Saturday 26 July 2014

Staying full?

It's a dilemma I hear a lot of my friends/ family/ people on tv. complain about. Often.
How they seem to eat and eat and never be full or need to eat again half an hour later. Initially I was confused. I'd never experienced that before. So I went all scientist on the world and sneakily observed what the others around me were eating to see what was different between me and them.
I came to some conclusions.

1. I do eat a lot.
However that is because I only eat three main meals and one small snack- this is what my body loves and what works best for me (for me)
This lead me to thinking again- how come I can stay satisfied for longer if I don't snack a lot.

2. I have a big breakfast full of fibre, protein and generally some form of fruit
Exhibit A: (today's breakfast)
These oat bar things were pretty much my cookies, rolled into two big bars.
The yoghurt on the side was greek yoghurt (full of protein to keep me full)+chopped strawberries+ blueberries+ 1/4 banana (the rest of the banana was in the bars)
One bar was made with melted coconut butter, the other cashew butter (good fats to keep me full)
Both filled with natural raw muesli (fibre to keep me full)

And eaten in the yummiest possible way... to keep me full?
Breakfast usually keeps me satisfied until lunch (around 12:30 ish)
Why does this keep me fuller for longer compared to others?

A typical breakfast of others- either toast with some sort of spread or sugary cereal with some milk:
As you can see, there's not much protein and also the sugary cereal will give you a quick burst of energy, although in about 45 mins you will be hungry for more.

3. My lunches are full of veggies (like tons of veggies- I love them so much) some protein and carbohydrates
Saturday's lunch:
Nachos! Made with organic mixed veggie tortilla chips, steamed celeriac and pumpkin, mixed four beans+tomatoes+quorn mince sauteed up with some taco seasoning, topped off with vegan cheese and some guacamole!
Nacho recipe found here.
Why this keeps me fuller for longer compared to others?
Well..
A typical lunch of others- A vegemite/ jam/ cheese+lettuce sandwich on white bread: As you can see, there are next to know filling veggies, protein, or wholegrain carbohydrates mentioned to keep you fuller than about an hour.

4. Snacks:
Instead of reaching for a cookie/ cake/ chips I either go with some fruit and soy milk (vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein) or simply some proetin powder mixed with soy milk (like I did yesterday)

My go-to protein shaker- a jar!
Full of protein and calcium and yumminess- I'm full, full, full!

5. Dinner: Again my dinners are full of veggies some form of carbohydrate and protein- leaving me full without the need for a sweet treat afterwards.
Stir fry!
With brown rice, broccoli, capsicum, carrot, corn, peas, grated brussels sprouts, lentils and torn up egg.

In conclusion (I feel like I'm doing a scientific write up) here are my tips to be healthy, stay full and enjoy your day without the constant rumble of the tummy:
1. Always have breakfast and make sure it's full of protein, wholegrains, fruit etc.
2. Whether your a small meals often, or big meals three times a day, make sure those meals feature plenty of veggies, a good source of carbohydrates and some protein.
3. If you're hungry- you're hungry- listen to your body, respect it and reach for something that will nourish it.
 4. Most of all- balance. Make sure your plate of food is balanced and your happiness is balanced- there's no point forcing yourself to sit down and eat a bowl of brussels sprouts if you despise them- find the foods that nourish your body and that you love as well!



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