How many people do you know that are constantly talking about their latest diet craze? Or have been on a diet? Or annoyingly push you to join them on diet? Well, the truth is – you don’t actually need to diet! *Cue hallelujah chorus* Stephanie Cachia explains.
Feeling hungry? Go for whole-foods and fruits instead
Many well-accepted diets of today focus on restricting your kilojoule intake. However, studies have shown that this method of dieting may not provide the body with any benefits. Why not? The more you restrict your food intake, the faster your blood sugar levels become depleted. Our brains utilise our blood sugar levels as a primary energy source. Low blood sugar levels only make you feel deprived and tired, which may in turn cause you to over-eat duringyour next meal, and steer yourself towards poor food choices later in the day.
Dieting also is responsible for altering your hunger and satiety hormones, known as ghrelin and leptin. These hormones act on the small component of the brain, known as the hypothalamus: when your tummy begins to growl and you start to feel hungry, the ghrelin hormone is stimulated from the stomach lining into the blood stream, where it crosses the blood-brain-barrier to the hypothalamus to stimulate appetite.When you have eaten enough and you start to feel full, leptin is secreted by adiposetissues (fat cells), into the bloodstream, across the blood-brain-barrier to the hypothalamus where leptin signals you to put down the fork and stop eating. This means that the more fat you have in your body, the more leptin you have and the less food you will eat.
You would think that the larger you are, the less likely you would be to eat, and the easier it is to lose weight. Sadly, this is not the case. Overwieght people are more prone to leptin-resistance where the adipose tissues over-produce the leptin hormone. The brain does not register this response, and thinks that you’re still starving. Ultimately, increased body fat can make resisting hunger very difficult. If you’re trying to lose weight, your body may naturally make you feel more hungry and result in the yo-yo dieting phenomena.
So, how can we maintain our energy levels throughout the day to resist those endless cravings? Forget the crash diets and focus on making healthy food choices that include vegetables, legumes, whole grains, reduced-fat dairy products, fruits and protein sources, such as lean meats, poultry, eggs and nuts. These healthy food choices will enable a slower and more sustained energy release to keep you fuller for longer. You should also eat smaller meals and snacks when you feel hungry, which will increase your metabolism and maintain stable energy levels throughout the day. Drink plenty of water, and avoid drinks with added sugar or alcohol to prevent your body from being prone to cravings.
The next time you have a growling tummy, don’t ignore it! Nourish your body with healthy food choices that don’t compromise your health and wellbeing, and stay sustained and energised for longer.
