Food variety is important for nutritional diversity but it can work against you when you’re trying to eat less. Find out how “sensory-specific satiety” influences how much you eat and how to make it work in your favor.
How much do food labels influence our food shopping habits? More than you think. Find out how food labels affect what goes into your shopping cart and how to avoid buying unhealthy items.
Are you an emotional eater? Many people are, and some aren’t even aware that they’re doing it. This article discusses the cause of emotional eating, signs of emotional eating and a strategy for dealing with it.
What is it that motivates you to eat – or to overeat? Your appetite is regulated by a complex group of peptides including appetite hormones like leptin, produced by fat cells. Leptin turns off your appetite and reduces the desire to eat. Ghrelin, a hormone produced by the lining of your stomach has the opposite effect – it strongly stimulates the desire to eat. Think mad rush to the refrigerator! These hormones exert their effects on a portion of your brain called the hypothalamus.
You already know that what you eat and how much is a factor when it comes to controlling your weight – but what about WHEN you eat? A recent study looked at this issue. Read on to find out what research shows about meal timing and weight control.
You’ve lost weight? Congratulations! Now comes the hard part – keeping it off. Unfortunately, sometimes your body works against here. Here are three hormones that make it more difficult to maintain your new weight once you’ve lost it.
How do you chew your food? It matters when it comes to controlling your weight. Find out what research shows about your chewing style and how it affects how much you eat and how quickly you get full. Find out more about the science of chewing and satiety.
Sensory cues are important for controlling appetite and satiety. People generally eat less when a food is thicker or creamer. A food’s aroma also appears to have an impact. Research shows that when foods have a stronger odor, we take smaller bite sizes, and ultimately eat less. Find out how you can use this and other sensory cues to control how much you eat.
Short periods of sleep have been linked with weight gain and an increase in appetite. Now, a new study shows that skimping on sleep may impact women different than men. Find out how the two sexes differ in their response to too little sleep and how this impacts appetite and food consumption. You’ll also discover tips for getting better quality sleep.
What goes on in your brain has a direct influence on how much you eat, food cravings and the types of foods you choose. One brain chemical in particular, dopamine, plays an especially important role in keeping food cravings in check. Find out what role it plays and ways to maximize its benefits through diet and lifestyle.
Are you having problems controlling your appetite? Try changing the types of fats you eat. A recent study shows that certain types of fat can interfere with appetite hormones like leptin and make it easier to overeat. Find out what types of fats to cut back on and what you can replace them with.
Though sugar cravings are nearly universal, we often fear and demonize these feelings while blaming ourselves for a supposed lack of self-discipline. Restriction of problem foods leads to feelings of deprivation, causing binging and remorse in an unhealthy cycle of see-saw dieting. Health experts offer a gentler and more holistic point of view on our unending hunger, citing cravings as a great starting point for understanding what our bodies’ true needs are.
