Health Curiosities

In the first part of this article, we gave some behavior and atmosphere changes to help you avoid binge eating. In this second part, we offer some real life, real foods to add (yes...add) to your diet to help you conquer the growling beast that is your stomach.

• Slurp Some Soup
  Eating a cup of lower fat soup, like chicken noodle or vegetable, will help you to feel fuller sooner and eat fewer calories during the meal. New research reveals that protein-rich miso soup even boosts metabolism.
• Keep your Carrots Raw
  Researchers in Ireland noted that raw carrots are more filling than cooked ones, and each 1-cup serving has 3.6 grams of fill-you-up fiber.
• Smooth your Hunger
  A smoothie made with low-fat yogurt and lots of fruit will give you protein to control hunger, fiber to fill you up (without extra calories), and calcium to help burn fat rather than store it.
• Chew Gum
  Chewing on some sugar-free gum will help curb your sweet tooth with only a few calories.
• Go the Whole Way
  White pasta, and other foods are made with refined flour and can drop your blood sugar - leaving you hungry again in no time. Whole-wheat versions will satisfy you nearly twice as long, and whole wheat bread is 5.5 times more satisfying than white. Likewise, whole fruit has a higher fiber content and makes you feel fuller than fruit juices, even juices with pulp.
• Start with Salad
  According to one study, women who ate a 100-calorie salad before dinner consumed 12 percent fewer calories during the meal without trying to diet or limit their intake.
• Ditch the Dried Fruit
  For 100 calories, you can have ¼ cup of raisins or a full 2 cups of grapes. Which do you think will fill you up more?
• Go Nuts
  Pine nuts, in particular, have more protein than any other nut or seed. They also contain pinolenic acid which stimulates two powerful hunger-suppressing hormones.
• Pick Up a Packet
  Instant oatmeal will fill you up better than bran cereals. The weight control variety has more fiber, protein and whole grains than the regular variety.
• Pop a Movie Snack
  If you much snack, remember popcorn is twice as filling as a candy bar or peanuts, and it has fewer calories. Some brands even make 100-calorie packs. Remember butter and salt will only add extra calories that you don't need.
• Blow a Raspberry
  Because it is one of the most fiber-filled fruits (8 grams per cup), raspberries will fill you up and provide 32 percent of your recommended daily allowance.
• Cave in to Carnivorous Cravings
  One study found that people on a 30 percent protein diet ate 441 fewer calories a day than those on a 15 percent protein diet.
• Go Fishing
  Fish is more satisfying per calorie than lean beef or chicken, according to Dr. Susanna Holt's Satiety Index, a ranking of different foods' ability to satisfy hunger
• Don't Spill the Beans
  The high fiber content in beans causes glucose to be released slowly into the bloodstream, preventing the sudden slumps that cause hunger spikes. Add garbanzos or black beans to soup or salad.
• Forage for Fruit
  Mixed fruit, like fruit cocktail, can curb a sweet tooth and it has plenty of fiber, which helps regulate your blood sugar.
• Fill up with Fat - Your body burns carbohydrates in an hour or two, so to buy a little time between hunger pains, add a little healthy fat to your diet. You could spread a little peanut butter on your bread or add a little avocado to your salad.
• Make it with Milk
  Milk-based drinks and drinks with some protein will influence hunger mechanisms, according to Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., Guthrie Chair of Nutrition at Penn State and former president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. "In our lab, we found that milk-based drinks help people feel full and eat less at the next meal."
• Choose Chocolate
  One study shows that its participants were significantly more satisfied 30 minutes after drinking low-fat chocolate milk than they were after drinking soda.
• Curb your Carb Cravings
  If you crave carbs, yams and white potatoes (with skin) are 7 times more filling than a croissant.
• Feel Full with Fiber
  Make sure you get all 25 grams of the recommended daily amount of soluble fiber. It expands in your GI tract to make you feel full. Try a packet of oatmeal, two slices of whole-wheat bread, and 1 cup each of broccoli, edamame, and raw carrots.