Hungry, why and how to control
The basis of a plan to lose weight is to act on hunger. But what are the mechanisms? How to neutralize it?
Why are we hungry?
Sugar and insulin control hunger
Low levels of glucose in the brain is a factor that triggers the sensation of hunger. But the glucose in the brain has nothing to do with sugar consumption.
The sugar that is absorbed comes into the blood and is stored in the liver and in muscles.
At least we do suffer from malnutrition, or have prolonged physical exercise, the brain receives enough sugar with what is delivered by the liver gradually and we did need to eat.
In contrast, when we consume sugar quickly, the body reacts by releasing insulin which lowers its level in the blood (diabetics lack the ability to provide insulin). In some people there is a second stage to lower glucose reaching the brain, against which it responds by stimulating hunger.
So removing sugars is a good way to suppress hunger, and facilitates a low-fat diet. They are absolutely not necessary, carbohydrates in pasta, rice, bread, provide more than sufficient energy to the body.
Satiety, what provides it
It depends indirectly from the act of eating and a hormone.
When the stomach is full, a message is transmitted to the brain. But this occurs not immediately, it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to become aware that the body is nourished enough.
An advice to reduce hunger is to eat slowly, so that the message reaches the brain before the end of the meal and thus avoids overeating.
The intake of fats and proteins (not sugar) triggers the synthesis of a hormone, leptin that induces satiety in the brain where it has specialized receptors.
The issuance of this hormone is also a slow process, which reinforces the previous advice.
Foods that reduce hunger
The article on slimming pills provides a list of molecules that have the property, more or less obvious, to reduce feelings of hunger.
A natural diet can also contribute to this effect:
- Fibers.
They are good for the intestines, absorbs fat like a sponge but they also contribute to satiety.
To get them, consume whole foods: bread, pasta and rice. - Tomato.
It contains a powerful antioxidant, but also a molecule that promotes the synthesis of the hormone of satiety. We never eat too much tomato.
Conclusion
Removing sugars is the best way to suppress hunger. But it's not that simple, though. Dark chocolate provides magnesium and also facilitates sleep. How to eat chocolate without sugar?
If necessary, we will try to sleep otherwise, including by exercises, and we adopt a more traditionnal feeding.
See also