One of the most common, and astonishing effects of \’doing\’ the Atkins diet is the suppression of appetite. Many advocates of the plan report that the between meal hunger pangs they used to experience just fade away and quite rapidly too. This fact makes it a lot easier to stay on the diet and continue to lose weight. While other diets have their followers starving between meals, the Atkins dieters get relief from constant hunger. The Atkins diet, with its specific recommendation of foods and ingredients, has powerful appetite suppressing effects.
The first key factor is the amount of protein in the Atkins diet. Protein, a lot so than carbohydrates, has the power to satiate hunger pangs. If you have ever eaten a carbohydrate heavy meal and then felt hungry again a few hours later, you know that carbohydrates don\’t have much staying power as a hunger satisfier. Protein, on the other hand, when it is combined with a small amount of healthy fats, can keep you feeling satisfied for long periods of time.
One of the most powerful appetite suppressing foods on the Atkins diet is the simple egg. Eggs are a great form of quick and easy protein. A recent study revealed that eating 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 only eggs for breakfast and the other had a breakfast of buns and cream cheese.
The calorie count for both breakfasts was precisely the same. The participants noted down what they ate for the rest of the day and answered questions about their hunger levels and satisfaction levels throughout the day. The results of the study showed 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 buns group.
Eggs contain about 6 grams of protein each, which helps to even out blood sugar and produces a feeling of satisfaction. Both of these factors help to curb cravings. Egg yolks also contain lutein and xenazanthin. These nutrients have been shown 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 added benefit to the appetite suppressant qualities.
Broccoli and cauliflower, two of the most suitable vegetables on the Atkins programme, 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 signal in your brain. Your body will reduce its appetite because it believes that your stomach is full of high calorie foods. This happens regardless of what is actually in your stomach. You can achieve the same results with water and psyllium husk fiber. Both broccoli and cauliflower provide bulk in your diet and are essential vegetables on the Atkins diet.
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 before eating the carbohydrates. This cycle continues and, over time, you will eat more and put on weight.
The protein, fat and vegetable recipes of the Atkins diet put your blood sugar back in balance. They provide just enough of each type of food, with the correct amount of carbohydrates (from the vegetables). The vegetables provide quick carbohydrate energy, and the protein gives the meal its staying power. This combination suppresses your appetite effectively throughout the day.
The Atkins diet is really a craving control plan that helps suppress your appetite – your desire for food or calories. If you\’ve had a problem with carbohydrate cravings before, this new way of eating ie dieting will help control those desires. 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, because you won\’t want to eat carbohydrates all the time.
If you want to read a personal experience of the Atkins diet, just go along to Appetite Suppression of if you want to read a lot more about the The Atkins Diet click the blue link.
