How to Avoid the Munchies
One of the most fabled side effects of smoking is the infamous Munchies. The “Munchies” are those feelings of intense hunger that can creep up after smoking legal herbs and concentrates. If you’ve never had the munchies, you may not sympathize with how it actually feels, the unrelenting hunger pangs, the guilt from a lack of self control, or the repercussions you face from overeating. Even the authenticity of the munchies have been heavily debated over the years. Some deny that the phenomenon is even real and instead believe, just as depicted in pop culture, it’s nothing more than lazy smokers gorging themselves, but recent research proves otherwise.
The Science Behind it
There have been several studies examining the relationship between legal herbs and appetite, and their results are interesting. One study from 2014 found that, in mice, legal herbs work on receptors in the olfactory bulb - the part of the brain that affects your sense of smell. The herbs significantly increased the mices ability to smell food and led to an increased appetite. Sounds pretty familiar, if you know what I mean. Another study from Yale the next year focused on hypothalamic POMC Neurons which control the feelings of feeding, appetite, and fullness. They found that once exposed to legal herbs, instead of releasing the chemical that scientists believe makes you feel full, it releases beta-endorphins which stimulate appetite and cravings. Though there is much more research to be done, you can’t deny there is a connection between herb and appetite.
The Problem with Munchies
While smoking a bowl or a small joint after a long day is supposed to be relaxing, but now you’re eating your lunch for tomorrow and looking for more. Not only are you asking for a stomach ache, but now you have to buy more food. It can cause even more stress if it’s affecting your waistline. For our weight conscious smokers, the Munchies can be one of the most dreaded aspects of getting high. You could have just eaten a full meal and the munchies will ask you about seconds even when you’re full. When that craving hits, it’s hard even for those with the utmost self control yo say no. You’re blindly shuffling through cabinets, pantries, and refrigerators trying to find what’s going to hit the spot. Lots of us struggle with self control, so check out our tips below.
How to Save your Stomach and Wallet
The studies lead us to believe the munchies are going to hit regardless of what you do, so you have to prepare for it. If you’re trying to avoid eating yourself out of house and home, check out the tips we have to try below!
Make sure you’re staying hydrated (always) when smoking. Not only will this help with the cotton mouth, but your body can sometimes interpret thirst pangs as hunger pangs. This will help reduce the intense urges, but unfortunately won’t stop them.
Put some physical distance in between you and the snacks. We’re not saying to work out, we’re saying to get out - of the house and away from the fridge. Enjoy the neighborhood, or hop in the car and post up in a park. Bring water and you’re set. The scenery is beautiful this time of year.
If the munchies are too much to handle, and you’re not able to get out of the house, plan your smoke around a nice afternoon nap, or crawl into bed early after smoking. This way you’ll be asleep when the hunger hits and instead it’ll be time for your next meal when you wake up.
This one is a no brainer. Just wait until after you’ve smoked to eat the next meal. A personal favorite method of this is smoking a joint while I cook. I can unwind and make some bomb food I’ll get to enjoy. Others enjoy placing the delivery order before lighting up so that way you’ll all be ready to eat once it gets there. Just don’t forget the tip!
This method comes from a close friend, and it’s golden if you plan to take the Munchies head on. Whatever you make/buy to eat, only eat half and store the rest away. Some may say why not just not eat, but this little bit of food seems to satisfy the painful hunger pangs enough that we can willpower through the rest.
These are just a few ways we like to handle the hunger known as the Munchies. We hope they help the next time you spark up and get that urge.
Happy Smoking!