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Topics: Food and Drink, Health
Britt Jones
If you feel hungry constantly, an expert has shed a light on the reason why.
It’s such a pain being always peckish and having nothing being able to satisfy your rumbling tummy.
At this point, you’re probably going backwards and forwards to the cupboard to take a look at the various scraps and snacks that you can find.
But nothing is curbing your hunger.
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To this, Ro Huntriss, a registered dietitian and chief nutrition officer of Simple App spoke to Marie Claire about the reason you’re so hungry.
If you notice that you’re hungry, your hair is thinning or falling out, losing muscles, you’ve got brittle nails and flaky skin, easy to pick up illnesses and so on, then it could be due to what you’re eating, not how much you’re eating.
According to Huntriss, you’re not meeting your protein requirements.
“It is required for the growth, repair, and maintenance of the body’s tissues, including muscles, skin, and hair,” she told the outlet. “It supports the production of enzymes, hormones and even antibodies, which are needed to support metabolism, digestion, and immune function.”
It’s so important that you’re meeting this intake, as taking your UK recommended daily intake of 0.75g of protein per kg of body weight.
People generally try to eat 20g per meal, but obviously this is all to do with your body weight.
She said: “Research suggests that intakes in the range of 1.2 to 1.6g protein per kg of body weight per day can be a more ideal target for optimal health, particularly for those who are active, meaning an intake of between 72 to 96g per day for the same 60kg individual.”
If you’re not eating what you should be, you could notice ‘your hair is feeling thinner than usual or you notice it’s coming out in the shower’.
“Make sure you include a protein source at every meal, Huntriss stated.
Protein could come from fish, lean meats, tofu and eggs, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, cheese and yogurt.
If you feel weaker than usual, and your skin is feeling differently, then load up your meals with protein.
“If you don’t consume adequate amounts of protein, the cell structure of your skin could be impaired,” she said. “Ensuring you’re eating enough protein can help to restore your skin health.”
The expert added that ‘if you’re struggling with hunger and cravings, you may not be eating sufficient protein’.
But it’s not just hunger that an optimal protein diet can help with.
According to the National Institutes of Health: “Several clinical trials have found that consuming more protein than the recommended dietary allowance not only reduces body weight (BW), but also enhances body composition by decreasing fat mass while preserving fat-free mass (FFM) in both low-calorie and standard-calorie diets.”
In one study, by just increasing your protein intake from 15 percent to 30 percent of calories made overweight women eat 441 fewer calories each day without even intentionally restricting anything.