Rosalee Brown
YOU PLANNED not to eat those fat laden convenience foods or drink those high sugar drinks, but you were starving and those were the only foods available, so what should you do, starve?
Many times, plans for healthier eating is derailed by hunger, a force which is so great, that it must be satisfied at all cost - we most times believe this when we are hungry. Lack of food for an extended period of time, can ultimately lead to a low blood sugar level and other overwhelming symptoms which force one to find food. Hunger is often blamed for the fact that we often find and consume foods, which when the pangs of hunger have passed, we decide, often regrettably, that we made the wrong choice.
But is hunger totally to blame for this decision or is it lack of planning? I do believe that lack of proper planning is to blame, since hunger is inevitable, and we know in advance that we will get hungry and eating is the only way to tame those nagging, sometimes painful pangs in our stomachs.
HERE ARE SOME USEFUL TIPS TO TAME HUNGER:
1. Always break your fast early. Eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger pangs and the possible 'pigging out' at or before lunch. According to the national weight loss registry in America, which keeps record of persons 18 years and over who have lost weight and kept it off for more than one year, approximately 75 per cent of participants always consume breakfast.
2. If you tend to get hungry before lunch, plan a healthy snack escape. A small fruit, a few nuts, or pieces of vegetables are excellent choices.
3. Keep hydrated. Use between meals to get your water in, as water consumption is an excellent way to stave off the hunger pangs since it has zero calories. Do not hydrate with juices.
4. Always plan what you will have for lunch ahead of time, especially if you will be away from the usual lunch spot and the healthy choices you desire will not be available. Make them available by taking them along, or use this good opportunity to have a meal replacement drink, whether one of the commercial kind, or one you concocted. Always ensure that the liquid meal you prepare is not too high in calories, as this is easy to happen if there is an addition of large amounts of nuts, fruits and whole milk/soy.
5. Always have some healthy backup in the freezer at home for those busy evenings when you are tired. For example when you prepare a healthy stew or other dishes, freeze some. Always make a large salad for more than one day. This can make a quick pick me up when you are starving before you prepare dinner.
6. High fibre foods can keep you fuller longer, so add foods with fibre to your regular healthy meals. Foods, such as beans, peas, whole grain cereals and vegetables are good choices.
7. Always have moderate servings of fat in your meal. It adds flavour and keeps the food in the stomach a litter longer. Fat also adds valuable fat-soluble vitamins to the diet; meals with little or no fat are not advised for health and fullness.
8. Always question your desire to eat. Ensure it is really physical hunger and not a response to emotions, such as boredom, sadness, anger, or any other reason other than merely physical hunger.
Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
