Bon Appetit and Enjoy Your Meal

Emotional eating has been defined as a coping mechanism that triggers your appetite when you experience negative emotions of fear, anger, or sadness. However, positive emotions can just as easily trigger overeating as well. It is not a secret that a high fiber intake can help you feel full longer by slowing down digestion to limit the release of hunger hormones. This can help to regulate your appetite by producing short-chain fatty acids in your digestive system.

Traditionally, people started a meal with a bowl of soup or salad and a glass of water. Since water does help to empty the stomach, hydrating as close as possible to eating your meal can reduce feelings of hunger as well as your total calorie intake. Unchecked overactive thyroid conditions can make it almost impossible to manage feelings of hunger. Moreover, thyroid disease has been linked to other health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Not all foods satisfy hunger equally. Craving carbs is often a creation of appetite and not true hunger. Both protein and healthy sources of fats tend to keep you feeling full for longer. Try applying the eating tips discussed below:

• Eat at Mealtime – Dietitians say the key to avoiding overeating because your body is overly hungry is eat a balanced diet at mealtimes. Eating at regular intervals makes it easier to manage your hunger and appetite.
• Add Good Fats – Unsaturated fats like avocados and nuts have been found to play a pivotal role in signaling your brain that you are full and it is time to stop eating for now.
• Don’t Ignore Cravings – If food cravings start to run amok, you don’t have to give in to your food desires. Learn to outsmart them with a big glass of water or a healthy high-fiber, water filled snack you prepared at home.
• Drink More Fluids – Broth-based soups, especially bone broth, will help you stay hydrated and the protein from the broth can improve your overall gut health as well as be more satiating as a snack or as a meal.
• Mindful Eating – Mindful eating allows you to self-analyze whether your body is really craving nourishment or if your hunger is originating from someplace else, like the impact of stress or boredom on your appetite.

The benefits of simple forms of exercise like walking routinely can go way beyond burning calories. Exercise can increase your metabolism for immediate effects while improving your outlook for the rest of your day. Since you will usually fill up before you’ve overconsumed calories, it is generally okay to eat as much fresh fruit and non-starchy vegetables as your appetite desires, but never fried or coated with sugar.

Although some experts say it doesn’t matter when you consume your daily intake of calories, routinely eating breakfast can boost your metabolism and help your body stave off food cravings and hunger later in the day. If you have been looking for long-term strategies that allow you to eat more while managing your new weight, contact the weight loss specialists at Metabolic Research Center. MRC has thirty years of personalizing successful solutions.