Assalamualaikum Dearies, I would like to get an advice for the problem I am having. For the past few months I am always hungry and tired even after eating a good amount of food. I am having sleeping problems and almost always irritated plus gained a a lot of weight which is leading me to depression. Any suggestions, it would be of tremendous help. Thank you in advance.
Answer:
My dear, you have asked few different questions which need to be analysed separately, then bringing them together and tying them with a bow. Yes, all of this dis- ease is not easy and causing you physical and mental trauma at a personal level. I am proud of you for reaching out to the group. Let’s take it all one topic at a time:
“I am always hungry even after eating good amount food…”
You need food. Food is the raw materials for your body to grow. How much YOU need depends on YOUR body. You are bio – individual and your ratio of protein to carbs to fats to fibre to water is very specific. This is why “diet charts” and silly cookie cutter type diets always fail to work on the long run. Get yourself analysed and start a nutrition plan that truly works for you FOR A LIFE TIME. You will probably find that you need to eat more!
The main reason of getting hungry quickly after eating is the poor choice of carbs. Carbs like rice, flour and their products get digested super quick ! So feeling hungry within less than an hour of having a traditional bengali lunch is a normal thing – an often leads to over eating of more nutritiously void carbs like cookies, biscuits etc. The problem is we are stuck on the idea we have to eat carbs like rice, roti and too much daal. This leads to under-eating of more nutritiously dense macro-nutrients such as proteins and healthy fats. Here are some basic tips:
- Eat more lean protein. Use your palm to measure a palm full of protein (fish, red meat, white meat) and have this 1 palm full for dinner and 1 palm full for lunch. Eat 2 whole eggs for breakfast.
- Get your healthy fats ! Add coconut oil and ghee to your nutrition plan. This is going to balance your hormones and help keep depression far away.
- Stay away from sugar, processed flour and junk foods that seem healthy. No more noodles, breads, buns etc. Replace these junks with nuts and dark chocolates and fresh coffee from coffee beans.
- Eat a cup of raw veg for lunch and for dinner.
- Drink no less than 3 litres water.
Although is not a specific nutrition plan for you, this is a good way to start cleaning up toxic habits that lead to nutrition void meals. Plan you food, do your own grocery shopping and most important of all PLAN YOUR MEALS through out the week. Keep a little diary. If you did not get it yet let me be clear again – food is the raw materials for your body. lack of food = lack of proper hormones and this leads to all the above issues you are feeling.
“I am having sleeping problems…”
I have one word for you. Minerals. Minerals are such an important addition to the human nutrition plan, and unfortunately, our soil is now void of minerals such as magnesium by 60% ! Decades of capitalist agriculture has led to vegetables that don’t come packed with vitamins and minerals. You need magnesium. Mg is a super mineral used in the body for recovery, sound sleep and brain performance. Poor sleep quality is directly a cause of a stressed body due to mineral deficiencies. Here are some sleep hygiene tips:
- Stay away from technology up to 60 mins before coming to bed. The blue light is horrible for your eyes and brain and makes your brain think it is still day time, and thus prevents sleep. Digital light messes with your circadian rhythm (biological clock). Keep it away at bed time !
- Make a small To-Do Bed Time Routine. Write down things you like to do. Stop worrying about the days stress. Wind down. Light candles, and rub on essential oils. Do things you love.
- Take Magnesium supplements. The best one is ZMA from MyProtein . These supplements are safe for adults and you will see improvement in your sleep within the first 3 nights. This will also help you wake up feeling fresh. But only if you follow a proper nutrition plan. vitamins and minerals work with food, so don’t ignore one over the other.
“…gaining alot of weight…”
Food. Nutrition. Exercise. Planning. These are the words you need to add into your vocabulary. We live in such a bizarre world – where we are taught to ignore ourselves and run a 9-5 rat race. STOP. SIT AND BREATH. you need to put yourself back on the list. gaining weight is a cause of improper eating and lack of movement and imbalanced hormones. all of this is under your control and you can feel better again. once you have balanced your hormones, fat burn is a natural result. Try these tips:
- add is healthy fats. healthy fats are the raw materials for your thyroids to create more hormones.
- add in medicinal plants such as raw turmeric, ginger, garlic, cinnamon powder black pepper powder etc
- exercise. there is no alternative to exercise. exercise removes dead cells, weak cells and replaces your body with new cells. exercise is literal anti-aging.
“…leading me to depression…”
then lead yourself out. nothing is powerful enough to make you do anything that you do not want to do. so lead yourself out of depression. you need a paradigm shift. i am not saying that i am going to solve your problems. leave your problems where they are, and stop attaching your self worth and ability to issues in your life. problems will happen no matter what. how you perceive the problem is where you will succeed. this is where brain performance comes into play. exercise, this will increase blood flow into your hippocampus up to 70% ! help yourself change your perception of the world. need inspo? look in the mirror. everyones life has problems, and you are allowed to have a “sad or bad” day. bu don’t let one bad day ruin your charm and go-getter personality. eat dark chocolate, drink coffee and take a bath in warm water + epsom salt.
Everything is connected. The sooner you balance your gut microbiome, the better you will feel. All the nerves of your brain are connected with your gut. So poor nutrition is bases of all other issues that you have a control over ! You can take little steps starting tomorrow. order your coconut oil and ghee both of which are brain foods. Plan in exercise atleast 5 times a week. And please get some sunlight ! Vitamin D3 is super duper important and sunlight have the power to heal you as soon as you stand in the sun ! Vitamin D3 is so powerful that it is now considered a hormones and not just a vitamins. The sunlight jumpstarts over 500 reactions in the body – that is how crucial it is.
Go home message – everything is under your control. And you are not alone ❤
Marina Farook 