Tired of constantly worrying about food? Gaining weight despite ‘hardly eating anything’? Maybe it’s time to make some realistic changes to your diet that are stress free and easily implemented into your daily life!
Make sure you’re eating regular meals
Aim for three main meals and a small snack if needed, to keep your blood sugar levels stable and your hormones balanced. Don’t skip meals as these periods of ‘starvation’ make your body lower its metabolic rate.
Learn your portion sizes
Eating too much or too little results in hormonal shifts. Cutting down your calorie intake too low leads to increased cortisol levels. Long-time elevated cortisol levels cause chronic insulin suppression, excess production of glucose, increase appetite and trigger fat storage.
Choose healthy carbohydrates
(unprocessed carbs with low glycaemic index) to avoid sugar ‘highs and lows’. Sugary foods and processed carbohydrates cause mass insulin secretion and rapid fall in blood sugar levels. Our bodies crave the lost ‘sugar high’, we experience hunger and cravings for sweet and fatty foods.
Eat protein with every meal.
Protein has a high satiety level which means it will make you full for longer. Protein also slows down digestion and gastric emptying time.
Eat high fibre foods.
Fibre acts as bulking agent and slows down glucose absorption. Aim for whole foods! However, if you suffer from IBS or bloating it is important to understand different types of fibre as some, such as short-chain soluble fibre, are highly fermentable and can worsen your symptoms.
For more information about how to implement a healthy, balanced diet into your daily life; how your hormones and different foods affect your metabolism; and how to overcome problems with digestion and absorption of nutrients, make an appointment at our Mosman Clinic.
