What are you hungry for?

Apparently we make over 200 decisions about food every day.  I spend all day talking about food - or cooking it!  But listening to my patients means I have a great understanding of how hungry they are.

When you change your eating habits or your diet, you may find that you are more hungry than you used to be.  Or are you really?  

Lots of people say they are constantly hungry and are forever rummaging through the kitchen cupboards for something - anything, to munch on.

This means that there is something wrong with our diet or you mindset about food.  Humans are complex machines made up of many things including hormones... yes, those things that play havoc with your mood, your skin, your hair and yes, how hungry you are.

Ghrelin, a hormone made in the stomach, increases appetite and is high before you eat telling your brain you are hungry and need to eat.  Once you have eaten the level of Ghrelin decreases.

Leptin, another hormone, but this time made by fat cells, decreases appetite telling your brain you don't need any more food and you can stop eating.

However, studies have shown that in people with weight problems and obesity, this brain signaling mechanism doesn't work properly and they have become resistant to the leptin signal and so don't know when to stop eating.  Leptin resistance perpetuates a vicious cycle as the more you eat the more weight you put on and the hungrier you become and so you continue to eat.

But all is not lost.  You can eat properly to stop this happening by analyzing why you are hungry to start with.

Eating too many carbohydrates.  

The governing bodies of many countries would have us all eating huge amounts of carbohydrates, they are after all, the base of the government approved food pyramid.  But what most people consider carbs are actually refined carbs; pasta, bread, rice - all white.  This means they have been stripped of all nutritional properties and are basically just another form of sugar. 

Physiologically, carbs make you more hungry than full.  Yes, they may fill you up longer than other foods, but what actually happens internally means you are hungry again quickly.  When you eat refined carbs, your blood sugar spikes, and the pancreas releases insulin to return your blood sugar level to normal.  This means your brain says "Hey I liked that sugar spike!  Give me more!" and creates a sensation of false hunger so that you will eat more of whatever it was that gave you the sugar spike to start off with.  So, in the end you are eating more than you probably realize.

Whole grains release the sugar over a longer and more sustained period of time which means you don't get the sugar spike, even so, keeping carbs to a minimum is the best option.

None of us eat enough fiber.

Fiber is so important, you really need to get your fiber fix every day - several times!  There are two types of fiber; insoluble fiber, which bulks up your stools and ensures a healthy elimination of waste product, and soluble fiber which dissolves into a gel-like consistency and makes you feel fuller for longer.

Your main source of fiber is vegetables... eat as many as you like and make sure they are what make up most of the food you eat on a daily basis.  Raw vegetables are easy to snack on between meals too making snacking healthy and gut happy.

Also high in fiber are raw nuts and obviously fruit, but you should choose low sugar content fruits.  Apples are an excellent choice as their skin contains pectin which controls blood sugar spikes.

Legumes are also very high in fiber so add some chickpeas to a salad or indulge in a lentil dahl with other veggies.

Chia seeds are a great source of fiber, protein and Omega-3 fats, but they also absorb 10-12 times their weight in water, this means they swell in the stomach and make you feel full.  Add some to your breakfast oatmeal or greek yogurt.

You need more fat.

Everyone is so scared of fat.  It doesn't surprise me, we have been told for years that saturated fat is bad for us and we should keep all fat intake to a minimum.  But this has been disproved.  Fat is a very necessary part of our diet and we need to bring it back for good health.

Fat, like protein, is a very complex nutrient.  It takes longer to break down in your digestive system so it makes you feel fuller for longer, but it can also be used as fuel for the body, so if you lower your carbs and up your fat you'll have enough energy.

Avocados are my personal favorite.  Full of healthy fats you can basically do anything you like with them.  Mash them up on wholegrain toast for breakfast, add them to a salad... you can even make chocolate mousse out of them!

The protein question.

Lots of health personnel say you should eat protein at every meal.  This is where we all think of bacon and eggs at breakfast, chicken and chips for lunch and fish for dinner.   Whereas animal protein is a great source of amino acids which are the building blocks for our bodies, there are other vegetable forms of protein that you can also rely on.  Raw nuts, greek yogurt (not greek STYLE), legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc...

So yes, by all means eat protein at every meal, but mix and match.

Take it easy on the fruit.

As I said before, fruit is a good source of fiber, but some fruits are very high in sugar so take it easy on the fruit and if you don't eat fruit every day then don't worry.  Aim for 1-2 pieces per day if you can.

Drink more water.

One of the first symptoms of dehydration is feeling hungry.  So, if you feel hungry at an odd time of day, drink a glass of water before raiding the cookie jar, it might just save you a few extra pounds.

Sleep.

Having a good sleep habit is also important.  Studies have shown that people who work night shifts are often more overweight than those with day jobs.  Being over tired means your brain craves sugar to keep going and you end up eating junk food and sweets.

Obsession.

You might be obsessing over food.  People who change the way they eat for a medical issue or just because they would like to eat more healthily, often become obsessed with what they can and can't eat or how much.  Think 3 meals a day is a good place to start, some people are ok on that, others need 2 snacks a day.  Just make sure what ever you are eating is healthy and nutritious and most of all - ENJOY IT!

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com