Healthy Foods that Make You Eat More

After finishing a large cup of ice cream, you found yourself pigging on a large bag of chocolate cookies. Oh – cookies are best paired with fizzy drinks! Before telling yourself it’s enough, you headed to the refrigerator for some luscious Jaffa cakes. OMG! There’s a little guilt inside you but you just can’t resist your craving. What’s in these foods that make you eat more without feeling full?!

Well, if you pay closer attention to these foods, you’ll find something in common. Yeah! They are all sweet! Sugar as we know it is a common substance that makes our food more flavourful. This substance is found in a wide variety of foods, from processed meats to dairy products, breads and bagels, crisps, etc.   

So what does sugar have to do with our appetite?

In their study, researchers from Yale University found that fructose (a form of simple sugar found in plants) doesn’t activate the region in the brain that tells you are full!  This means that even if you eat tons of Jaffa cakes and gulp gallons of fizzy drinks, you will still feel hungry after a short period of time.  There’s no wonder why many people who eat sugary foods gain weight faster than those who consumed less sugar.

Don’t get it wrong. Fructose is not a harmful compound. In fact, it is a natural substance that can be extracted from fruits and vegetables. However, fructose (being sweeter than glucose), is widely used in manufacturing commercial sweeteners. Studies reveal that high amount of fructose (along with glucose) does have alarming health effects too.

Did you know that many of the food products a lot of people consider healthy are actually filled with commercially-processed fructose syrup? So instead of losing weight, you might find yourself gaining some more instead!

Foods To Beware!

Fruit Yoghurt – Yoghurt is considered one of the healthiest foods in the world. But before you rush to the grocery store for you week-long stock, you must know that most of fruit yoghurt products available today contain high amount of sugar, fructose syrup, and high fructose corn syrup! The best alternative would be a fruit-free organic variety or the popular plain Greek yoghurt. This delicious, low-calorie, and high-protein snack is definitely good for you!

Protein Bars – bodybuilders love protein bars. Yeah, they’re stuffed with protein. But they are loaded with sugar too! Don’t buy protein bars without reading the labels (particularly the nutritional information). Look for brands that contain less fructose.

Juice Products – unless the label says it’s made from 100% natural fruit extract, don’t buy it! Many fruit drinks have high levels of fructose corn syrup (which gives their extra sweet tang). Why not just prepare a homemade lemonade or orange juice? Or eat the fruit whole instead? This way, you don’t just get the juice, but the weight-friendly fibre as well!

Canned products – if you have a busy lifestyle, canned goods are probably an inevitable part of your diet. But did you know that they all contain artificial sweeteners along with other preservatives? Using fresh ingredients is still the best way to go.

Whole wheat bread – sounds healthy? Not really. Some whole grain breads do contain high-fructose corn syrup. So again, make sure to read the list of ingredients. You know what to find!

Happy eating!

Steve