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Reason #1
Time of Day
Through routine, we condition our bodies to expect breakfast,
lunch and dinner at the same time each day, says Randy
Seeley, a professor of psychiatry at the University
of Cincinnati." Part of the reason you're hungry
at noon is because that's the time you've eaten for
the last 100 days."
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Reason #2
Sight
Research using MRIs shows that brain patterns of people
viewing photos of foods they like and foods they don't
like are "very different," Seeley says. "The
body anticipates when food is about to enter the system."
And that's why your mouth starts watering when you see
Mom's pie.
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Reason #3
Variety
Even after eating a large meal, we often "make
room" for dessert, because a desire for sweets
hasn't been satisfied. Ann Gaba, a registered dietitian
at New York Presbyterian Hospital, says that sometimes
all it takes is a bit of fruit in a salad during a meal
to curb a sugar craving.
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Reason #4
Smell
Scent is one of the key ways we cue our bodies that
food is near. Once the trigger goes off, it can induce
the insulin secretion that makes us think we're hungry.
Says Sharron Dalton, a nutrition professor at New York
University: "Smell and sight alone activate the
appetite cascade."
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Reason #5
Alcohol
Drinking has not been scientifically proved to stimulate
appetite, but too much beer, wine or liquor can impair
judgment, causing us to eat more. "Most people
who are on a diet will say it's a lot harder to push
themselves away from the table if they've been drinking,"
observes Seeley.
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Reason #6
Temperature
The colder the temperature, the more people tend to
eat, which is why restaurants often keep thermostats
low. "Your metabolism drops when it's time to eat,
and eating warms you up," says David Ludwig, professor
of pediatrics at Harvard. "Heat is a satiety signal."
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Reason #7
Refined Carbs
After a meal heavy in refined carbohydrates, like white
pasta, the body may crave food again within only a few
hours. These foods cause blood sugar to drop, and "when
our blood sugar is crashing, we're going to be a lot
more interested in food in general," Ludwig says.
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