You’ve revamped your diet and are committed to eating cleanly. You’ve punted processed and packaged foods and you’re munching on more fruits and vegetables. In fact, your refrigerator looks like the produce aisle at the local grocery store. There’s only one problem – you’re starving! Why when you’ve made so many positive changes to your diet does your body keep sending the message to eat, eat, eat?
Eating Cleanly: How Much Are You Eating?
Nagging hunger when you’re trying to eat clean can happen for a number of reasons. For one, you may be eating too little. Clean foods, like fruits and vegetables, are low in calories. Therefore, you can consume more of them without overeating. Get a better idea of how much you’re eating by keeping a food journal for a few weeks. Most people aren’t a reliable judge of how much food they’re consuming By keeping a journal, you may discover you simply aren’t eating enough food. Eating cleanly isn’t about depriving yourself of food – it’s about enjoying the “right” foods – lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fewer packaged foods and products that contain sugar.
Keep in mind when you feel hungry, that “clean” snacks like chopped up veggies and low-sugar fruits like berries are so low in calories, you can snack on them when you’re hungry – even if you are trying to lose weight. Veggies and fruits are also high in fiber, which will help control your appetite. Unlike processed and packaged foods, you don’t have to deprive yourself when you’re eating cleanly.
Eating Cleanly: Are You Getting the Right Macros?
The “missing element” that may be causing you to feel hungry is protein. The most satiating of the macronutrients, protein is what you need more of when you’re eating cleanly and feeling hungry. Scientists now know why protein fills you up more carbs and fats. When you eat protein-rich food, it’s broken down to smaller sub-units called peptides, which are short chains of amino acids. These peptides block receptors that signal the brain to shut off your appetite by stimulating the release of glucose by your intestinal tract.
How can you put this to use? To curb hunger and cravings, eat a clean source of protein at every meal. Strike a balance between lean sources of poultry, fatty fish and eggs and plant-based protein sources like lentils, beans, tempeh and high-protein grains like quinoa. Plant-based proteins have an added benefit – they’re high in fiber, especially beans and lentils. Take advantage of that.
Find ways to add protein to every snack that you eat. Add nuts to cottage cheese or yogurt or a scoop of protein powder. When you eat an apple, spread almond butter on it. Prepare a container of hard-boiled eggs and munch on one along with a fruit or veggie snack. Dress up celery sticks with tuna or pimento cheese.
Don’t be a fatphobe either. Healthy fats help to slow down gastric emptying, the rate at which food leaves your stomach. Plus, it adds texture to foods so you feel more satisfied. Vegetables are more filling if you cook them in olive oil. In one study olive oil was the most satiating of four different fats tested. Researchers identified two key chemicals in olive oil, hexanal, and E2-hexanal, that slowdown absorption of glucose. One reason people get hungry is that cells absorb glucose too quickly, leading to a drop in blood sugar and that irksome feeling of hunger. One caveat: The satiety-inducing chemicals are volatile, so olive oil that’s heated may not lead to the same feelings of fullness.
Eating Cleanly: The Transition Period
When you clean up your diet and eliminate or cut back on refined carbohydrates and sugar, there’s an “adjustment period” where you still crave sugary foods. Some research suggests that sugar has addictive properties and cravings for sweets may persist for several weeks until your body adapts. In a sense, you’re suffering from carbohydrate withdrawal. Make sure you’re not allowing yourself easy access to the sugary stuff you’re avoiding. Clean out your cabinets and refrigerator and replace the foods you’re trying to avoid with healthy options so making health food selections is simple
Once your body adapts, the cravings and constant hunger should subside as your insulin levels stabilize and you no longer will get significant insulin spikes. Constant hunger and cravings can also be a sign of insulin resistance, which should improve as you reduce sugar and refined carbs, exercise and lose excess weight.
When you’re eating a diet high in sugar and refined carbs, your body adapts to burning glucose as fuel. When you cut back on sugar and processed carbs, your body becomes more efficient at burning fat as fuel, but during the transition period, you may feel hungry and fatigued. Once your body adapts to being predominantly a “fat burner,” your energy level should actually improve.
Eating Cleanly: The Importance of Staying Hydrated
Don’t forget about drinking enough water. Sometimes thirst and hunger signals get “crossed.” You may think you’re hungry when you’re actually dehydrated. Keep a stainless steel container of water nearby and sip frequently throughout the day. Green tea is another calorie-free drink to sip to stay hydrated and get enjoy the health benefits of the catechins in green tea. Stay hydrated with calorie-free beverages.
Eating Cleanly: Get Enough Sleep!
If you’re burning the midnight oil and not spending enough time in dreamland, it could be making you hungry. Lack of sleep increases ghrelin, a hard-hitting appetite hormone that drives you to seek out food, especially sugar, carby options. Even if you’re doing everything else right, lack of sleep makes it harder to maintain a healthy body weight AND negatively impacts your mental and physical health. Shoot for 7 to 8 hours a night to keep cravings under control.
The Bottom Line
If you’re feeling hungry on a clean diet, ramp up your protein and add fiber and healthy fat. Make sure you’re eating enough too! Keep in mind that changing your diet takes some fine-tuning and there’s an adjustment period – but it’s worth it.
References:
Science Daily. “How a protein meal tells your brain you’re full” July 5, 2012.
Diabetes Obes Metab. 2011 Mar;13(3):204-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2010.01328.x.
IFT. “Olive oil may increase satiety” March 25, 2013.
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