Revealing the science behind hunger…

Travelling on the train to London this week, I came across an article in one of the dailys, about APPETITE, and the way the body (and mind) dictates our needs and desires to eat. Whether you’re a person who finds it a real challenge to say no to chocolate, pastries or sweets, OR you’re a person who simply wants to know more about the fascinating “tandem workings” of the body and mind, you’ll be sure to benefit from reading the following “nuggets” of information I’ve picked out, and my comments to follow the “…” By the way, the last point is the most important one. Don’t miss it!

* We are hard-wired for survival… so if we’re not thinking about pro-creating (!!) we are looking to find food to maintain the physical body.

* It’s your brain not your stomach that feels hungry!

* We feel hungry when a) the stomach in empty, or b) our fat levels drop… so we are driven to eat if we’ve missed a meal or haven’t eaten for a long time (this makes sense), OR if our body fat/weight drops. Now this second point may seem odd at first, but this relates to the theory that we all have a “set point” body weight. Moving too far past our set point alerts the body to “eat more” in order to return to baseline. Anyone who has “crash-dieted” or lost too much weight too quickly, will have experienced a constant hunger, and preoccupation with food, as the body tries to “get back to normal”. Although you may be thinking it’s therefore impossible to lose weight, the “trick” is to work on altering BODY COMPOSITION, building or maintaining lean muscle mass (which has the knock-on effect of burning more “fat” calories at rest) and slowly reducing body fat. The answer here is to do “resistance exercise” AND make key changes to the diet - i.e. reducing certain carbs, upping fruit and veg and either increasing or maintaining protein and essential fats. Another key message here, related to point a) is to NOT miss meals or leave long periods between eating. As your blood sugar levels drop, you will crave something sweet. The brain is in control here, and no amount of will power will override the brain and body’s need for nourishment.

* There are external factors to be aware of that also drive us to eat, and often “unconsiously”… The time of day (we get hungry at the times we usually eat), places where there are cues to eat (i.e. the kitchen, a cafe or restaurant), when we’re in the company of others (people often eat more when they’re with others), and when eating AND doing something else – i.e. watching TV! My words of advise here would be to be aware and more conscious of TRUE hunger. Are you really hungry, or just eating for the sake of eating?

* Foods that “trick” you into feeling satisfied… choose high water, high nutrition, yet low calorie foods and dishes, such as salads and vegetables (raw, stir-fried, steamed), soups and whole fruits. These are also rich in fibre, which increase feelings of fullness. For those people burning a lot of energy during the day, choose carbs which digest S-L-O-W-L-Y such as wholegrain rice, quinoa, sweet potato, and avoid “fast carbs” such as white breads, pastries, muffins, and biscuits. High-protein foods induce a strong satiation response, and help to balance blood sugar levels. Any foods from the following list are good proteins – seeds, beans, pulses, raw greens, fish, eggs, and lean meats from well reared and cared for animals.

* The feeling of fullness generated in the brain is a NOT a response to food volume – it is a response to NUTRIENTS… this is possibly the most crucial piece of information you can take away with you today.

“FULLNESS AND FEELINGS OF BEING SATISFIED IS RELATED TO THE QUALITY OF YOUR FOOD. IT IS NOT ALL ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF FOOD. Eat for NUTRITION, NOT for calories”.

Once the brain and body has registered that you are “nourished” you will feel satisfied.

So my dear friends and clients – ditch the chocolate, cookies and pastries this week, and embrace big salads, fresh veggies and fruits – that’s if you want to feel good, and feel satisfied!

(Reference: “Why one biscuit is never enough” by Laura Topham, The Daily Mail, Tuesday, June 11, 2011)

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