A quick/simple, yet fascinating view on what 200 calories really looks like with different foods and drink....
Showing posts with label healthy snacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy snacks. Show all posts
Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Thursday, 18 May 2017
Why Am I Always Hungry? Here Are 11 Possible Reasons
Are you embarrassed by a growling stomach and plagued by the never-ending search for something to eat? Do you often wonder why you are always hungry?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Below is some research and a list of the 11 most common reasons. (Numbers 2 & 3 will probably surprise you.)
1. You are eating too little
Okay, the first reason is obvious: can it really be that you’re eating too little? Are you working out a lot? Maybe you are simply not getting enough energy and nutrients despite eating three meals a day. A food diary can help you find out if you are giving your body everything it needs.
2. You are thirsty
Yes, sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. The reason is simple: the hypothalamus (part of the diencephalon and the most important control center of the autonomic nervous system) regulates both hunger and thirst. When you are dehydrated, the hypothalamus can get things mixed up. This is why you reach for a granola bar rather than a glass of water, although this is exactly what you need at that moment. Make sure to drink plenty of water and when you start to feel hungry, drink some water first before eating anything.
3. You are constantly on social media
Photos of friends’ pizza night on Facebook or Instagram. Recipe boards on Pinterest. But what we are talking about can be summed up best in two words: “FOOD PORN!” A problem our parents didn’t have to deal with when they were young… Through our smartphones, we are presented with a flood of mouthwatering images around the clock. Which is a big problem when you consider that there is scientific evidence showing that the mere sight of food can create feelings of hunger. These images of food lead to increased levels of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” in your blood. So just put your cell phone down for once! Is this proving difficult for you? Then make sure to check out photos of delicious AND healthy foods.
4. You are sleeping too little
Sleep deprivation has a big influence on feelings of hunger and what you eat. Too little sleep can lead to reduced levels of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for suppressing hunger. At the same time, inadequate sleep also leads to increased ghrelin, the other “hunger hormone,” which stimulates your appetite. This is one of the reasons why lack of sleep is often associated with weight gain. Doctors recommend getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
5. You went a little overboard last night
It might not sound logical, but it’s often true: if you eat huge amounts the night before, you will wake up hungry again the next morning. Would you like to know why? Science doesn’t really have a definitive answer yet. One theory has to do with the relationship between sugar and insulin. In the evening, we often eat way too many simple carbohydrates (white bread, refined-wheat pasta and high-sugar foods). The high level of sugar in the blood causes your pancreas to produce too much insulin. This, in turn, makes you feel hungry, thus perpetuating the cycle.
6. You are getting your period soon
Women probably know this all too well: shortly before your period, you could eat everything you see. Chocolate, ice cream and cake are particularly tempting. During the second half of the cycle, many women’s appetite and energy intake actually do increase. Progesterone levels are particularly high during this time, and many women feel sick or depressed shortly before their period. And it is this feeling of the blues that can then lead to the food cravings associated with premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.
7. You are eating wrong
Not only eating too little makes you hungry, but eating the wrong foods can also lead to hunger pangs. Nowadays, we consume far too many simple carbohydrates, while reducing the amount of fiber, protein and healthy fats we take in. The problem is that these nutrients are precisely the ones your body needs and the ones that keep you feeling full. Make sure to eat a balanced diet and stick to regular meals. This leads us to our next point…
8. You are skipping meals
You have overslept and there is no time for breakfast. You are stressed at work so you skip lunch… By the afternoon, you are so hungry you could eat a horse. It’s no surprise considering you have been cutting out meals. We often don’t notice how hungry we are until we get a second to sit down and hear our stomach growling. There is only one method to avoid this situation: eat regularly! Three main meals and possibly one or two snacks a day is the best way to keep your hunger in check.
9. You are bored
Are you actually hungry, or are you just bored? Many people can’t really tell the difference. Are you hungry for an apple and a handful of nuts? No? Then you’re not really hungry, but just looking for something to keep you busy. Find another way to distract yourself. Try doing some exercise, reading a book or meeting friends.
10. You are taking medication
Certain medications can stimulate appetite and hunger, like anti-depressants, for example. Unfortunately, this is one of the undesired side effects. The cravings go away once you stop taking the medication. However, it’s not so easy if you have to take them for a long time. In this case, it is definitely worth talking to your doctor about this problem. Perhaps you can lower the dosage or switch to a different medication with fewer side effects.
11. You are eating too fast
Does it sometimes seem like you just inhale your lunch? Eating too fast usually leads to a higher energy intake. Your stomach might be full, but it takes your brain longer to register it. This gives you the feeling of still being hungry and so you continue to eat. What you can do about this is to eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Take at least 20 minutes for lunch. This is how long your brain needs to realize you are full.
Want more healthy insights, recipes, videos or articles like this? Join us to receive 'inspiration in your inbox'- http://tiny.cc/join-me
Article Source
1. You are eating too little
Okay, the first reason is obvious: can it really be that you’re eating too little? Are you working out a lot? Maybe you are simply not getting enough energy and nutrients despite eating three meals a day. A food diary can help you find out if you are giving your body everything it needs.
2. You are thirsty
Yes, sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. The reason is simple: the hypothalamus (part of the diencephalon and the most important control center of the autonomic nervous system) regulates both hunger and thirst. When you are dehydrated, the hypothalamus can get things mixed up. This is why you reach for a granola bar rather than a glass of water, although this is exactly what you need at that moment. Make sure to drink plenty of water and when you start to feel hungry, drink some water first before eating anything.
3. You are constantly on social media
Photos of friends’ pizza night on Facebook or Instagram. Recipe boards on Pinterest. But what we are talking about can be summed up best in two words: “FOOD PORN!” A problem our parents didn’t have to deal with when they were young… Through our smartphones, we are presented with a flood of mouthwatering images around the clock. Which is a big problem when you consider that there is scientific evidence showing that the mere sight of food can create feelings of hunger. These images of food lead to increased levels of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” in your blood. So just put your cell phone down for once! Is this proving difficult for you? Then make sure to check out photos of delicious AND healthy foods.
4. You are sleeping too little
Sleep deprivation has a big influence on feelings of hunger and what you eat. Too little sleep can lead to reduced levels of the hormone leptin, which is responsible for suppressing hunger. At the same time, inadequate sleep also leads to increased ghrelin, the other “hunger hormone,” which stimulates your appetite. This is one of the reasons why lack of sleep is often associated with weight gain. Doctors recommend getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
5. You went a little overboard last night
It might not sound logical, but it’s often true: if you eat huge amounts the night before, you will wake up hungry again the next morning. Would you like to know why? Science doesn’t really have a definitive answer yet. One theory has to do with the relationship between sugar and insulin. In the evening, we often eat way too many simple carbohydrates (white bread, refined-wheat pasta and high-sugar foods). The high level of sugar in the blood causes your pancreas to produce too much insulin. This, in turn, makes you feel hungry, thus perpetuating the cycle.
6. You are getting your period soon
Women probably know this all too well: shortly before your period, you could eat everything you see. Chocolate, ice cream and cake are particularly tempting. During the second half of the cycle, many women’s appetite and energy intake actually do increase. Progesterone levels are particularly high during this time, and many women feel sick or depressed shortly before their period. And it is this feeling of the blues that can then lead to the food cravings associated with premenstrual syndrome, or PMS.
7. You are eating wrong
Not only eating too little makes you hungry, but eating the wrong foods can also lead to hunger pangs. Nowadays, we consume far too many simple carbohydrates, while reducing the amount of fiber, protein and healthy fats we take in. The problem is that these nutrients are precisely the ones your body needs and the ones that keep you feeling full. Make sure to eat a balanced diet and stick to regular meals. This leads us to our next point…
8. You are skipping meals
You have overslept and there is no time for breakfast. You are stressed at work so you skip lunch… By the afternoon, you are so hungry you could eat a horse. It’s no surprise considering you have been cutting out meals. We often don’t notice how hungry we are until we get a second to sit down and hear our stomach growling. There is only one method to avoid this situation: eat regularly! Three main meals and possibly one or two snacks a day is the best way to keep your hunger in check.
9. You are bored
Are you actually hungry, or are you just bored? Many people can’t really tell the difference. Are you hungry for an apple and a handful of nuts? No? Then you’re not really hungry, but just looking for something to keep you busy. Find another way to distract yourself. Try doing some exercise, reading a book or meeting friends.
10. You are taking medication
Certain medications can stimulate appetite and hunger, like anti-depressants, for example. Unfortunately, this is one of the undesired side effects. The cravings go away once you stop taking the medication. However, it’s not so easy if you have to take them for a long time. In this case, it is definitely worth talking to your doctor about this problem. Perhaps you can lower the dosage or switch to a different medication with fewer side effects.
11. You are eating too fast
Does it sometimes seem like you just inhale your lunch? Eating too fast usually leads to a higher energy intake. Your stomach might be full, but it takes your brain longer to register it. This gives you the feeling of still being hungry and so you continue to eat. What you can do about this is to eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Take at least 20 minutes for lunch. This is how long your brain needs to realize you are full.
Want more healthy insights, recipes, videos or articles like this? Join us to receive 'inspiration in your inbox'- http://tiny.cc/join-me
Article Source
Saturday, 28 January 2017
Feed Your Head: Cravings Quenchers
Fruit smoothies, nachos, frozen yogurt, and other snacks make great healthy - and tasty - treats.
Junk food has given snacking a bad name.
"Snacking in itself isn't a bad thing," says Elaine Magee, PhD, RD, author of numerous nutrition books, including 'Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy' and 'The Good News Eating Plan for Type II Diabetes'.
Magee firmly believes in eating several small meals during the day -- "and that includes quality, healthy snacks," she tells WebMD.
Her philosophy: Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortable. "There's a difference between stuffed and comfortable," she says. "If you truly follow that concept, you should be hungry every two or three hours."
Here's Magee's list of favorite healthy snacks -- plus the "bad guys" -- taken from another of her books, 'Fight Fat and Win: Light Meals and Snacks':
Popcorn. The fat in those microwave brands is the only negative here. Look for the healthier versions -- 98% fat-free. If you opt for plain popcorn, it's OK to drizzle a little margarine (one with no trans-fats) or butter. "It's better than full-fat brands, where you can't control the fat they add," says Magee.
Fruit and fruit smoothies. "Awesome, awesome healthy snack choice," she says. "For a complete, sustainable snack, make a fruit smoothie -- the dairy will sustain you."
Ice cream. Get real. You know ice cream isn't an everyday snack. "But there are good choices in ice-creamland," says Magee. Breyer's Light Vanilla is one of the best-tasting vanillas. Also, Smart Ones fudge bars are "really delicious -- they hit your chocolate and ice cream craving, plus they have four grams soluble fiber, 80 calories, hardly any fat, and very good flavor."
Cookies. Hmmm..."that's a toughie, because there's no way to get around it -- if they're fat-free, the cookies aren't so great, and you end up eating more," she tells WebMD. "Cookies are something you should enjoy, but not as a regular snack."
Cheese and crackers. Only if you pick a reduced-fat cheese that tastes good, like Kraft 2% and Jarlsberg Light, she advises. Lower fat means more protein, she adds. Crackers should be whole grain, low-fat, for this to be a healthy snack. The more fat in the cracker, the more trans-fat it will contain.
Cereals. Choose high-fiber, low-sugar cereals like oatmeal.
Yogurt/frozen yogurt. "We don't drink milk at my house, so yogurt is one of our calcium sources," she says. Yogurt doesn't need sugar to taste good. Buy plain yogurt and add something to it, like low-fat granola and fruit, for a truly healthy snack.
Candy bars. If you opt for mini-sized -- not supersized -- candy is OK. "Almost every day, I have a little bit of chocolate," says Magee. "If you deprive yourself, you'll end up compulsively overeating."
Popsicles/frozen fruit bars. Fine snack. "There are some excellent, 100% fruit-juice choices out there."
Vegetables. "Awesome, awesome, awesome snack," says Magee. "I have lot of success with my kids eating vegetables. I usually have a dip, like light ranch dip, and assorted vegetables on a platter."
Cake. Duh. Much as we love it, cake is not a great everyday snack. "When I'm talking about snack, I mean a nourishing snack, a healthy snack, a mini-meal," says Magee.
Peanut Butter. It's OK, but only if you just eat a tablespoon, and just with wholegrain crackers or toast.
Granola bars. The chewier they are, the more sugar and fat they have, Magee tells WebMD. "The healthy ones are crunchy, and not coated in chocolate. You can make your own; there are good recipes out there, then you can choose the oil, fruits, grains that go into them."
Chips/nachos. Low-fat chips, canola oil chips are OK -- "but you're better off eating a real potato," says Magee.
Better yet, make a family-sized nacho platter with reduced-fat tortilla chips, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, shredded chicken, low-fat shredded cheese. "You can make it a meal if you add something nourishing to the chips," she says. Now that's a healthy snack.
Article Source
Junk food has given snacking a bad name.
"Snacking in itself isn't a bad thing," says Elaine Magee, PhD, RD, author of numerous nutrition books, including 'Someone's in the Kitchen With Mommy' and 'The Good News Eating Plan for Type II Diabetes'.
Magee firmly believes in eating several small meals during the day -- "and that includes quality, healthy snacks," she tells WebMD.
Her philosophy: Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're comfortable. "There's a difference between stuffed and comfortable," she says. "If you truly follow that concept, you should be hungry every two or three hours."
Here's Magee's list of favorite healthy snacks -- plus the "bad guys" -- taken from another of her books, 'Fight Fat and Win: Light Meals and Snacks':
Popcorn. The fat in those microwave brands is the only negative here. Look for the healthier versions -- 98% fat-free. If you opt for plain popcorn, it's OK to drizzle a little margarine (one with no trans-fats) or butter. "It's better than full-fat brands, where you can't control the fat they add," says Magee. Fruit and fruit smoothies. "Awesome, awesome healthy snack choice," she says. "For a complete, sustainable snack, make a fruit smoothie -- the dairy will sustain you."
Ice cream. Get real. You know ice cream isn't an everyday snack. "But there are good choices in ice-creamland," says Magee. Breyer's Light Vanilla is one of the best-tasting vanillas. Also, Smart Ones fudge bars are "really delicious -- they hit your chocolate and ice cream craving, plus they have four grams soluble fiber, 80 calories, hardly any fat, and very good flavor."
Cookies. Hmmm..."that's a toughie, because there's no way to get around it -- if they're fat-free, the cookies aren't so great, and you end up eating more," she tells WebMD. "Cookies are something you should enjoy, but not as a regular snack."
Cheese and crackers. Only if you pick a reduced-fat cheese that tastes good, like Kraft 2% and Jarlsberg Light, she advises. Lower fat means more protein, she adds. Crackers should be whole grain, low-fat, for this to be a healthy snack. The more fat in the cracker, the more trans-fat it will contain.
Cereals. Choose high-fiber, low-sugar cereals like oatmeal.
Yogurt/frozen yogurt. "We don't drink milk at my house, so yogurt is one of our calcium sources," she says. Yogurt doesn't need sugar to taste good. Buy plain yogurt and add something to it, like low-fat granola and fruit, for a truly healthy snack.
Candy bars. If you opt for mini-sized -- not supersized -- candy is OK. "Almost every day, I have a little bit of chocolate," says Magee. "If you deprive yourself, you'll end up compulsively overeating."
Popsicles/frozen fruit bars. Fine snack. "There are some excellent, 100% fruit-juice choices out there."
Vegetables. "Awesome, awesome, awesome snack," says Magee. "I have lot of success with my kids eating vegetables. I usually have a dip, like light ranch dip, and assorted vegetables on a platter."
Cake. Duh. Much as we love it, cake is not a great everyday snack. "When I'm talking about snack, I mean a nourishing snack, a healthy snack, a mini-meal," says Magee.
Peanut Butter. It's OK, but only if you just eat a tablespoon, and just with wholegrain crackers or toast.
Granola bars. The chewier they are, the more sugar and fat they have, Magee tells WebMD. "The healthy ones are crunchy, and not coated in chocolate. You can make your own; there are good recipes out there, then you can choose the oil, fruits, grains that go into them."
Chips/nachos. Low-fat chips, canola oil chips are OK -- "but you're better off eating a real potato," says Magee.
Better yet, make a family-sized nacho platter with reduced-fat tortilla chips, refried beans, chopped tomatoes, peppers, sour cream, shredded chicken, low-fat shredded cheese. "You can make it a meal if you add something nourishing to the chips," she says. Now that's a healthy snack.
Article Source
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