Have you ever consumed a couple of consecutive big meals just to feel hungry 40 minutes later?
Well, if this has happened to you, chances are you need to check your foods to make sure you are selecting ones that have a better satiety index.
In this article, we’ll explain the importance of high-satiety foods, and we’ll also give you a list of our 4 best picks in that category!
SO, WHY IS SATIETY IMPORTANT?
The modern-day market offers a variety or rather, an abundance of food products to choose from. However, the thing is that the tastiest foods also happen to be more processed AND least satiating. With poor nutrient profiles, these processed products simply satisfy your taste cravings, but hardly ever help you meet your actual nutritional needs. When you’re not meeting your nutritional needs, well, your body keeps asking for more food by sending hunger signals, until you actually give the body what it needs. That is to say that processed foods aren't necessarily inherently fattening but instead, they make you eat a lot more which therefore leads to inevitable weight gain.
Being satiated for the longest time possible after each meal is important, as that means you have met your nutritional needs and your body has the resources to work with for the goal of sustaining healthy function.
WHAT ACTUALLY BRINGS SATIETY?
Every sensation or bodily signal in the body is closely related with the balance of certain hormones. Specifically for appetite and satiety, leptin and ghrelin seem to be the two predominantly involved hormones.
The macronutrients you get from food, that are most effective in inducing the feeling of satiety, are protein & fat.
For this reason, it is of prime importance to meet your daily protein and fat needs, as they will play an essential role in how hungry you feel throughout the day. Remember that a hungry mind won’t be able to focus on other, also important tasks you have.
Stay satiated!
THE 4 MOST SATIATING FOODS
Now without further ado, let’s have a look at the most satiating foods you can easily find in your local grocery store!
BEEF
As we mentioned, protein and fats from whole food sources are amongst the most satiating nutrients you can give to your body. Beef and other red meats happen to be abundant of both nutrients, so including them in your nutrition plan is a good bet!
NUTS
Cashews, almonds, walnuts and other nuts are so dense in energy that just a 100g of them can keep you full for hours on end. Additionally, these tiny bites are full of essential fatty acids and other micronutrients that will not only keep you full, but also provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
EGGS
If you are trying to establish a nutrition plan that is nutrient-dense enough to keep you full and healthy, eggs cannot be ignored! Eggs are good as a standalone meal, or can be made an addition to a bigger meal, to make it complete! Furthermore, they can be enjoyed in a variety of forms, such as an omelet, scrambled, or even over some rice in japanese style.
If you always wake up hungry, and that oatmeal & coffee breakfast full of sugar can’t satiate you, well, try a morning omelet. It works.
POTATOES
Though protein and fats are the most satiating macronutrients, the food with the HIGHEST satiety index contains mostly carbohydrates… If you are not watching your carb intake potatoes can be an extremely satisfying food to eat - just think of those large family dinners with mash potatoes and how you felt full for for at least 3 hours.
FINAL THOUGHTS
One of the most important aspects of your nutrition plan is to make it actually satiating. If you constantly feel hungry, you are not using the right nutrition plan, regardless of what anyone tells you. Try including these 4 foods for feeling fuller - longer!
We all need a burst of energy from time to time. Maybe you need to get through a long and boring afternoon at work. Or you might need an extra boost in the morning when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Whatever the case, there are lots of tricks you can use to get back on track again, without having to resort to extra cups of coffee or a handful of waistline-destroying donuts.
Look at Things Differently
Have you considered getting a pair of orange-tinted sunglasses? It’s been medically proven blue light from screens can wear you out, which is why you feel tired when you’ve been sitting at your computer for a while. Orange-tinted glasses filter out the blue light, so it doesn’t affect you. Now you can get more done with less fatigue!
Blink
Here's another interesting fact: When we stare at screens, we rarely blink. This, too, can be energy-depleting. When we blink, we give our brains a break from concentration, which allows us a moment to recharge. So, if you need energy, a series of rapid blinks will wake you up quickly.
Try Tapping
Did you know you have a Thymus? Probably not. This is a spot on your body, just below your collarbone and right in the center of your chest. It's a hard spot of cartilage, so you'll know it when you press down a little. The thymus makes a certain kind of white blood cell which gives the body energy. If you tap gently on this spot for about 20 seconds while taking long slow deep breaths, you can stimulate the production of those cells to give yourself a little boost occasionally. Medical experts don't encourage doing this too often, but a couple of times a day won't hurt.
Throw on Some Music
It’s a known fact we feel more energetic with peppy music. Changing up your playlist can help revitalize you quickly. Bonus points if you get up and dance.
Roll Your Face
Okay, this one might seem a little strange, but it does work. Jade facial rollers come from the ancient Egyptians. They have interesting benefits when it comes to reducing facial inflammation. The weird part? You'll feel more energized after using one, especially if you chilled it first in the freezer.
Get Chill
You’ve probably already discovered this one, but remember, a cold shower will also wake you up.
Nap
When all else fails, maybe you do just need a few more minutes of sleep to feel your best. A power nap can make a huge difference in a very short time.
I absolutely love these quick and simple heart health tips from Juice Plus+ in honor of Heart Health Month!
Happy Heart Health Month! Brought to you by the American Heart Association (AHA) who focuses on educating and creating awareness on how to take care of our hearts. Together, we share 5 simple changes to make your HEART the priority this month.
Fresh Fruit & Veggies
A heart-healthy diet includes fruits and veggies for all meals and snacks.
1. One Simple Change: add one new fruit to your daily routine, slice it up for easy pickings!
Rest & Recuperation
Manage stress and get a good night’s sleep.
2. One Simple Change: start going to bed at the same time each night.
Game Changers
Quitting smoking and vaping can make a big difference.
3. One Simple Change: Ask for help on how to create new habits that support your body and connect with others who have already quit.
Move Your Body
A good starting goal for exercise is 150 minutes per week.
4. One Simple Change: Start with 10 minutes today. Go for a walk, jump some rope, find a swimming pool or simple dance with your headphones on at home. Doing 10 minutes a day gets you to 70 minutes for the week, and you’re more than halfway there.
Weight Management
Maintaining a weight that's healthy for you is beneficial for heart function.
5. One Simple Change: Today keep track of what you are eating. Start making the connection to what feels good in your body and what doesn’t.
Credit: Juice Plus Article
You’ve seen the stories where an average person successfully bounces back from great adversity. People like this know to move forward and start over again. Why is it that some people seem to bounce back from any sort of adversity and others do not?
Resilience is important. It’s the main character trait that determines whether someone is able to dust himself off and get back into the game of life.
Some people are practically destroyed by misfortune and are very good at remaining a victim. But others come back even stronger from adversity. People that are very resilient have some unique traits.
Researchers have shown that resilient people are:
- Optimistic about the future. Current challenges are viewed as temporary. There is a real expectation that things will improve in the near future. Only when you’re lucky will you get more than you expect, so it’s wise to expect more of what you want!
- Accepting of bad times. They realize that bad things are bound to happen. They accept it with a minimal amount of emotional fuss. Consider that getting upset has never been a genuine solution for any problem.
- Aware of their strengths. They have faith in themselves and believe they can be successful with their knowledge and abilities. Remember that it’s difficult to take action when you expect to fail.
- Focused on what they can change. They don’t worry about the things that are out of their influence or control. They focus on changing the things that can be changed.
- Active. Resilient people don’t wait for someone else to come and save them. They take action and do everything they can to help themselves.
- Forward-looking and understand that you must sometimes take risks. Those with a high-degree of resiliency look at the possibilities and are willing to take on a reasonable degree of risk to create an even better future.
Do you have these traits? Are you willing to do something to improve your resiliency? It has been suggested that the ability to respond strongly in the face of adversity has a genetic component. Some people are simply born with a greater capacity to deal with challenging times than others.
However, we all have some capacity for rising to deal with adversity. For example, at some point, you’ve probably misplaced your keys in the morning. You probably didn’t instantly say to yourself, “Well the day is lost. I’m going back to bed.” You decided to look for your keys and continued looking until you found them.
Try these tips to strengthen your resilience:
- Force yourself to focus on the positives. Think about all the things you have in your favor. Things are better than you think. Focusing on your shortcomings is a good way to stop yourself dead in your tracks.
- Think about the most resilient people you know. How would they handle your challenging situation? What can you learn from them?
- Focus on solutions. Think about how you can solve your dilemma. Avoid wallowing over the dilemma itself.
- Call on friends and family for support. Everything seems easier with a little help and support. Make new friends when you have the opportunity. The stronger your network, the easier your life will be.
Adversity is a fact of life. But you can choose how you’re going to handle that adversity. Just because you’ve struggled to overcome obstacles in the past doesn’t mean that pattern must continue.
Develop your resilience to the highest possible level. Be too strong to worry and focus on solutions and the exciting future that awaits you!
Are you feeling tired? Maybe it's time for a snack.
If you just cringed, it's because you're already used to eating for energy. The problem? If you're like most people, your go-to probably involves a lot of sugar, caffeine, and empty calories. You probably also already know just how little these snacks help.
The problem is, we tend to grab what's easy. Easy isn't always good, though. Most snacks of this variety give only a short burst of energy and typically leaves you with a crash not very long after. It's just not worth it.
The snacks listed here are. Keep reading for some great ideas about what to eat when you need more energy.
Water
Okay, so the first thing on this list isn't food. Water is first on this list for a reason, though. Most of the time, when energy is lagging, it's because we're dehydrated. Water = energy, plain and simple. Besides, there's certainly no harm in trying a glass of water before going for a different snack. If anything, it will leave you hydrated and fills you up enough that you won't overdo whatever snack you do settle on. If you are trying to lose weight too, a good rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds, divide that number in half, and that equals the number of ounces of water you should strive to drink per day.
Black or Green Tea
The nice thing about tea is it gives a little jolt of caffeine without going overboard. Also, there are some definite health benefits to tea you might not be aware of. Tea is good for your heart, helps with inflammation, and even helps ward off cancer.
Chia Seeds
While this isn’t exactly a grab-and-go snack, chia seeds are easy enough to throw into a smoothie to make it worth taking a few extra moments in prep time. Chia seeds are solidly energy-inducing and are even full of protein and fiber, so you really can't go wrong with them.
Ginseng
You’ve probably already heard about a lot of the benefits of ginseng to your diet, but did you know this amazing herb can also add significant energy to your day? A study done with cancer patients found ginseng was just the thing to drop fatigue levels.
Cheese, Eggs, Nuts
What do all these have in common? They're loaded in protein. Protein will raise energy levels and keep them up. These things are just the right size for a simple snack during the times of day when you're lagging the most. String cheese, hard boiled eggs, and nuts are also quick and easy snacks that you can pack and take with you, for energy throughout the day.
Dark Chocolate
Chocolate isn’t the bad guy we like to think it is (thankfully). Dark chocolate especially has antioxidants and has been proven to lower cholesterol and risk for heart disease.
Coffee
Yes, coffee makes the list. It's the old standby for energy, but it also can help you burn fat and even reduce your risk for type-2 diabetes (hold the sugar!). If you are a coffee fan, you need to check out Javy Coffee Concentrate. Not only is it the quickest, easiest way to make a cup of coffee, but it's delicious, and they also have flavored coffee... without the use of flavored creamers and added sugars that can drain your energy.
The key to using food for energy is to be intentional in your choices. Quality is better than quantity, and eating small meals throughout the day is always best, especially when raising energy levels.
