probably means I am eating more than I need. My concern is not really with my appearance here but with eating right quantities.
Again, going to Ayurveda, I learnt that one can measure food in an 'anjali'. Anjali means literally, an offering, in Sanskrit, but here it means the shape of your hands when you cup them together, holding them cupped but fully open. Like you would if you use your hands to take out water from a pond.
The Ayurvedic writer I read on this - Maya Tiwari - wrote that the main meal should be 2 anjalis, and the two minor meals should be 1 anjali, and if hunger really persists, one may increase them to 2 anjalis as well but not as a norm. At least this is how I remember it.
This quantity, I think, is certainly less than what I see most people eating. They seem to eat at least 2 anjalis at every meal and usually more.
I'm following this rule now and so far it makes sense to me!
- Re: Difference between real hunger a... iandthou
9 y
1,897
- passing out, acidity versus hunger DesertLili
9 y
1,998
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