A very common, but nevertheless astonishing results of ‘doing’ the Atkins diet is appetite suppression. Many followers of the regimen state that the inter meal hunger pangs they used to get just vanish and very quickly too. This factor makes it easier to stay on the diet and continue to lose weight. While other diets leave their followers hungry between meals, the Atkins dieters receive relief from continuous hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing qualities.
The first key factor is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, more so than carbohydrates, has the capability to satiate hunger. If you’ve ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry afterwards, you know that carbohydrates don’t have much staying power as a satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling satisfied for much longer periods of time.
One of the most powerful appetite suppressing foods in the Atkins diet are eggs. Eggs are a marvellous form of quick and easy protein. A recent study showed that having eggs for breakfast would actually keep hunger pangs at bay throughout the remainder of the day. The study concerned two groups of women. One group ate eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of bagels and cream cheese.
The calorie count for both types of breakfasts was precisely the same. The subjects noted down what they ate for the rest of the day and answered questions about their hunger and satisfaction levels throughout the day. The results of the study revealed that the women who ate the eggs for breakfast felt more satisfied throughout the entire day and they ate less at each meal than those women who were in the bread group.
Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each, which helps to regulate blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to control cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been proven to have amazing effects on eye health. So it’s important to eat the whole egg, and not just the white. Eggs contain choline which is important for maintaining brain function and memory. These nutrients are just an additional benefit to the appetite suppressing qualities.
Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most recommended vegetables on the Atkins program, also have appetite-suppressing effects. These vegetables are very bulky and they help make your stomach feel full. When your stomach is full, it will actually create a chemical response in your body. Your body will reduce its appetite because it assumes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This occurs regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can get the same results with water and psyllium husk fibre. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables for the Atkins plan.
The Atkins diet focuses on eating small, protein balanced meals a few times per day. This will help maintain your blood sugar in a stabilized state and avoid carbohydrate-induced cravings. With high carbohydrate diets, you are riding the wave of carbohydrate highs. After you have eaten, you feel great and full. Then a few hours later, you come crashing down and are hungrier than you were previous to eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues and, over time, you will eat more and gain weight.
The protein, fat and vegetable recipes of the Atkins plan put your blood sugar back in balance. They give you just enough of each sort of food, with the correct amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its sustainability. This combination suppresses your appetite effectively throughout the day.
The Atkins diet is actually a craving control plan that suppresses your appetite. If you’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating will help control those cravings. The more you eat on the plan, the better your cravings will be controlled and the easier it will be to follow the diet – the more you practice the diet the easier it gets.
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