Hungry all the Time (Part Four)

Over the last few weeks we have been exploring a particular problem that many have when they try and lose weight - Feeling Hungry all the Time. If you missed the earlier parts of this series see the list at the end for links to parts 1 to 3.

Another reason for always being hungry is if you eat too many sugary and starchy foods such as sweets, cookies, cakes, pasta, potatoes, bread, pasta and rice.

You see, sugar and starches in your food are quickly transformed into simple sugars (glucose) by your digestive system and released into your blood stream to play havoc with your body's chemistry.

In simple terms (for I am no scientist) when your body detects high levels of sugar in your blood  you rapidly produce insulin to transform the sugar into fat and get it out of your bloodstream.

Unfortunately your body tends to overreact to rapidly rising levels of glucose and produces too much insulin and before you know it the levels of glucose in your blood are too low.

Result: Your body has to correct that too by prompting you very strongly to eat - you have sugar driven hunger pangs.

That's why EVEN THOUGH YOU ATE A 300 CALORIE CHOCOLATE BAR less than an hour ago - you are starving hungry AGAIN!

You can resolve this source of "false" hunger with the following:-

• make sure all your snacks and meals are balanced and include some lean protein and maybe some healthy fat to slow the digestion of carbohydrate. To balance your meals fill your plate with one quarter lean protein, one half salad or vegetables and no more than one quarter carbohydrate such as rice, potatoes or pasta.
• although I'm not a fan of low carb diets because they seem to induce cravings for the foods you have to give up, try and reduce the amount of carbohydrate you eat overall.
• when you do eat carbohydrate choose ones which are digested more slowly such as whole grain varieties. This is the theory behind GI diets which advise eating foods which are digested (i.e. turn into glucose) more slowly.

Links to Always Hungry Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3