ROSIE - From feeling failure to feeling FULL - much better!

I read this great article on Yahoo the other day about satiety and it rung so true with me I thought I'd share some of it's insights with you.

We all know the magical formula for weight loss - not so magical - eat less, move more. This is all well and good on paper but many of us struggle with the reality with it! Even with sensible, healthy eating, I can find myself at the limit of my calories EVERY day and there is not a day that goes by that I am not hungry at least 50% of that day! So, yes, I love my food (a running theme with the Bingham girls)... but of course there are ways of dealing with this.

Think fullness, contentment - resisting the urge to snack! The experts at the University of Sydney have developed a "Index of Satiety" which could help us all out. All it is is a measure of how long particular foods will stop you feeling hungry. It was first developed in 1995, where a study was done, giving volunteers certain types of food - all at 240 calories. They were given them under hoods and all served (where possible) at the same temperature to minimise the influence of appearance. To cut a long story short, these volunteers were given a free run at the buffett after a certain period of time. Of course, some volunteers went crazy as the initial foods they had been given did not make them feel full.

So, this magic list.... the foods that fill us up for longer. Have a look. Bear in mind that white bread was taken as the baseline of 100 and other foods were scored on their comparative ability to satisfy hunger. Foods scoring higher than 100 were more satisfying than white bread whereas those scoring under 100 were less satisfying.

THE TOP TEN MOST FILLING FOODS
1. Potatoes (323% more satisfying than white bread)
2. Fish (225%)
3. Porridge/Oats/Oatmeal (209%)
4. Apples (197%) and Oranges (202%)
5. Wholewheat Pasta (188%)
6. Beef (176%)
7. Beans (168%)
8. Grapes (162%)
9. Wholemeal Bread (157%)
10. Popcorn (154%)


So, what makes these foods so filling?

Protein
Protein has been shown by numerous studies to be one of the most satiating nutrients. Scientists at the National Institute for Medical Research in France have recently discovered that during it’s digestion, glucose is produced in the small intestine. The liver senses this and relays a message to the brain to slow down or stop eating — an effect that lasts well after the food has been swallowed.

Fibre
Unlike protein, fibre promotes satiety by slowing the rate at which the food is actually digested. It also triggers stretch receptors in the stomach which automatically sends a signal to the brain to stop eating.

Water Content
Foods with a high fluid content such as apples, oranges and grapes also trigger thestretch receptors however, they are mostly made of water and sugars therefore the speed at which they are digested means that, unlike most other high S.I foods initial feelings of fullness can drop of fairly quickly. “This is why” explains Dr Holt “ that when a dieter eats a meal based on several pieces of fruit and some rice cakes (also very quick to digest) they invariably feel ravenous a few hours later. Despite the meal being low in fat and calories it isn’t at all filling. Far better to eat a wholesome salad sandwich on wholegrain bread with some lean protein like tuna or beef and an apple. This kind of meal can keep hunger at bay for a very long time."

Volume
Another thing that increases a food’s S.I rating is it’s bulk. Popcorn for example only contains 55 calories per cup but it takes up a lot of space in the stomach helping to create the feelings of fullness. Fat on the other hand is the exact opposite. At 9 Kcal per gram fat is the most energy dense nutrient we can eat. Just one tablespoon of clotted cream has almost four times more calories than a whole cup of popcorn and yet it takes up far less space in the stomach making it incredibly easy to over consume. Fat greatly enhances the taste of a food too, another reason why we find it so easy to over consume.

Chemical Compounds
The chemical constituents of foods can also make a difference to satiety. Beans and lentils, for example, contain anti-nutrients which delay their absorption. Another reason why they have a tendency to make you feel full for longer.

Chewing
Chewing promotes satiety, partly because it slows down eating but also because it encourages the release of enzymes that register fullness in the brain.


Think about it, ladies and gents and reach for those pototoes next time you have a hunger pang (oh, okay then, maybe an apple or orange is slightly easier...)