Curbing the snack attacks

Keep the munchies at bay with our tips for feeling fuller for longer.

FILL UP ON FIBER

Fact: An apple is more filling than a cup of apple juice. The reason – fiber. This leaves you feeling more satisfied and its water-absorbing properties makes you feel fuller. Fiber also acts as a physical filler in the digestive track, first because of their intrinsic bulk, and second by forming a network in which other nutrients get trapped and therefore, digested slower. So, that feeling of fullness you get from eating fiber-rich food really is because you’re physically full!

Additionally, fiber-rich foods also requires more chewing and the slower you eat, the better your body recognizes and signals when you’re full, preventing overeating.

Cereals are a good fiber-packed source of nutrients that provides a feeling of satiety and helps fight of hunger pants throughout the day. It keeps you feeling full for longer instead of tricking your brain into thinking it’s hungry when it’s not (as some foods are known to do) and provide a slow release of steady energy to fuel you.

FOCUS!

The first three bites of your meal are the most important to help you keep fuller for longer, says healthy psychologist Jeffrey Greeson. “Psychologically, this form of meditative eating boosts satiety and promotes a sense of satisfaction for the entire meal.” A University of Rhode Island research study also discovered that consciously slowing down between bites decreases a person’s calorie intake by 10 per cent.

Try this too: turn off the TV while you eat. A study by the University of Massachusetts found that people who watched the tube during a meal consumed 288 more calories on average than those who stayed away from it because the TV distracts your brain from recognizing when you’re already full.

CHOOSE WISELY

Here’s an interesting tip from celebrity nutritionist Fiona Hunter, who is also the author of books like Power Juices and Great Food for Strong Bones: “Choose foods that take time and effort to eat. Corn on the cob, a crunchy salad or fish with bones cannot be rushed, and will force you to eat more slowly and help you to feel full quicker.”

Also, have a drink before you start eating – a glass of water, juice or soup. This takes the edge of any hunger pangs you may be having, preventing you from devouring your next dish like a rabid animal.

If you’re on a weight loss mission, a study in Washington advices eating an apple before each meal. 346 subjects who did so 20 minutes before each meal lost an average of 9kg in three months!

DRINK UP!

The body works in mysterious ways and while you may think you’re hungry, it could simply be a sign that your body is feeling dehydrated and needs water.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

“There is a direct linkage between the sleep deprivation epidemic and the obesity epidemic,” says psychiatrist and sleep expert Rachel Morehouse. When your body is sleep deprived, it produces more ghrelin and less leptin. Ghrelin is a hormone that makes you feel hungry while leptin is a hormone that causes you to feel full – so you see how it confuses your body?

Sleepiness also influences your food choices. It results in cravings for high-carb and high-sugar foods, two things that don’t keep you full throughout the day.