Be honest now, the “diet food” you love to hate isn’t that filling.
According to a US survey, a third of women thought they had to go hungry to shift extra kilograms. The reason why so many of us pick up more weight after a diet than we had before we started is probably that we associate diets with deprivation, and they’re not sustainable. Not anymore. With our eating plan, designed by expert dietitian Dianne Ivison, you can now feel fuller for longer, and watch those kilos drop off.
FEEL-FULL FACTS
- Eating regularly is important to keep your blood sugar stable, rev your metabolism and prevent you from getting over hungry and bingeing at your next meal
- Combining protein, carbohydrates and a little fat with each main meal will keep you fuller for longer. Gone are the days of not combining carbs and proteins at mealtimes, and those ultra low-fat, high-protein diets. Moderation is the key.
- Eat slowly! Your brain tells you when you are full — not your stomach. The faster you eat, the more you will eat; you need time for your brain to tell you that you are satisfied.
- Don’t skip meals. This will only lead to hunger, and therefore overeating.
- The fullness factor boils down to the portion size, bulkiness, fibre, protein and carbohydrate content of food which will help deter nibbling in-between and overeating.
- Fibre is proven to enhance satiety. Choose food which is high in fibre, not just for everyday healthy and happy digestion, but to help you feel fuller for longer.
THE SATIETY INDEX
- According to the Satiety Index, developed by Professor Susanna Holt from Sydney University in Australia, oranges are more satisfying than bananas (probably due to the amount of pith they contain), and potatoes are the most satisfying food of all (except for French fries).
- Beans and lentils contain anti-nutrients which delay legumes’ absorption, so they make you feel full for longer, reported Holt.
- Fruit ranked as the most satisfying group overall in the short-term.
- Fatty foods are not satisfying at all, even though we might expect them to be. Holt suggests the reason may be because fat is seen by the body as a fuel which should be used only in emergencies — it stores fat in the cells instead of breaking it down for immediate use. Because it doesn’t recognise fat as energy for immediate use, the body doesn’t tell the brain to cut hunger signals, so we go on wanting more.
- Carbohydrates are the opposite — they raise blood glucose so the body knows it has enough fuel. This is why you’re better off with a whole-wheat salad and lean chicken roll than with a plate of fruit and a few rice cakes.
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