Eating poorly is human nature. We start at a young age teaching ourselves that dessert is a reward. Eventually junk food becomes comfort food. Foods high in fat and sugar stimulate the release of dopamine in our brains which makes us feel good. Over time, it takes more and more food to get the same effect. This leads to obesity, heart disease, depression, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and has even been linked to some cancers. It also causes increased stress levels, digestion issues, decreased energy and poor sleep. How do we stop it? We need to cut down on the cravings. We can do this by decreasing our want to eat by making us feel full. There are a few ways we can do this.
We can increase the fiber in our diet to make us feel more full. This includes broccoli, brussel sprouts, legumes, berries, coconut, avocados, figs, artichoke, squash, kale, nuts and seeds.
We can also try increasing the protein in our diet. Protein makes you feel fuller than carbs or fats as it decreases the hormone ghrelin. The more ghrelin you have then the hungrier you’re going to feel. So lowering your ghrelin levels naturally by eating more protein is very helpful. There are many healthy protein choices including:
chicken
turkey
fish
salmon
eggs
low-carb protein shake
legumes
nuts
seeds
Another way of decreasing hunger and cravings is exercise. Exercise also decreases levels of ghrelin while increasing levels of peptide YY, a hormone that suppresses appetite. It also slows digestion making you feel fuller longer. Exercise heats up your body and this also makes you feel less hungry.
The other way we can decrease cravings and increase fullness is with medications. The best results from a weight loss standpoint has been seen with semaglutide. This is an injection given once weekly that decreases hunger, decreases food cravings especially for savory foods and also slows down the emptying of the stomach. This makes us feel fuller and decreases caloric intake all while not feeling hungry! Semaglutide is prescription only and we do offer it through our clinic. We have it available to get on site or through your pharmacy.
What are the benefits of eating better?
Increased energy
Better mood
Sleep better at night
Losing weight
Better digestion
This all hopefully leads to a happier and healthier you!!