HEALTH How to keep hunger pangs at bay

Beat those food cravings with balance


Nutrition advice
Judith McElhinney

According to a report published earlier this year by Croí, as many as 33 per cent of adults over 40 in Co Mayo are obese.
There are many reasons why people gain weight. It’s often the result of several factors, including dieting (yes, really), overeating combined with insufficient exercise, certain prescription medications, eating the wrong foods, excessive stress and even food allergies.
First and foremost, dieting doesn’t work. When you restrict your food intake, your body overproduces appetite-stimulating hormones, and under-produces appetite-suppressing hormones, so you feel hungry all the time. Your metabolism also slows down to conserve energy, so when you go back to eating normally, more food will be stored as fat.
Not only does counting calories rarely help you keep weight off, it’s time-consuming, difficult and makes you miserable! So skip the diet, and instead think about this simple weight-management principle…
Balancing blood sugar
Blood-sugar concentration refers to the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the blood, and keeping levels constant is the cornerstone of weight management. Blood sugar can fluctuate from very high, say after a sugary snack, to very low, if you skipped a meal. The hormone insulin helps keep blood sugar levels under control.
After a meal, insulin ‘tells’ body cells to take up glucose for energy. Stress, stimulants like coffee, and foods like white bread and sweets all release glucose very quickly into the bloodstream, and as a result insulin can get a little out of control. While these foods lead to a sudden burst of energy, the effect is short-lived, as the body will quickly release high levels of insulin to try to return blood sugar levels to the desired range.
The result? Blood sugar dips too low, and energy levels crash. And thus begins a rollercoaster of energy highs and lows, cravings for sweet foods and stimulants, and ultimately weight gain.
To avoid this cycle, follow a blood-sugar balancing diet, with small, regular meals and snacks to increase insulin sensitivity in cells, balance blood sugar and eliminate cravings. Eat protein with each meal to slow down the release of food from the stomach – think lean chicken, fish, eggs, yoghurt, nuts and seeds.
Fibre also slows the release of sugar into the bloodstream, makes you feel full quicker, and helps restore appetite-signaling hormones – brown rice, oats, fruits and vegetables are all great sources.
Aim to lose 1-2lbs per week for long-term success. Crash diets can result in rapid weight loss, but it is mainly muscle and water weight, and generally causes rebound weight gain. When it comes to weight loss, slow and steady really does win the race.

Judith McElhinney is a nutritional therapist based in Westport. She can be contacted at 087 2615150 or at living@mayonews.ie. For more details, visit www.thefoodcoachonline.com.