When I was little, hunger had a rhythm. Mornings started with the smell of fresh bread, afternoons brought the clink of tea cups, and dinner wasn’t just a meal, it was an event. We ate when we were hungry, and we stopped when we were full. Simple.
Somewhere along the way, that connection got lost. My fridge became a 24-hour drive-thru. I’d snack because I was bored, nibble while stressed, and inhale lunch in the car between errands. Hunger wasn’t a gentle nudge anymore, it was background noise.
Then I spoke with Annie Gill, Nutritional Therapist at Health Smart Nutrition, and she reminded me of something beautiful: your body still knows how to guide you, you just have to listen.
Annie calls it intuitive eating. Not the trendy hashtag kind, but the real, biological dance between your brain and gut. She described the vagus nerve like an old-fashioned telephone line, sending messages both ways:
- Ghrelin rings to say, “Time to eat.”
- Leptin calls back to say, “We’re full now, thanks.”
The problem? In our snack-happy, stress-fuelled lives, we rarely give those calls a chance to connect. We interrupt with coffee, crisps, or whatever’s quickest. No wonder so many of us feel “always hungry” yet oddly unsatisfied.
Annie’s advice made me pause, literally. Before breakfast, she suggests asking, Am I actually hungry? Some mornings, the answer is yes. Other times, maybe it’s just thirst, or the echo of last night’s big dinner. And when it is time to eat? Choose something with a balance of protein, healthy fats, and slow-release carbs so your blood sugar stays steady.
One of my favourite moments from our chat was when she said:
“Three meals a day is a social construct. What matters is what works for your body.”
It’s funny, my grandmother never talked about macronutrients or hormone responses. But she ate seasonally, slowly, and with intention. Maybe intuitive eating isn’t something new to learn, it’s something old to remember.
So here’s what I’m trying now:
- Slowing down instead of eating on autopilot.
- Tuning in to my hunger and fullness cues.
- Choosing whole, balanced meals instead of quick sugar fixes.
And the best part? Food feels joyful again, not like another box to tick.
If you’re curious about reconnecting with your own hunger signals and escaping the “always hungry” trap, listen to my full conversation with Annie Gill in Part 1 of the podcast.
– Written by Hala Ali
The Visionary with Hala Ali Podcast 