Don’t make decisions when you’re hungry

“Never make a decision when you are hungry”, says a 2016 article in ScienceDaily. The article describes how hunger releases a hormone called ghrelin which prompts impulsiveness. When you are hungry, you are more likely to make spur-of-the-moment choices,  like picking up that extra slice of pepperoni pizza. By trying out a restrictive diet to fit into your summer swimsuit, you may be setting yourself up for failure if you walk around hungry all day. When you head to the Grille or the Cafe, intending, , just to get a salad, you might suddenly find fries and a nice greasy burger on your plate, sabotaging all your healthy efforts. 

The same logic is true in the rest of your decisions as well. When you skip lunch to study for that test coming up, you could end up scrolling Facebook because your brain was tired and followed that impulse. This goes back to the old advice: don’t go shopping when you are hungry. Everything looks good, and your ghrelin hormones are screaming at you to get the cheesecake. Who cares how many calories it has? Hunger driven impulses also make it hard to resist midnight runs to your favorite fast food joint, causing you to waste calories and money on unnecessary food. 

So, when you’re planning your day, schedule in some time to eat. Head over to the cafeteria before your insides are waging war and growling.  Don’t put off eating until after you finish a project, take a break and your brain will thank you. Make sure you have some healthy snacks in your study area to stave off impulsive decisions. Run the shopping gauntlet after a good breakfast or lunch. Remember, even though it may seem bizarre to eat when you are not hungry, you will make better choices at the salad bar that are not guided by impulsive hormones.