Being Hungry – is it a good thing?

Some of you on IP may have no idea what I’m talking about – others perhaps are getting used to being hungry as meal time approaches.

For example, I have been waking up at my usual time in the morning to discover I’m really quite hungry…….this may seem like a silly observation but I’m embarrassed to admit that I can’t remember the last time I woke up hungry.  On the weekends, after a few hours of being up and having had at least 1 cup of coffee, I usually get peckish and will then make breakfast.  However, during the week, we eat breakfast between 6 and 6.30am whether we’re hungry or not, mostly because we enjoy having breakfast together, but also because I’ve always been told it’s the most important meal of the day – the meal where you’re breaking your fast of the night before and the meal that will get you going.  I agree with almost everything there except perhaps the ‘get you going’ bit which we can all agree is debatable based on what fuel you’re deciding to fill up on.

It always amuses me that most people are more concerned about the quality of the fuel they put in their cars than they are about the quality of fuel they ‘shovel’ into their bodies – something to think about in this day and age where those who want and can afford, can enjoy an unlimited amount of crisps, chocolate, candy bars, fast food and the list goes on…

But back to hunger!  I think being hungry at mealtimes is a good thing.  A friend (and fellow IP’er who’s actually graduated to phase 3 and I believe is now allowed the holy grail ….. a glass of wine!) recently said, we’ve forgotten what it’s like to feed ourselves as ‘feasting’ has become the norm.  And she’s absolutely spot on – we enjoy far too much of everything far too often and it’s no bad thing not to be able to have everything you want when you want it.  

I am slightly amused (and perhaps a little ashamed as I continued to shovel excessive amounts of all the wrong fuel into my body!) that I used this analogy when the big financial crisis of 2008 started unfolding and I was heard to comment, “how can we be surprised – we’ve sold everyone on enormous and unsustainable amounts of credit so we can all have everything we want when we want it – and now we’re all surprised that the weight of our greed has gotten the better of us”.

Well it’s not a long stretch to say exactly the same thing about eating and the direct correlation it has on our weight and our health.  If (because we can) we allow ourselves to eat everything we want when we want it – we may sustain that lifestyle for a while but it will eventually catch up with us and we will pay whether in unwanted weight gain or in a variety of health problems or both.  And I’m sure we can all agree that eating our way out of these problems makes no more sense than does spending your way out of debt!

So I’m learning to enjoy the feeling of hunger as each mealtime approaches and learning to appreciate the slightly smaller quantities, making my meal last a little longer to lengthen the enjoyment of it and realizing that I’m not only going to look better for it but feel better too.

So….as we’re discussing hunger I had to include another recipe!

Shrimp marinade

This will work with both cooked and uncooked shrimp (for uncooked simply marinate pre grilling and brush with extra marinade juice whilst cooking)

1lb shrimp (this will serve 2 for the IP max of 8oz of protein) 

1 inch of ginger, peeled and finely grated

Zest and juice of 2 limes

approx 2 tablespoons of finely chopped mint
1-2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely chopped

splash of olive oil

sea salt

1/2 scotch bonnet or other pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (adjust to taste)

Pop into the Super Duper Marinator for 1/2 hour & either grill and serve with salad (if using uncooked) or serve cold over salad (if using precooked)