Hunger Help

 

Do you know the old joke regarding Chinese food – “You’ll just be hungry again in 15 minutes?”  I ran across a piece that indicates there could be some truth to this premise and it’s not just about Chinese food, but rather several of our most popular choices that can make us hungrier in the long run.  The common denominator with all of these foods is that they are considered high glycemic resulting in a spike in insulin.  Insulin is the hormone from the pancreas that moves sugar out of the blood and into the tissue to be burned or to be stored for later.  This ultimately creates a drop in blood sugar that when it happens quickly will result in increased hunger.

So what are some of these high glycemic foods that are being targeted?  Let’s start with the processed grains found in cereals, white bread, pastas, pizza dough, and rice.  The grains found in these foods have been stripped of their fiber content leaving them with mostly empty calories from sugar.  This high sugar content causes insulin to rise and then drop again leaving you hungry and wanting more.  A Spanish study of 9000 people found that those eating just two slices of white bread per day were 40% more likely to become obese.  Eating these foods in the morning when cortisol levels are naturally elevated is worse because cortisol lowers your ability to metabolize the ingested sugar.  So cut out the toast and cereal in the mornings!  Do you like beer with your pizza or pasta?  Alcohol is also high glycemic causing the same reaction as the grains, but alcohol also depletes your levels of leptin which is a hormone designed to make you feel full.  The diuretic effect of alcohol will also make you lose electrolytes causing you to crave salty snacks (also high glycemic).  What about a diet drink with your pizza?  The artificial sweeteners found in diet drinks or added to coffee may lack the calories of sugar, but they still cause insulin to spike resulting in more hunger and a craving for more sweets.  Do you really know who has lost weight drinking diet drinks?  I’m afraid fruit juices aren’t much better.  Like the processed grains, juices have been stripped of all their fiber found in the fruit leaving them mostly with calories from sugar that will cause a large spike in insulin.  Obviously the bread, soda, and potatoes found in all fast food will create this same insulin phenomenon.  In fact, some studies show that the high fructose corn syrup used in these foods will cause a greater insulin spike than regular sugar.  Add the trans fats found in these foods that inflame the gut and retard the dopamine and serotonin which help to control hunger and you have a generally bad situation.  That leaves us with the Chinese food?  A study has shown that MSG can cause a 40% increase in appetite.  Add the insulin spiking rice and sweet sauces to this and you do have a recipe for increased hunger.

As I write these words, I can already hear the common complaint, “Just what can I eat then!”  When it comes to controlling hunger and losing weight, clearly sugar is the enemy.  This leaves you with friendly fiber from fruits and vegetables as well as protein from lean meat and even healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, and seeds.  Because they take longer to digest, protein and healthy fats will control hunger much more than carbohydrates and fake foods listed above.