Can we control our sense of satiety?
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Dr. Mehmet Oz answered:Sometimes, it may seem like we don't have much control over the chemical reactions taking place within our arteries or inside our brains. But just as you can control things like cholesterol and blood pressure by changing the foods you eat or altering your behaviors, you can also control the satiety center of your brain. How? Through your choice of foods.
At least as far as your body is concerned, foods are drugs—they're foreign substances that come in and switch around all those natural chemical processes going about their business within your body. When your body receives foods, different chemical reactions take place, and messages get sent throughout your system—turning on some things, turning off others.
While your body internally gives orders, you set the tone and direction of those orders through the food you're feeding it. Eat the right foods (like nuts) and your hormones will keep you feeling satisfied. But eat the wrong foods (like simple sugars) and you'll cause your body to go into a hormonal haywire that ends up with one result: the next notch in your belt.
Find out more about this book: YOU: On A Diet Revised Edition: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management
Sometimes, it may seem like we don't have much control over the chemical reactions taking place within our arteries or inside our brains. But just as you can control things like cholesterol and blood pressure by changing the foods you eat or... More -
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary answered:Having diverse tastes in your meals helps to satisfy cravings and prevents overeating.
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. The American diet often has plenty of the first three- sweet, sour and salty—but is often missing the last three. It is easy to think of examples of sweet tastes (apple pie), salty tastes (potato chips) and sour tastes (lemons). But how often do you think of bitter, pungent, and astringent foods? Below is a list of examples of the 6 tastes. Find ways to incorporate each one in your meals and you will eat less and feel more satiated.
Sweet:
- Most grains such as wheat, rice, barley, and corn Pulses (legumes), i.e. beans, lentils, and peas
- Milk and sweet milk products such as ghee, cream, and butter
- Sweet fruits (especially dried) such as dates, figs, grapes, pear coconut, and mango - Cooked vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, cauliflower, and string beans
- Sugar in any form such as raw, refines, brown, white, molasses, and sugar can juiceSour:
- Sour fruits such as lemon, lime, sour orange, sour pineapple, passion fruit, sour cherries, plum, and tamarind
- Sour milk products such as yogurt, cheese, whey, and sour cream
- Fermented substances (other than cultured milk products) such as wine, vinegar, soy sauce, or sour cabbage
- Carbonated beverages (including soft drinks or beer)Salty:
- Any kind of salt such as rock salt, sea salt, and salt from the ground
- Any food to which salt has been addedPungent:
- Spices such as chili, black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, cumin, cloves, cardamom, and garlic
- Mild spices such as turmeric, anise, cinnamon, and fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme, and mint
- Raw vegetables such as radish, onion, and cauliflowerBitter:
- Vegetables such as chicory and bitter gourd; other green leafy vegetables such as spinach, green cabbage, and brussel sprouts
- Fruits such as olives, grapefruit, and cocoa
- Spices such as fenugreek and turmericAstringent:
- Turmeric, honey, walnuts, and hazelnuts
- Pulses such as beans, lentils, peas (dahl)
- Vegetables such as sprouts, lettuce, and other green leafy vegetables; most raw vegetables; rhubarb
- Fruits such as pomegranate, berries, persimmon, cashew fruit, rose apple, and most unripe fruitsHaving diverse tastes in your meals helps to satisfy cravings and prevents overeating. Ayurveda recognizes six tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. The American diet often has plenty of the first three- sweet,... More -
Yogi Cameron Alborzian answered:In today's modern world, we tend to favor convenience foods like ready-made meals and comfort foods like chips and cookies to sustain ourselves. All of these types of foods are distant relatives of the fruits, vegetables, grains, and other natural foods that they are based on. The body ultimately knows that it's eating these types of processed foods and that such foods don't provide the same nutritional value as natural foods taken directly from the earth.
When you eat a potato, you eat a potato. When you eat a bag of potato chips, however, you eat a tiny fraction of actual potato and the remainder is fake food the body doesn't benefit from. To control your hunger, favor natural foods as much as you can and the body will feel far more satiated as a result.
In today's modern world, we tend to favor convenience foods like ready-made meals and comfort foods like chips and cookies to sustain ourselves. All of these types of foods are distant relatives of the fruits, vegetables, grains, and other natural... More
