7 Foods that are Increasing Your Appetite

Are you eating healthy but still have a huge appetite? You could be trying your hardest to lose weight and stick to your diet plan, but at the end of the day are still hungry. You’ve tried drinking more water, eating more fiber, higher protein, more vegetables, chewing gum, diet soda…you name it. So what gives? Below I will list the top 7 foods and/or food additives that are causing your appetite to increase and are sabotaging your weight loss goals! Just check each one off your list and watch the pounds fall off more effortlessly than ever before as your appetite melts away.

1. Artificial sweeteners
   Studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can dysregulate the body’s natural response to sweetness. Once you get used to the sweetness provided by the added sweetener in your foods and beverages, the regular sweetness in foods does not register the same way to your appetite center, leading to further calorie consumption. In addition, studies have shown that the artificial sweetener sucralose (brand name Splenda), when added to a carbohydrate meal, can actually increase the blood sugar response. Over the short term, a high blood sugar response leads to a more pronounced blood sugar drop, signalling your body it needs to eat. Over the long term, this disruption to your body’s natural carbohydrate metabolism can lead to insulin resistance, further increasing appetite issues and leading to fat accumulation in the area where we want it least in terms of both health and aesthetics – around the midsection. Lastly, be aware that those little colourful sweetener packets not only contain artificial sweeteners, they also contain dextrose – a simple sugar. Even though they are marked as “calorie free” on the label, each small packet can be up to 2-3 calories each. Have enough of them over the course of the day, and the calories do add up.


2. High sugar foods
   Foods that are high in added sugars are easy to digest. They give us a quick burst of energy and then we crash and crave more sweets to keep us going. Check every label, both the ingredients list and the nutrition facts, in order to choose the foods with as little added sugar as possible. Avoid desserts, packaged granola bars, and sweetened cereals. Minimize the sugar you add to your coffee or oatmeal. Definitely avoid drinking any sweetened beverages, including juice or soda. Water is always the best option. Also avoid heavy use of sweet condiments such as ketchup, salad dressings, or barbecue sauce. Although the serving size is small, the sugar adds up fast. Look at your diet throughout the day and investigate. See where you can reduce the added sugars. Each small change will add up.


3. High fructose foods
   Fructose is a unique kind of carbohydrate in that it is metabolized in a very specialized way. Although glucose can be used to fuel every cell of the body, fructose needs to be metabolized by the liver. Any excess fructose, more than the liver needs, is more likely to be stored as fat tissue than other forms of carbohydrate. Therefore, although your body can tolerate larger amounts of glucose before it is stored as fat, fructose has a smaller limit of around 100g a day. Any more than 100g of fructose a day can lead to negative effects on body weight and metabolic processes, according to studies. Too much fructose can not only cause fatty liver disease, it can also cause dysregulation of carbohydrate metabolism, leading to insulin resistance over time. In terms of appetite, fructose doesn’t register on our appetite thermostat the same way glucose would – therefore we will continue to eat extra calories to feel as satiated as we would with an equal amount of other forms of carbohydrate. So where does fructose come from? Most of us know fructose is in fruit. Bananas, grapes, apples, and pears are some of the worst offenders, but all fruit contains approximately half fructose. As does table sugar. High-fructose corn syrup or agave syrup are two other highly concentrated sources of fructose. Avoid these ingredients when looking at food labels. Any added sugars, as read on food labels, are usually about half fructose half glucose. So what carbohydrates can we eat? Starches are made up of chains of glucose molecules, so whole-food starches such as potatoes, rice, corn, and other whole grains are a good choice. Also choose to consume a sufficient amount of leafy greens and other non-starchy vegetables. Although fruit, as mentioned above, is high in fructose, it is also high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins. So if you love fruit, try to choose the lower-sugar varieties such as strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries, and minimize your servings to 4 per day or less to keep your total daily fructose consumption at an appropriate level. I would recommend, if tracking your nutrition online, to keep fructose consumption at 50g a day or less (or total sugar to 100g a day or less) for optimal health and appetite control.


4. Overly processed carbohydrates
   Like simple sugars, overly-processed carbohydrate sources digest rapidly, leaving you hungry again shortly after consuming. Any product made from flour is included in this list. Examples include crackers, rice cakes, dry cereals, granola bars, breads, and white pasta. Choose whole, minimally-processed carbohydrate source such as vegetables, oats, whole grain rice and pasta, and potatoes, and avoid over-cooking.


5. Added salt
   Overconsumption of salt can lead to water retention, bloating, high blood pressure, and migraine headaches. However, it can also lead to an increase in appetite as well. Why is that? Foods that are overly salty or that contain additives such as monosodium glutamate seem tastier, and thus promote overeating. In addition, the high salt content of our meal leads to increased thirst. Increased thirst often leads to sensations similar to hunger, and during a meal, are often mistaken as appetite. Keep your salt intake low by eliminating most foods that come in a can or box. When buying canned or boxed items choose ones with no salt added. Check the nutrition label and the nutrition facts. Try to keep your sodium intake below 1500mg a day for optimal health. Also, avoid use of salty condiments such as mustard, ketchup, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, and one of the worst offenders – soy sauce. If you do choose to use sauces or salt, make sure to just add just a tiny bit to the top of your food, rather than mixing throughout, to enhance taste. You can also up the flavour of your meals in other ways. Spices such as cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, basil, oregano, garlic, onion powder, etc. all add amazing taste and variety to meals. Experiment and see which are your favourites. In addition, once you get used to lower-salt foods, you will start to savour foods’ natural flavours - and the foods you used to enjoy will actually taste too salty.


6. High fat foods
   Especially when combined with simple sugars, high fat foods have an excitatory response in the brain, compelling us to eat more of these foods. Cookies, chips, cakes, pies, pizza, hamburgers…what do they all have in common? They combine high fat with high simple-carbohydrate. This is a “deadly” combination in terms of weight loss. Since our bodies instinctively want to ensure we stay alive through famine, we are primed to overeat on these calorie-rich foods. In addition, fat, at 9 calories per gram, is over twice the calories as protein or carbohydrates (at 4 calories per gram). Therefore, dietary fat is not only highly addictive from an evolutionary standpoint, it is also high in caloric-density. Studies show that compared to low fat diets, when eating as much as they wanted, study participants will eat less total calories on a low-fat diet (as compared to a high-fat diet), without even trying. In addition, not only does dietary fat increase our appetite, but it is also more readily and efficiently stored as body fat, even more so than protein or carbohydrates. So what foods should we avoid? Any foods with added fats or any overt fats. Overt fats include margarines, butter, oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and high-fat cheeses. You can start by cutting out the margarine, butter, and oil in your cooking and instead sauté dishes in water or vegetable broth. There are also simple low-fat replacements for these ingredients in baking as well. In addition, aim to choose the lower-fat versions of your favourite foods. For example, choose fat-free dairy products, choose the leanest cuts of meat, and avoid any high-fat packaged foods. If you do choose to eat packaged or pre-made meals, check the ingredients labels for fat content. A lot of brands make “lighter” version of your favourite choices, with substantially reduced dietary fat.


7. Liquid calories
   Even though smoothies and shakes seem healthy, the fact that they are liquid, rather than solid, is not registered the same way in your body in terms of appetite. Liquid calories just aren’t taken into account the same way solid food calories would be. For example, if you were to eat a salad you would feel more full, and for longer, than if you had used those same greens to make a smoothie. Always choose the whole food over the liquid version. Apples over apple juice, for example. Also avoid unnecessary calories from fancy coffee drinks, juices, sodas, or alcohol. Plain water will and always will be the best beverage choice for weight loss! The second best would be herbal teas or unsweetened carbonated (sparkling) beverages. Eliminating all calorific beverages is one of the easiest ways you can drop a few hundred calories a day, reduce your appetite, and lose weight.

Even if you avoid just a few of the items on the above list, you are well on your way to decreasing your appetite substantially. The more hunger-stimulating foods and ingredients you remove, the easier it will be to control your appetite, thus controlling your calorie intake and finally getting to the ideal body of your dreams. It is all within your reach, my friends! All you need to do is take the practical steps to get there, put one foot in front of the other, and learn from your own trial and error. No matter what happens, no matter how many mistakes you make along the way, you will always grow and become a better person if you give yourself the grace to take the lesson in your failures. Always remember that "the lesson is your blessing"!

Best regards,
Amanda