8 Reasons You’re Still Hungry—Even After You Just Ate!
Do you sometimes feel ravenous, even though you just polished off a
tasty lunch, a full dinner, or a midnight snack? Some food ingredients
can trick our bodies into not recognizing when we’re full, causing
“rebound hunger” that can add inches to our waistlines. But these simple
tweaks can help quiet your cravings for good.
You drink too much soda
Sodas, iced teas, and other sweetened beverages are our biggest
source of high-fructose corn syrup—accounting for about two-thirds of
our annual intake. New research from Yale University showed that when 20
healthy adults underwent MRI sessions looking at their brains while
drinking liquids, high-fructose beverages reduced blood flow and
activity in brain regions that regulate appetite, and ratings of satiety
and fullness were lower when compared to drinks that just contained
glucose.
And a previous study from the University of California at San
Francisco indicates that fructose can trick our brains into craving more
food, even when we’re full. It works by impeding the body’s ability to
use leptin, the “satiation hormone” that tells us when we’ve had enough
to eat, researchers say.
Americans consume 23 teaspoons of added sugar a day.
Your dinner came out of a can
Many canned foods are high in the chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, which
the Food and Drug Administration stated was a chemical “of some
concern.” Exposure to BPA can cause abnormal surges in leptin that,
according to Harvard University researchers, leads to food cravings and
obesity.
Your breakfast wasn't big enough
After following 6,764 healthy people for almost 4 years, University
of Cambridge researchers found that those who ate just 300 calories for
breakfast gained almost twice as much weight as those who ate 500
calories or more for breakfast. The reason: Eating a big breakfast makes
for smaller rises in blood sugar and insulin throughout the day,
meaning fewer sudden food cravings.
Another breakfast tip—add protein. One recent study shows that eating
a breakfast that had 30-39 grams of higher protein items like sausage
and eggs curbed hunger throughout the morning, compared with a
low-protein breakfast that had items like pancakes and syrup.
You skipped the salad
Most Americans don’t eat enough leafy greens, which are rich in the
essential B-vitamin folate and help protect against depression, fatigue,
and weight gain. In one study, dieters with the highest levels of
folate in their bodies lost 8.5 times as much weight as those with the
lowest levels. Leafy greens are also high in vitamin K, another
insulin-regulating nutrient that helps quash cravings. Best sources:
Romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, radicchio. Need more help?
You don't stop for tea time
According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition,
people who drank one cup of black tea after eating high-carb foods
decreased their blood-sugar levels by 10 percent for 2 and a half hours
after the meal, which means they stayed full longer and had fewer food
cravings. Researchers credit the polyphenolic compounds in black tea for
suppressing rebound hunger.
You're not staying fluid
Dehydration often mimics the feeling of hunger. If you’ve just eaten
and still feel hungry, drink a glass of water before eating more, and
see if your desires don’t diminish.
You may even lose weight if you make sure you have a glass of water
handy during each meal while dieting. One Virginia Tech study found that
older people who had two cups of water before a meal ate between 75 and
90 fewer calories. And over the course of 12 weeks, those dieters who
drank water before meals lost about 5 pounds more than dieters who did
not increase their water intake.
You're bored
Researchers in Australia found that visual distractions can help curb
cravings. To test yourself, envision a huge, sizzling steak. If you’re
truly hungry, the steak will seem appealing. But if that doesn’t seem
tempting, chances are you’re in need of a distraction, not another meal.
Your cereal leaves you cold
If you regularly have hunger pangs soon after a bowl of cereal for
breakfast—or as a late night snack—then make a swap to oatmeal. A recent
study from Louisiana State University found that when 46 adults had
either a 363 calorie bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios cereal or oatmeal,
feelings of fullness and hunger were lower when participants ate oatmeal
compared to the ready-to-eat cereal. The increase in satiety could be
attributed to the viscosity of the oatmeal, researchers wrote, and also
the fact that it has more soluble oat fiber than most cereals.
