Metabolism - Strategies to Regulate Food Intake:

Question 1

Blood sugar levels

Answer 1

• Keep blood sugar levels even.
  o Studies show that sharp spikes in blood sugar lead to drops in blood sugar which increase activity in the ‘nucleus accumbens’, an area of the brain that produces a desire to eat, often manifesting as sugar cravings.
• To maintain stable blood sugar:
  o Include protein with every meal.
  o Avoid refined carbs/sugar and include complex carbs / low GI/GL foods; e.g. beans, wholegrains, vegetables, etc.
  o Choose organic/whole foods for optimum nutrition.
  o Chew well, eat mindfully, don’t overeat, 3 meals-a-day.

Question 2

Keep Track

Answer 2

• Keep Track.
  o Be clear on portion sizes.
  o Monitor changes in weight, body fat and waist circumference.
  o Food diaries can help to regulate food intake.
  o Keeping track of what we eat leads to more conscious food choices and can reduce mindless eating.

Question 3

Mindful eating

Answer 3

• Mindful Eating = the process of paying attention to your eating experience without judgement to help you become aware of the reasons behind your hunger.
• Tips for getting started:
  o Prepare – take in the sights, sounds and smells as you prepare/wait for the food.
  o Put away electronics –hold space for one thing… eating.
  o Sit down – take a deep breath, centre yourself and enjoy the food in front of you.
  o Be Still – dedicate at least part of the meal to the silent enjoyment of food.
  o Connect – to your mind & body.
  o Take in the food with your senses - the visual appeal, the texture, try to identify the tastes as you chew slowly.
  o Listen to your body – Honour the internal cue for when you’ve had enough.

Question 4

“Adding in”

Answer 4

Focus on “adding in” rather than “taking away”.
* By adding in more “nutrient dense” foods (e.g. colourful vegetables, fruit, pulses & wholegrains) that are high in fibre, water, phyto-and micronutrients…
* We displace the “energy dense” foods that have high amounts of fat, sugar and starch and less water, fibre and micronutrients, such as processed foods, oils and confectionery.
“Eating is a zero-sum game: The more you eat of one food, the less you eat of another.”

Question 5

Plant Based Diet

Answer 5

People tend to consume a certain volume of food regardless of the calories it contains.
* Filling your client’s menu plan with lots of plants can help them to feel full, increasing nutrition whilst reducing calorie intake.
* A plant-based diet can equate to between 400 to 800 fewer calories a day without a conscious restriction of the amount of food they’re eating.

Stretched mechanoreceptors in the stomach signal satiety in the brain.

See diagram in notes