Nine Strategies to Beat Hunger When You're on a Diet

Diets fail for many different reasons, and one of them is hunger: an uncomfortable sensation that we humans are biologically designed to avoid. This complex process is regulated by numerous hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. We get hungry for physiological reasons (when our body needs nourishment) and psychological reasons (e.g. stress or boredom). There is a difference between real 'stomach' hunger and so-called 'head' hunger, although drawing the line between the two is not always easy. Psychological reasons can influence physiology, like when you're in shock and cannot eat, even though your body needs energy. Regardless of the origin of your hunger, here are some proven strategies to help you beat this painful feeling and stay on track with weight loss:

1) Don't cut calories too low. 
The stricter your diet, the more you will be likely to experience hunger, so it's important not to cut your food intake too low. This is the main reason why diets fail: because they are too restrictive. When we're not allowed to have something, we want it more, so it's also important not to eliminate certain foods completely. Anything in moderation can't do much harm, especially if you don't consume it regularly. The occasional treat won't ruin your diet, but consistently overindulging in ice cream for example will sabotage your efforts. Strict diets not only make you hungry, but your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows down, which means you'll burn less calories and lose weight more slowly.

2) Eat more complex carbohydrates.
Refined sugars are a no-no for obvious reasons, especially as they are followed by a surge of insulin followed by the inevitable 'crash' as your blood sugar suddenly drops and leaves you exhausted and ravenous. Slow carbohydrates like whole meal breads, whole meal pasta, brown rice, oats, quinoa, lentils and sweet potato are excellent for weight loss, as they don't have this effect. On the contrary, they give you sustained energy and make you feel full. They are 'low GI', which means they are broken down and absorbed slowly, keeping your blood sugar on an even keel. They also influence your mood positively as they have been linked to an increase in the brain of the feel-good neurotransmitter Serotonin.

3) Eat more fruit.
If your stomach rumbles and it's still a while before your next meal, have an apple, a pear, a banana or a cup of berries. This is often all you need to quell your hunger. I don't know how fruit got such a bad name when it's actually good for your health and very satisfying.  The fructose contained in fruit works to refill liver glycogen, sending a signal to the brain, thus making you feel fuller. This is why people who include moderate amounts of fruit in their diet report feeling less hungry. This is an addition to the other benefits of fruit: fibre, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. Of course we are talking about whole fruit here - stay away from juices!

4) Eat more fibre.
Fibre is quite miraculous, and totally devoid of calories. It adds bulk to your food and makes you feel full, while lowering the GI of your meal. It delays stomach emptying, and you tend to feel satisfied for longer. By adding volume to your meal, fibre contributes to stretching your stomach, and the brain thinks you're full. How do you increase your fibre intake? Focus on soups, vegetable curries, stews and stir fries. Have lots of salads. Besides eating fruit and vegetables, it's essential to stick to unrefined products like whole meal cereals, breads and pasta. Remember to have pulses and legumes as they are 'nutritional powerhouses', and to add nuts and seeds to your meals.

5) Eat more fat.
Low-fat diets tend to leave people hungry. Fat contributes to lowering the GI of your meals, and like fibre it slows gastric emptying. Dietary fat helps you feel fuller for longer between meals, as you food sits in your stomach longer. Adding fat to your dishes also makes them more tasteful. Without fat, food often tastes like cardboard. Fat makes food more palatable, and thus more satisfying, which plays a big role as people tend to abandon diets that are tasteless. Avoid cooking or frying in fat though. Instead, add fat towards the end of your cooking, by drizzling olive oil or adding a bit of fresh butter to your dish. If you need to fry something, use coconut oil: it's the only oil that remains stable when heated. Most other oils, including vegetable oils, become toxic at high temperatures, as their structure is altered by heat. To add 'good' fats to your diet, it's a good idea to consume nuts in moderation. It has been proven that people who include nuts in their diet (about a handful a day) are less hungry than those who don't. Eating nuts also increases your life span.

6) Drink more water.
Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day helps reduce hunger pangs. Water makes you feel fuller. It stops you from eating large quantities if you consume it before a meal. Water works well in conjunction with fibre, which acts like a sponge, increasing the bulk of your food and stretching your stomach. Another reason for drinking more water is that thirst is often mistaken for hunger. You might feel hungry, when in reality you're simply dehydrated. Before grabbing something to eat, fill up on water. Make it a habit to carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go, and sip some water throughout the day to replenish your body cells. Water is great if you suffer from stress and headaches. Water not only helps keep hunger at bay, it also stimulates your metabolism and assists your kidney and liver. You liver is your major detoxification and energy-burning organ, and drinking water will help it work efficiently.

7) Exercise moderately.
Moderate exercise has been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels and regulate hunger pangs, especially if you do it on a regular basis. Exercise is a natural antidepressant. It lifts your mood, which is important, as you tend to eat more sugar and junk food when you feel low. When you feel better about yourself you also tend to stick to your diet, as you're more likely to take better care of yourself. Exercise can be relaxing and it takes your mind off your problems, while alleviating stress and boredom. It gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to stay on track.

8) Avoid 'diet perfectionism'.
In my book 'The Magic of Sensible Dieting', I devote a whole chapter to this destructive mindset. Diet perfectionism is sure to make you fail, because it is impossible to be perfect all the time when you follow a weight loss programme. While you need to adhere to certain guidelines like eating a wholesome breakfast, avoid eating late at night and eating several small meals a day, you also need to have a flexible approach to dieting if you want to succeed. If you feel guilty and miserable just because you had a piece of chocolate cake, you might believe that your diet is ruined and eat the entire cake, and abandon your diet altogether. This type of rigid dieting is bound to fail. You will possibly put on more weight in the long term, rather than losing it. 

The truth is that small deviations don't do much harm in the context of a long-term healthy eating approach. If you've dieted for the last five days and decide to have a handful of cookies, because you really fancy them, it won't do you much harm. But if you decide that you're a worthless piece of crap without willpower and eat another 1000 calories of cookies to punish yourself, you're turning this slight deviation into a big problem. Always include periods of 'free' eating (on the weekend for example) and include your favourite treats in your diet, without going overboard of course.

9) Welcome hunger instead of trying to avoid it at all cost.
Hunger is not as bad as it seems. Hunger means you're burning energy and shedding excess weight, which is what you want after all. To feel slightly hungry after a meal may also be a sign that you're getting used to eating smaller quantities and that your stomach is 'shrinking'. It takes time for your body to adjust to this new way of life. If you're used to eating a lot of junk food and switch to a diet based on fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, healthy carbs and lean protein, your body will be in shock for a while. Give yourself enough time to get used to being healthy! The body is a marvellous machine, and even if it has been abused for a long time, it longs to be healthy and to be looked after properly. Your body doesn't work against you. It works for you, but you need to give it a chance. 

It can be good feel hungry sometimes. Before a meal, it means you need to replenish your energy stores. Hunger can be healthy, and to experience it shows that you're in tune with your body's signals. Overweight and obese people often forget what real stomach hunger feels like, due to overeating all the time, and they need to learn to identify true hunger signals, which are not the same as a desire to eat because something looks appetising. Make a decision not to be scared of hunger and welcome it instead. After all, there are a lot of healthy foods you can eat to satisfy your body's needs as well as your taste buds.

I would love to read your comments and suggestions on this article!

With love,

Bella

Follow Your Passion!

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." - Oprah Winfrey

Passion is the energy that propels you forward. It gives meaning to your life. It fills you with excitement, happiness and anticipation. It nurtures the flame of your imagination. It keeps you going in times of doubt and insecurity. Passion maintains your focus and stops you from giving up. There might be a mountain in front of you, but you're ready to climb it, and you can see yourself at the top. 

Passion means doing the things you love, the things you were born to do. You may be good at certain things, but the difference is to do what you really love. You can lose yourself in this activity to the extent that you lose track of time. It is totally engrossing for you, and it never seems like a chore. Whether you're writing, painting, learning to play a musical instrument, designing a new dish, a new lounge room or a new choreography, it doesn't matter, as long as it unlocks the positive passion energy within you. 

Today, ask yourself what you love doing. Make sure you allocate some time in your busy day to do it. Start with 15 minutes and see what happens. Whatever it is, you don't have to do it all day, every day. Dedicating just one hour a day to an inspiring, creative activity is enough to enhance your wellbeing and lower your stress levels. As long as you're passionate about it, it will refresh, energise and invigorate your life. 

Passion is the driving force behind success and happiness. It gives you a sense of personal power and accomplishment, as you're achieving a goal with something that gives you pleasure and satisfaction. 

Painting: 'Dancer' by Steve Henderson

Why it's important to get a good night's sleep

Energy and willpower are necessary to work towards your goals, and depend a lot on the quality and quantity of your sleep. When you’re sleep deprived, your brain is impaired and functions less effectively. Your mental processes become distorted and negative. You get easily irritated by what other people do or say. You get frustrated as soon as things don’t go your way. 

Without sufficient sleep, you find it hard to make decisions. Or you make decisions in a rush, without thinking them through properly, and without looking at the consequences. Lack of sleep can turn you either into an insensitive robot or an emotional wreck. At the same time, you tend to become irrational and lose all perspective and common sense.

Getting a good night’s sleep should be your number one priority. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, cigarettes and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, excepts maybe for natural herbal products. Any chemical you put into your body can affect your sleep pattern. If you’re a night shift worker, be particularly vigilant to get enough sleep during the day, and on your days off. Put all non-urgent tasks on the back burner and explain to your family that your rest and sleep come first.

To stay positive, motivated and focused on what you really want, you need sufficient quality sleep. It is during your sleep that memories become anchored in your subconscious: this is essential for learning and preparing for exams. In your sleep, you often solve problems you couldn’t figure out during the day, as your subconscious keeps working on them, without you having to do anything about it! In your sleep, all your bodily systems get rejuvenated and injected with new energy, this is why you feel so refreshed when you wake up after a good night.

You don’t have to wait to be exhausted to go to bed. Start making yourself comfortable between the sheets at least half an hour to an hour before your actual bedtime. Sleep is a progressive state of deep relaxation. You can initiate the process and feel your eyes getting heavy, while yawning sets in, and slumber eventually takes over.  This is a proactive approach that will have a great impact on the quality of your sleep. Read something inspiring. Take a few minutes to pray or meditate. Go go over the events of the day and look at them from an observer’s point of view, without judging people and events. Be grateful for everything you’ve got, even if it isn’t much. Be grateful that you’re breathing, that you’re in a nice warm bed, that you’ve got a roof over your head. Be grateful for yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Sleep well,

Bella

Painting: "Night Time" by Toni Grote

Why is it Good to Eat a Diet High in Fiber?

Eating fiber is like house cleaning. If you don't clean your house, it becomes messy and dirty. It becomes smelly; things are hard to find, and you feel uncomfortable in it. Germs start festering and you may contract respiratory or skin infections. You may develop asthma due to the dust. 

House cleaning is a routine that most people don't question because it makes sense to them. You feel more contented and relaxed when your house is tidy and hygienic. You also understand why it's necessary to clean your body from the outside and have regular showers or baths. Just like it is essential to clean your house and take showers, it is vitally important to clean your body from the inside.

Fiber scrapes your intestines, like a brush removing dirt and grime from a surface, and in the process your whole body is cleansed. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and turns into a gel-like substance that soaks up impurities, excess bile and cholesterol. It makes you feel full, so you tend to eat less. It also delays the absorption of carbohydrates, thus stabilizing blood sugar levels and preventing hunger pangs. You can find soluble fiber in oats, fruit, vegetables, peas and beans. 

With the help of insoluble fiber, waste matter is rapidly transported out of your body. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to your food, and prevents constipation, by accelerating your intestinal transit. Toxic substances don't linger in your body, and are less likely to be absorbed into your bloodstream. With insoluble fiber, a high percentage of calories is carried away and wasted before it can be utilized: great news for people intending to lose weight or maintain their current weight. You can find insoluble fiber in whole grain foods, nuts, seeds, lentils and the skins of fruits and vegetables

Soluble fiber is the brush, broom, mop, cleaning cloth, sponge, or vacuum cleaner that gathers all the dirt, sucks it up, leaving surfaces clean and sparkling. Insoluble fibre carries the result, whatever is in the dustpan, bucket, cloth, sponge or vacuum cleaner bag, out into the garbage can.

When your daily food intake is high in fiber, your feel better. Your health automatically begins to improve. You lose any excess weight and maintain your ideal body shape. You feel energetic and rejuvenated. You sleep better and think more clearly. You're in a cheerful mood and have more enthusiasm. You feel lighter and more optimistic.

Your immune system works better. Fiber reduces inflammation in your body, and lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Another bonus: you look fresher, as your skin becomes smooth with a healthy glow. If you suffer from acne or fungal infections, a diet high in fiber may be the solution. After just a few weeks, you will notice great improvements. 

Enjoy a healthy day today,

Bella

Six small meals are better than three big ones for weight loss and wellbeing

Many of us grew up eating three 'square' meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. But there is increasing scientific evidence that it is preferable to eat several small meals a day, rather than three large ones.

A Canadian study observed two groups of individuals. One group followed an ordinary three-meals-a-day diet, while the second group had to eat several small meals throughout the day. Both groups were given the same amount of calories to consume. At the end of the study, individuals in the second group had lost considerable more weight, while showing lower LDL cholesterol levels (the 'bad' cholesterol that clogs up your arteries). Blood sugar levels were also lower and more stable in the second group.

Weight loss plans can be daunting because of all the restrictions they involve. But if you're allowed to 'refuel' more often, it means more opportunities to look forward to eating something, as well as sustained energy throughout your day. You're less likely to be hungry, while avoiding energy dips and cravings. You feel more satisfied and more secure, knowing that you can eat many times during the day and won't have to wait too long for your next meal.

Eating alone increases your metabolic rate: this is the 'thermic' effect of food. You will lose weight more easily if you spread your calories throughout the day rather than grouping them into three big meals. With smaller quantities of food, your stomach tends to shrink and you will be satisfied sooner. Large meals are unhealthy as they are followed by a spike in blood sugar and insulin, followed by a low mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

When you have a small meal in front of you, your instinct tells you to eat it slowly, in order to make it last longer. You tend to enjoy it more, savouring every mouthful. You automatically increase your chewing time and appreciate your food better. This helps your digestive system, while enabling your brain to register the feeling of fullness.

Mindless snacking can be detrimental: chips, lollies, chocolates and sugary biscuits will not assist your quest for better health! Plan your meals carefully. Fill your fridge with fruit and vegetables, or start growing them yourself. Fruit and vegetables are your staple items. A banana or an apple make perfect snacks. Also include whole grains, legumes, seeds and nuts in your diet. By following these guidelines, you will soon enjoy a new healthy body and clear thinking mind.

With much love and encouragement,

Bella

Drink Water for Better Health

"Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load and improve the function of all your tissues." - Kevin R. Stone

Life originated deep beneath the surface of the ocean. Life came out of the water, and water is necessary for all life. At birth, water accounts for approximately 80 percent of an infant's body weight. Roughly 70 percent of an adult's body is made up of water. The human brain comprises about 85 percent water and even your bones are not as hard as you think, as they are between 10 and 15 percent water.

Water plays such an important role in your life and is a major contributor to your health. Almost everyone has heard the advice: "Drink at least eight glasses of water a day". There are at least ten reasons why you need to drink plenty of water and make this an essential part of your daily routine.

1. For healthy, glowing skin.
Nothing improves the appearance of your complexion more than drinking water, as it moisturises the skin from inside out, and is much more effective than any expensive cream you can buy. It prevents your skin from drying out, thus reducing winkles and leaving it supple and elastic, with a beautiful shine.

2. To flush excess water and toxins from your body.
Without sufficient water, your body will go into survival mode and store excess water. When the body is supplied with a sufficient amount of water, it begins to release stores from your hips, thighs and ankles.  Water helps remove these stores but also helps flush out waste products from your body by stimulating your kidneys and assisting your liver function. Without enough water, the kidneys are unable to perform their function, which is filtering the blood and getting rid of toxins through urine. In the absence of sufficient water, the kidneys will turn to the liver for assistance. 

The liver, which is  like a major rubbish removal system, is then unable to perform some of its normal duties which include burning fat and calories. This results in the body depositing more fat. Water and fat stores going up means more weight on your body and on the scale. An early sign of dehydration is headache, due to an accumulation of toxins in the blood. You take Aspirin or Panadol, but it's actually the glass of water that you have with your medicine that gets rid of the headache!

3. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day may reduce the risk of heart disease. 
If your body lacks water, your heart will need to work harder in order to pump oxygenated blood towards your body cells, and there is a greater chance of fatigue and exhaustion, as well as damaging strain on your heart muscle.

4. Water cushions and lubricates your joints and muscles, thus enhancing performance during physical activity. It also prevents muscle fatigue and pain, as well as cramps. It can also help with restless legs and contribute towards a good night's sleep, as it is a natural muscle relaxant.

5. Water gives you energy and helps you stay fit and alert with a positive frame of mind. 
You can face challenges a lot more effectively when you drink water. Even minor levels of dehydration can cause headaches, drowsiness, moodiness, lack of concentration and lack of enthusiasm. The brain is for the most part made of water, so it is only logical that it will work better with it!

6. For optimal digestive function. 
Water dilutes digestive juices in your stomach and prevents you fro developing ulcers. It also stimulates bowel movements and softens the stool, thus making it easier to establish a regular bowel pattern.

7. Water Strengthens the immune system.
It reduces the risk of contracting infectious and degenerative diseases. It even hampers the growth of abnormal and cancerous cells. Water has an overall protective effect on your health.

8. It regulates your body temperature, so you don't overheat. 
When you have an elevated temperature, make sure you drink enough water to replace lost fluids. Water also assists sweating, which helps you cool down and conserve your energy.

9. Water stimulates your metabolism, thus assisting weight loss.
It activates protein synthesis and muscle formation. It assists weight loss by encouraging the body to burn more calories, especially during exercise.

10. Water has healing properties.
When you're sick, it helps you recover quicker. It activates tissue regeneration and reestablishes a balance within all your systems. It helps alleviate vomiting and diarrhea by replenishing humidity stores and preventing dehydration.

Water is a fountain of youth. It is the substance of life, and life cannot exist without it. Water is a miracle cure for a lot of common ailments such as headache, heartburn, constipation, fatigue, muscle aches and pains and even insomnia and depression. Alcohol, nicotine, caffeine and prescription drugs strip fluids away from your body, but water replaces them and allows your marvellous machine to work to perfection!

So go and have a glass of water now...

With love,

Bella

Painting: 'Taste of Summer' by Lora Garcelon