Cravings, Calories & Carbohydrates
Ahhh those cravings! Why is it that we can’t stop eating that chocolate …? To answer the question, the Wall Street Journal turned to Doctor Louis J. Aronne, author of “The Skinny” and director of the Comprehensive Weight Loss Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. In the article, “Why That Big Meal You Just Ate Made You Hungry,” Aronne says, “refined carbohydrates and foods with high sugar and fat content promote what he calls ‘fullness resistance.’ They interfere with the complex hormonal messages the body usually sends to the brain to signal that it’s time to stop eating. People feel hungrier instead.”
Who are the main culprits? Of course, they would be our favorites: bread, sweets, juice, pasta, wine or beer before dinner and artificial sweeteners. Nothing in life is easy.
According to Aronne, refined carbohydrates raise blood-sugar levels which causes an insulin surge that, in turn, drops blood sugar. This up and down effect leads to rebound hunger. It also apparently disrupts a hormone, leptin, that tells the body to stop eating.
The Journal points to similar findings, citing a a Medical Hypothesis article that says for, “some people, refined foods with high sugar and carbohydrate content can be just as addictive as tobacco and alcohol.” Great.
But they do offer some solutions. Dr. Aronne offered these diet revisions that could help break the addiction. You can check out a condensed version below, or, read the whole article here.
Breakfast: Pile on the protein in the morning rather than wait to pack it in during dinner. Dr. Aronne says following this will actually reduce your hunger all day long and help you cut down in the long-run. “Those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 140 fewer calories at lunch, and ate less for the next 36 hours, compared with women who ate bagels in the morning.”
Lunch: You’d think skipping this meal would make you loose weight, “But going more than five hours without food causes hunger hormones to rise and fullness hormones to drop, and sends more of the calories consumed at dinner straight to fat cells.” Dr. Aronne suggests a salad with vinegar, veggies, and lean protein.
Dinner: Avoid the bread basket! Don’t load up on carbohydrates (or alcohol- it lowers your resistance and promotes fat storage) before a meal. Instead, order an appetizer like shrimp cocktail or a salad before your meal.
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The Wall Street Journal, “Why That Big Meal You Just Ate Made You Hungry,” Melinda Beck, April 14, 2009, Page D1
