January 30th, 2010Wanting to Eat Less on the Atkins Diet
One of the most common, but nevertheless surprising effects of following the Atkins diet is appetite suppression. Many advocates of the plan report that the inter meal hunger pangs they used to have just fade away and very rapidly too. This factor makes it easier to stay on the diet and keep losing weight. While other diets have their followers hungry between meals, the Atkins diet offers relief from continuous hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.
The main component is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, more so than carbohydrates, has the capability to satiate hunger. If you’ve ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry afterwards, you know that carbohydrates don’t have much staying power as a satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling satisfied for long periods of time.
One of the most powerful appetite suppressant foods on the Atkins diet are eggs. Eggs are a marvellous form of quick and easy protein. A recent report showed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The study concerned two groups of women. One group ate eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of buns and cream cheese.
The calorie count for both types of breakfasts was exactly the same. The subjects kept track of what they ate for the remainder of the day and answered questions about their hunger and satisfaction levels throughout the day. The results of the study revealed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than those women who were in the buns group.
Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels and produces a feeling of well-being. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown to have incredible effects on eye health. Therefore, it is important to consume the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.
Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most suitable vegetables on the Atkins program, also have appetite-suppressing effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach is full, it will actually create a chemical response in your body. Your body will reduce its call for food because it assumes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This occurs regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fibre. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables for the Atkins plan.
The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein balanced meals a few times a day. This will help maintain your blood sugar level in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding a wave of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel great and full. Then after a few hours, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were previous to eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues ad infinitum and, over time, you will eat more and put on weight.
The protein, fat and vegetable meals of the Atkins plan put your blood sugar back in balance. They give you just enough of each type of food, with the correct amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its sustainability. This combination suppresses your appetite effectively throughout the day.
The Atkins diet is actually a craving control diet that helps suppress your appetite. If you’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help control those desires. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet. Really, the longer you follow the plan, the more it works and the easier following the diet gets.
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