MANY PEOPLE have decided to lose weight this year. Congratul-ations! But many fear that they may not be able to control their appetite and that hunger will spoil their weight loss programme.
The weight control programme that I use is called Shapeworks and it is remarkably effective at appetite control. However, as you lose weight, you may experience hunger at one time or another. There are several 'lifesaving' foods and beverages you can turn to when you feel hunger that will not wreck your weight loss plan.
These foods and drinks are what I call appetite control foods. What these foods and beverages have in common is that they make your stomach feel like it's full of rich foods. But in reality, you are filling up with foods that contain few calories or carbohydrates. Even though your stomach is full, you are not adding calories to your intake. For example, if you eat one cup of peanuts versus a cup of shredded cabbage, your body can't really tell the difference for the first few minutes. Your stomach will turn off the hunger signals thinking you have eaten a large quantity of food regardless of whether you are eating cabbage or peanuts, but in fact the cabbage may only contain 10 calories while the peanuts contain as much as 500 calories. Raw
cabbage is in fact, a great cure for stomach ulcers. But that's another article.
APPETITE CONTROL FOOD #1
Fresh clean water. That's right: water is a powerful appetite suppressant and if you drink an 8-ounce glass of water when you first start feeling hungry, you will find that it suppresses your appetite in nearly every case. If you just drink a full glass of water and have the discipline to wait 10 minutes, you will find that your appetite is either completely gone or dramatically reduced.
APPETITE CONTROL FOOD #2
Green tea: Green tea as distinct from the black tea found in regular tea bags is an excellent beverage for weight control. It not only controls appetite but it stimulates the body's metabolism to burn fat, enhances energy levels, offers protection from several cancers and is useful for hypertension and circulatory disorders. These benefits are not dependent on the small amount of natural caffeine found in green tea. Green tea can be had hot or cold with natural sweeteners.
APPETITE CONTROL FOOD #3
Soy Protein Shakes and Snacks
Add 8 ounces of unsweetened soy milk to the blender, along with 2 tablespoons of Shapeworks Formula #1 Protein powder and a slice of papaya, or half of a banana or apple and blend. This provides an excellent low calorie meal replacement drink that will satisfy your appetite. Avoid those popular meal replacement drinks that contain lots of sugar and carbohydrates and not enough protein. Roasted soy nuts, soy soups, fruit flavoured beverages and bars are other ways to use soy for appetite control while enjoying the many health benefits of soy.
APPETITE CONTROL FOOD #4
Green Vegetables: Vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, bokchoy, field greens and other leafy vegetables contain so few calories that you don't need to count them. Allow yourself to eat an unlimited quantity of any green leafy vegetables. They are 'free' foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and cancer fighting substances, and yet at the same time, they fill your stomach and make you feel full, turning off the hunger signals in your brain. You can consume these green leafy vegetables in different ways. Most people don't like to eat them plain. Instead, you can make a salad and then add only 100 calories worth of salad dressing. You need to find some of the lower calorie salad dressings available, and try to avoid MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, and other ingredients in your dressing.
APPETITE CONTROL FOOD #5:
Apples: Eat the largest apple you can find of either the Jamaican or American variety. Sure, they contain some calories and some carbohydrates, but the apple will fill you up for quite a while, and that will stop you from eating far more calorie-rich foods.
Let me explain. If you are very hungry, it's very easy to reach for some processed foods like a bag of chips or crackers, for example. You can start nibbling away until you've consumed 1000 calories or more. But, it's almost impossible to eat 1000 calories worth of apples. You'll probably fill up even before reaching 400 calories. Apples are great appetite suppressing foods because the fibre fills up your stomach and turns off your appetite before you overeat. Plus, apples contain various vitamins and minerals and anticancer agents.
OTHER NATURAL
APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS:
Fibre supplements
Swallow a couple of fibre tablets before you begin eating. Fibre tablets could include oat bran fibre, apple pectin fibre, or other natural fibres. This creates a feeling of fullness with little food. Although several fibre supplements are available, I recommend one in which the fibre has been "activated" to trap and eliminate any excess fat in your meal. Be careful to drink plenty of water as you take these tablets because without adequate water, they can slow up your digestive system. So, another reason to drink plenty of water.
Herbal Tablets
A variety of herbs is effective at safely suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss. I
recommend a tablet that contains a combination of several herbs (Ephedra free) that suppress appetite while stimulating fat burning. They are far better than weight loss drugs.
You may email Dr. Vendryes at Vendryes@mac.com or listen to An Ounce of Prevention on POWER106FM on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m.
