he Atkins Diet and the Desire for Food
Posted on May 15, 2009
Filed Under Lose Weight | Leave a Comment
A very common, and surprising results of following the Atkins diet is the suppression of appetite. Many advocates of the regimen state that the between meal hunger pangs they used to have just fade away and very quickly too. This factor makes it easier to remain on the diet and continue to lose weight. While other diets leave 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 factor is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, a lot so than carbohydrates, has the power to assuage hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry again a few hours later, you know that carbohydrates don’t have much staying power as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling full for long periods of time.
One of the most powerful appetite suppressing foods in the Atkins diet is the egg. Eggs are a marvellous form of quick and easy protein. A recent study showed that having eggs for breakfast would actually stave off hunger pangs throughout the remainder of the day. The research 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 precisely the same. The subjects kept track of what they ate for the rest 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 bagels group.
Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each, which helps to even out blood sugar levels and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been proven 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 suppressing qualities.
Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most suitable vegetables on the Atkins programme, also have appetite-suppressant effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach feels full, it will actually create a chemical response in your brain. Your body will reduce its appetite because it assumes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This will happen regardless of what is in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fiber. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables on the Atkins diet.
The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein balanced meals a few times a day. This will help maintain your blood sugar in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding the wave of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel great and full. Then a few hours later, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were before eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues 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 sort of food, with a proper amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its staying power. This combination helps suppress your appetite 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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