Healthy Foods that Can Keep You Full

Is there any way you can feel full without over eating? You want to lose weight but you do not want to feel hungry. One of the great keys to dieting is not feeling hunger. Feeling full combines a complex sequence of events that involve the eyes, the mouth, and stomach. The larger portion of food you are served it is more likely you will eat with friends or co-workers you often mirror the amount you eat by the amount they eat.

Our stomachs can hold about three pints of food. The stomach normally the size of a clenched fist that expands as food enters. The three pints of food the stomach can hold is about the size of a football. If you fill the stomach, too quick your body will not have time to signal it is full. Insulin, leptin, and cortisol are some of the chemical messengers that send signals from the stomach to the brain which register fullness. It takes about 20 minutes after eating for this to register.

Protein tends to be the most satisfying nutrient. There is something about protein that tells your body to stop eating after an awhile. Researchers are not certain but they believe that proteins advantage may come from its thermic effect, which is the rate of calories, are consumed simply by the act of digesting food. The digestion and absorption of protein takes more work than the digestion and absorption of fats and carbohydrates. Carbohydrates and other sources also have their place but not as high as protein.

Nutritionist suggest choosing foods that take a little more effort to chew and therefore longer to eat. This then makes them more filling. Fruits, vegetables, and grains fall into this category. They also have another hunger depression benefit. Because they contain high percentages of water, they generally have a lower number of calories per gram than meats and dairy foods. This means you can eat more of them without the consequences that high calorie foods bring.