It's no secret that one of the difficulties many people experience with trying to lose weight is controlling their appetites. It's not the easiest thing to stick with your diet plan when your stomach is growling for food. Although there is probably no way to totally avoid hunger pangs from time to time, there are ways to lessen their occurrence, and some strategies are better than others for helping you feel full.
Foods
The Natural News website lists five "emergency" appetite control foods to help turn off the hunger signals. First on the list is fresh drinking water. Sometimes an 8 oz. glass might do the trick, but if it does not, try a 32-oz. container of organic vegetable broth or chicken broth to fill you up before sitting down to a meal. Have some leafy green vegetables such as lettuce or cabbage, low in calories, but high in fiber and very filling to fool your stomach. A banana-flavored protein drink with added guar gum powder and xanthan gum powder as thickeners tastes like an indulgent pudding but delivers filling, appetite-suppressing protein. Natural pickles without artificial coloring or flavoring take up a lot of stomach space but have few calories. And, finally, apples are teeming with healthy fiber that turns off your appetite and helps satisfy your sweet tooth.
Exercise
While exercise is a key component in most weight-loss plans, it also doubles as an appetite suppressant. As published in the "American Journal of Physiology Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology" in November 2008, researchers at the United Kingdom's Loughborough University studied the effects of aerobic exercise versus weightlifting on the release of two key appetite hormones, ghrelin and peptide YY. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, while peptide YY suppresses it. Eleven male university students ran on treadmills or lifted weights. When they participated in aerobic exercise, ghrelin levels dropped and peptide YY levels increased, indicating full appetite suppression. When they lifted weights, ghrelin levels dropped but peptide YY levels did not change. Both exercises suppressed hunger, but aerobic exercise suppressed it more.
Pinolenic Acid
Cholecystokinin, called CCK, and glucagon-like peptide-1, known as GLP-1, are key hormones controlling appetite and satiety, and are more powerful in combination than either alone. In 2006, scientists reported on the stimulating effects of an extract of the Korean pine nut, pinolenic acid, on these hormones at a meeting of the American Chemical Society. The polyunsaturated fatty acid, pinolenic acid, stimulates the secretion of both CCK and GLP-1. Overweight women given 3 g of pinolenic acid before eating a modest breakfast rated their desire to eat as 29 percent lower than women receiving the placebo, and their actual food intake as 36 percent lower than the placebo women. Four hours after taking pinolenic acid the women had 60 percent more CCK circulating in their bloodstreams than the placebo subjects. Pinolenic acid is sold as a dietary supplement in capsule form. Pine nut oil can also be taken internally, and pine nuts may be eaten raw to receive the appetite suppression benefits.
Herbs
Several herbs may offer appetite-curbing abilities. Gymnema sylvestre may decrease sugar cravings and prevent hypoglycemia by its effect on the pancreas of keeping blood sugar stable. Flax seed is a good source of protein and fiber and makes you feel full. Because it expands five times in bulk when ingested, taking it 30 minutes before eating helps you eat less. Guar gum aids weight loss by providing a feeling of being full. Because of its ability to absorb water and to swell 10 to 20-fold, it has caused gastrointestinal obstructions in some patients and must be used with caution. It can also cause blood sugar fluctuation and should not be used by diabetics. Talk with your physician before taking any herbal supplements.
References
- NaturalNews.com; Five Appetite Control Foods That Suppress Cravings Without Adding Calories; Mike Adams; Jan. 20, 2005
- Science Daily; Exercise Suppresses Appetite By Affecting Appetite Hormones; Dec. 19, 2008
- "Life Extension Magazine"; Calorie Restriction Without Hunger!; Steven V. Joyal and Dale Kiefer; July 2006
- WomenFitness.net: Herbs That Help Shed Pounds
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