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Controlling hunger pangs
OPH Good Housekeeping & Homemaking – Controlling Hunger Pangs
Good housekeeping is not all about cooking, cleaning and paying bills, it’s also about looking good doing them.
Part of this concept could mean dieting in order to shift those love handles. When we are on diets there is nothing worse than suffering from those terrible hunger pangs, below are some great hints and tips to keep those cravings at bay.
Eating protein rich foods can help reduce hunger pangs due to their suppressive nature; these foods include fish, meats and eggs amongst others. Why not check out our food nutrition pages to find out which foods are high in protein.
Why not break down meals into smaller portions, eating them more often? For example, instead of having 3 large meals a day break them up by having 6 small meals a day. This will help reduce those “hungry moments” when you are dieting.
Some commentators suggest – when eating a meal – that we should start off by eating foods which are high in fiber, this is because our stomachs will feel full faster. This also means that we are less likely to feel hungry after we have finished our meal. Foods which contain good levels of fiber include: whole grain foods such as bread, bran cereals, and fresh fruit. Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, turnips. Nuts, raisins, pasta and rice.
A useful tip for controlling hunger pangs is to get into a rhythm, make sure you try and eat at the same time everyday, as this will help keep your body from craving foods, as your internal clock will know when the body will be fed again.
Drink plenty of water. This is a good idea because sometimes our brains can’t distinguish between being thirsty or dehydrated and being hungry, so next time you reach for a piece of cake or a biscuit when you are hungry in between meals why not drink a glass of water and see how you feel? However, I must drive this message home don’t ever replace eating a meal by drinking gallons of water, this act will seriously damage your health.
Sometimes we get these hunger pangs when we are bored or sitting around watching TV, so if this happens try and keep yourself busy, take the dog for a walk, make a cup of tea or something.
Little things such as keeping your house warm can help keep those hunger pains at bay, as we all know, when it’s cold we tend to eat more food. Therefore, the theory behind this is that when our house is warm we’ll eat less food and be less susceptible to those snacking foods.
A great tip in controlling hunger pangs is to try not to eat too fast because when you have finished eating the meal the likelihood is that you’ll still be hungry, this is because food takes a few minutes before it settles in your stomach, which means if you rush it down it still would not have reached your stomach by the time you have finished the meal. So remember, if you are still hungry after your meal wait 20 minutes or so and if after this period has passed you are still hungry then have a little snack.
Thanks for checking out our OPH Good Housekeeping tips on controlling hunger pangs. Helpful hints and tips re being added all the time so don't forget to click on and check them out.
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