For the most part being hungry and getting healthy are not complimentary aims. This is why caloric restriction diets are doomed to failure in the  long run, though they may “work” in the short run. Dealing with hunger requires intense emotional management which depletes you and eventually makes you crazy. Not the good crazy either.

But it’s not just calorie counters who have to deal with hunger. Even paleo dieters who presumably “eat to satiety” sometimes get caught with nothing to eat. Good luck finding anything unprocessed to eat when you’re stuck at the airport.

If you’re an observant Muslim, or if you’ve ever competed in a sport with weight categories then you’ve had to figure out long-term strategies for coping with prolonged hunger. For the rest of us, here are three easy tips:

1) Chew Gum You can trick your brain into thinking you’re eating by keeping your jaws and palate busy.

2) Sleep More This works primarily because it compresses the time you are consciously processing sensations like hunger. But extra sleep also reduces your overall energy expenditure throughout the day which can keep hunger at bay.

3) Eat Fat When you do have access to food, eat fat. Fat gives you energy and increases your sense of fullness. Avoid carbs as they tend to metabolize very quickly causing a jolt of blood glucose and then that gnawing, cavernous hunger that can only be sated with more carbs.