Overeating -Why You Eat Too Much --
Causes and Cures
Related Links
7 Medical Conditions That Make You Gain Weight
Why Waist Size Matters to Your Health
Picky Eaters-Causes and Top 10 Natural Remedies
Sugar-The Disease Connection
Diet and Exercise-A Simple Plan for Life
Curbing Your Taste for Sweets
Daily Habits to Ease Anxiety
Taste Buds --The Secret to Losing Weight
Blood Pressure-What It Means
Foods That Reduce Blood Pressure
Ideal Breakfast to Lose Weight
Best Breakfast to Lower Blood Pressure
July 18, 2009, Last Updated March 14, 2011
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist
Ever wonder why some of us never eat more than we have
to, while others can't seem to stop eating, long after we are
full. We can't stop eating until we literally are bursting at the
seams, and have to unbutton our pants to give our bellies
more room.
Why is it that you can be totally under control with your
eating until, suddenly, one day out of the blue, you want to
eat everything in sight? You simply can't stop overeating.
And why is it that creep out of our beds at night to eat
more? Why do so many of us overeat at night?
Research from several universities from around the world
has found some startling clues as to why we overeat.
Drawing on that research, we have compiled the Top 10
Reasons You Overeat and the natural remedies that can help
you stop eating too much. You'll find that many of these
simple rules of eating are followed subconsciously by people
who are skinny:
1. Sugar. Sugar is a leading cause of over-eating. Sugar
acts like an opiate in your body, and , much like other drugs,
causes addictive behavior. Sugar increases your appetite. A
2002 study from Princeton University found that mice who
repeatedly eat excessive amounts of sugar become addicted,
to the point where denial of sugar to them caused
behavioral and neurochemical signs of opiod withdrawal.
They displayed severe anxiety when they were denied their
sugar quotas. The symptoms of anxiety and DA/ACh
imbalance were qualitatively similar to withdrawal from
morphine or nicotine.
2. Diet Sodas and Diet Drinks. Diet sodas increase your
appetite and sugar dependency. That is, it's not just the
actual sugar which causes an increase in your appetite. The
mere taste of sugar increases your appetite and sugar
dependency. In 2008, researchers at Princeton University
found that mice who were given a "sham feeding" of sugar,
nevertheless developed sugar dependency. In a "sham
feeding, a feeding tube exits the stomach, so that no actual
sugar is ingested-- just the taste. The researchers found
that, even though no actual sugar reached the stomachs, the
mere taste of sugar can increase extracellular dopamine,
causing sugar dependency.
The real-world equivalent of a "sham feeding"? Eating sweet
food with zero sugar in it. Diet sodas. Diet cookies. Diet
candy. All these can trigger increases in your appetite and
increase your dependency on sugar. As a result, you will eat
more than someone without a "sweet tooth". Bottom line:
"Sugar free" is not a green light to eat. In fact, it may be the
red light which sabotages your plans for long-term weight
loss.
3. Not Enough Volume. People who eat food with more
volume, but with the same amount of calories, eat less.
Even if the volume is made up of just air. In 2000,
researchers at Pennsylvania State University fed women 3
different yogurt-based milk shakes for breakfast mixed with
different volumes of air so that the ultimate shakes had 3
sizes-- 300 ml, 450, ml and 600 ml a day. Other than the air
mixed in, the shakes were identical in ingredients and
calories. The results were startling. The women who drank
shakes with the most air ate an average of 12% fewer
calories at lunch later in the day, when compared with the
women who drank the smallest shakes. These woman also
reported being less hungry than the women who drank the
smallest shakes.
How can you incorporate this dieting tip into your daily life?
Start your day with a shake of plain yogurt and a cup of
blueberries or a half a banana. Blend the shake long enough
to increase the "frothiness", usually at least 45 seconds on
medium to high speed.
4. Not Enough Protein. Protein satisfies the appetite more
than carbohydrates. We should eat about 4 ounces of
protein for each of our 3 main meals. The protein you
choose should be high quality, low fat protein for best
weight loss results-- skinless chicken, turkey, fish, soy
burgers and quinoa.
5. Not Enough Time. It takes 20 minutes between the time
you finish eating before your body knows that you have
eaten. During that 20 minutes your food makes it down into
your stomach. Your stomach is only about the size of your
fist. When it gets full, it stretches a little, and a signal is sent
from your stomach to your brain, telling your brain to
release chemicals that tell you "You're full, stop eating". One
way to slow your eating down is to put your fork down
between bites. Finish chewing and swallowing before you
pick up your fork or spoon again. It may also help you if
you try to chew at least 20 times per bite.
6. Dehydration. Many people confuse being thirst with being
hungry. Make sure that you drink 8 glasses of water a day.
Most of us drink between 3 and 4 glasses a day. We literally
are walking around thirsty. When we eat, we get some
water from the food itself but this is not nearly enough. So,
start your meal with a glass of water --before you eat. You'll
end up eating far less.
7. Too Much White Food. Refined carbohydrates stimulate
your appetite. The reason is that, inside your body, refined
carbohydrates are converted to glucose. In fact, some
refined carboihydrates convert to glucose as fast as white
table sugar. Most of these fast0covreting carbohydrates are
white foods. Don't eat any white foods for a week and you'll
feel calmer (white sugar, white bread, white rice, potatoes
or pasta). The sugar in white foods drives up your blood
sugar levels which is why you overeat.
8. Not Enough Fiber. High fiber foods make your digestive
system work. Some types of fiber are in fact indigestible.
But your digestive system doesn't know this. So, your
stomach spends time trying to break down the fiber. Your
intestines spend time trying to massage the fiber into
submission. To no avail of course. But the process of
attempting to break down fiber slows digestion overall. As a
result, you feel full. And you eat less. Also, some fiber
absorbs water and oil, becoming sponge-like in your
stomach and intestines, taking up space. That in itself also
makes you feel full.
9. Excess Anxiety. Anxiety makes you overeat. It is the
underlying cause of much overeating, especially at night. We
overeat at night because, during the day, activities distract
us from the stress we feel. Too bust to worry. But, at night,
when the day slows down, our worries catch up with us.
Stress and anxiety are natural parts of life.
Since the time we were infants, we have been on a lifelong
quest to find ways to soothe anxiety. Our mothers used to
do it for us, feeding us, stroking our cheeks, humming to us,
patting pour backs while she rocked us on her knee.
But once we grow up, of course, we have to learn how to
self-soothe. Many of us never do. We use food to soothe our
daily anxiety. If you are to be successful in managing your
body weight, you have to consciously develop ways to
self-soothe other than food.
Start out with recreating what used to work when we were
infants. A nice, warm bubble bath is one of the best ways to
soothe anxiety.
Include a bath at least 3 times a week to build up your
reserves of calm. Walking and other daily exercise is another
excellent way to soothe anxiety. After walking about 30
minutes continuously, you may notice that you take an
involuntary deep breath. That's the anxiety leaving your
body.
The key is to find the emotional trigger that is causing you to
overeat. Some people overeat because they are anxious and
they use food as a sedative. Others overeat because they are
bored and use food almost as a distraction from life. Either
way, you have to self-analyze to try to get to the bottom of
the reason you are overeating. Then, once you get to that
reason, you can develop alternative ways to soothe yourself
or calm your self down or find entertainment.
10. Too Much Variety. Variety may be the spice of life, but it
also may be what's sabotaging your diet. Studies have found
that people who eat the same things tend to eat less. They
speculate that the reason this is so is that a lot of variety in
our foods stimulates the appetite, with the result that we eat
more calories over the course of the month. So, make a
decision what you like for breakfast. And stick with it for a
month. Boredom helps to de-stimulate your appetite, helping
you to eat less.
Find out more tips for controlling your weight and improving
your health: Foods That Shrink Your Waist / Diet and Exercise -A
Simple Plan for Life / Foods That Keep Blood Sugar Steady / Best
Exercises to Lower Blood Sugar / Exercise At Home to Lose Weight /
Diet Sodas-How They Harm Your Health /Blueberries Reduce Belly Fat
More Related Links
Foods That Lower Your Blood Pressure
Night Cramps--Why Your Legs Sieze Up At Night
Snoring Increases Stroke Risk 67%
What Causes Snoring
Can't Sleep-Here's Help
Heavy Snoring Linked to Alzheimer's Risk
Child Snoring Different from Adults-Possibly An Allergic Type Disease
Snorers Cost Spouses 2 Years of Lost Sleep
UCLA Center for Sleep Research
Lose 10lbs -A Simple Plan for The Rest of Us
Why Your Dog Snores
My Heart Attack
Adrenal Fatigue-Why You Wake Up Tired
Health News Get Daily Health News from AP, a leading global news organization. Diet and Fitness Current and best sources of nutrition advice and recipes. How Much Is Too Much Salt? How Much Salt Is In My Food? Sodium Content of Common Foods Isolation-TheSilent Killer Can't Sleep-Here's Help I Have High Blood Pressure! Foods That Lower Your Blood Pressure Bowels Are Key to Health Intestines-Keep Them Healthy Onions Prevent Heart Disease Coffee Fights Cancer 10 Easy Tips To Turn Inflammation Fat--It's Alive! TasteBuds--The Secret to Losing Weight Diabetes Lifespans of Americans Glycemic Index Links Why We Go Soft In the Middle Why Europeans Are Thinner Brain Health Links Stategies on improving cognitive function, memory, acuity, including crossword puzzles Links and Resources |
Home > Conditions > Overeating >You Are Here |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| COLLECTIVE WIZDOM.COM Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Life |
Advertise With Us Register Privacy Policy About Us Contact Us Disclaimer : All information on www.collectivewizdom.com is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, please consult your doctor. Privacy Policy. About Us Contact Us (c) copyright collectivewizdom.com 2007 -2011 and all prior years. All rights reserved |
