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an egalitarian way They eat until the entire deer is gone because they dont know when there |
will be another Likewise for much of our huntergatherer past food was not guaranteed |
Thus when we encountered a glut we would gorge ourselves There was no benefit to limiting |
food intake because an excess of stored calories was necessary to survive periods of famine |
The constant hunger drive was a survival mechanism The same goes for our drive to minimize |
energy expenditure The less movement you made the more calories you conserved This is |
why today some of us have the inclination to be insatiable couch potatoes In our modern |
world these adaptive traits are no longer beneficial Instead they have made us susceptible to |
obesity and related ailments including diabetes hypertension and cardiovascular disease |
Rats with a perpetually full food dish that are allowed to selfregulate their own food |
intake become rotund They eat as much as they want engaging in hedonic hyperphagia |
This is food intake motivated by pleasure and independent of hunger Overfeeding in this way |
causes them to suffer from metabolic diseases and cancers These rats die much younger than |
rats fed appropriate portions You and are domestic mammals that are allowed to feed |
ourselves ad libitum World obesity statistics demonstrate that humans are not doing so well |
given these liberties Unlike rats we can selfimpose limitations on our eating This can be |
difficult but we need to do so if we want to stay healthy Of course it is not only how much |
we eat but also what we eat that makes a difference |
Sometimes an evolved mechanism becomes a liability once certain features of the |
environment change For instance many animals eat brightly colored trash because their |
visual perception of it excites appetitive circuits in their brains Animals regularly die from such |
misplaced instincts and due to the modern food industry so do we Favoring sweet salty |
fatty foods was necessary for the survival of prehistoric humans Hence our taste receptors |
make us crave sugar sodium and fat Given the glut of hyperpalatable food options today |
this adaptation has backfired |
Our bodies produce feelgood chemicals when we consume tasty food and when our |
stomachs are full These chemicals reduce bodily pain stress hormones and the activation of |
the fight or flight system The transient alleviation of stress influences us to adopt unhealthy |
eating habits On the other hand trying to force ourselves to eat less and eat healthy can |
promote stress In this chapter we will discuss some effective solutions for how you can keep |
weight off without contributing to stress |
Calorie and Nutrient Density |
Worthless people live only to eat and drink people of worth eat and drink only to live Socrates BCE BCE |
Scientists estimate that of the pets in the US are overweight Even a little extra weight in |
our pets reduces their health lifespan mobility and playtime My cat Niko used to be |
overweight Feeding him less wasnt working He would just cry in desperation until gave him |
PROGRAM PEACE Self Care Exercises to Reprogram Your Mind and Body |
more food The solution was feeding him the least caloric cat food on the market Now he still |
eats the same volume of food so he is just as satisfied However because his food has less fat |
and fewer calories he is now slim This solution works just as well for you and me |
Energy density is the number of calories energy in a given amount volume of food It is |
often measured in calories per cup Most of us eat lots of heavily processed and refined food |
which are very energy dense The problem is if you fill your stomach with it you will have far |
exceeded your healthy calorie limit Now if you eat proportionately less of it you will still be |
hungry The solution is to eat decentsized portions of less caloriedense food Foods that are |
low in calorie density but high in nutrient density include fruit and vegetables lean meat fat |
free dairy and whole grains Consider for instance that a large gram strawberry has six |
calories but a small gram chocolate chip cookie has calories |
Studies show that people tend to eat about the same overall weight of food everyday |
regardless of the number of calories it contains This means that adding low calorie density |
foods to your meals will allow you to feel perfectly full on fewer calories Additionally because |
they are less addictive than food containing additives like soda chips fast food and candy you |
are less likely to overeat |
Most mammals will eat more when palatable food is readily available Hyperpalatable food |
is rare in the wild but is commonly eaten by domestic animals For instance mice and rats have |
a strong preference for potato chips over their standard foods Like us their pleasure system |
drives them to make unhealthy choices And if they are allowed to live on potato chips they |
will consume a larger volume of food The tastier the food you keep in your fridge and pantry |
the more you will be tempted to gorge yourself on it |
If you can convince yourself to buy less palatable and more nutrient dense food you will |
naturally be less likely to overeat You may even find that you have no interest in continuing to |
eat bland food on a full stomach This will ensure that you eat to reduce hunger rather than |
maximize pleasure Start with your morning routine If you can eat a lowfat lowsugar high |
fiber cereal you will be off to a great start Consider adding some fruit to reward yourself and |
increase the volume of what youre eating Fruits and vegetables are the ultimate choices for |
lowcalorie density but high nutrient density |
Keep telling yourself If Im not hungry enough to eat healthily must not really be that |
hungry Eating bland healthy food sounds like a chore but the good news is that you get used |
to it My cat didnt like the diet cat food at first but within a month he preferred it You should |
similarly find yourself developing a preference for healthy food after intentionally exposing |
yourself to it The more fruit and vegetables you eat the more youll know which ones you like |
and in which combinations After a while the prospect of your favorites will make you salivate |
When eat fruit or vegetables often pretend that just found dug up or picked them myself |
This makes me savor the taste even more After eating healthy for a while many people find |
going back to junk food to be revolting did |
Getting Full on Fruit and Vegetables Will Trick Your Body into Liking Them |
In all our heads there is a spoiled little prince or princess who wants each bite to be as delicious |
as possible Their sense of entitlement is the reason we eat so terribly Banish them Eating is |
not about delighting our taste buds It is about getting essential nutrients while barring |
unhealthy foods access to the interior of our bodies However many people find that they have |
Chapter Healthy Eating Patterns |
no appetite for healthy food This makes it difficult to get started If this sounds like you ask |
yourself whether you have ever gotten full on unprocessed food alone Having only fruit for |
dinner sounds like a nightmare to many people But this is only because they have never |
tried it |
was pressed for time one day searching for a lunch could take on a long drive The most |
accessible items in the market were two bananas and a carton of strawberries realized that it |
would take up about as much room in my stomach as a burger and fries so that was all ate |
tried to enjoy it didnt eat anything else after that meal and didnt give it much thought |
That simple experience transformed my perspective on strawberries and bananas because |
used them by themselves to get full for the first time |
Your guts nervous system works in sync with several unconscious areas in your brain |
constantly learning about factors related to appetite and feeling satiated Once you get full on |
something without getting sick your body unconsciously learns to trust it Even your conscious |
feelings about that food can change Why do you think chimps salivate at the prospect of a |
mouthful of insects leaves or bark It is because they have gotten full on them before |
Healthy Weight Exercise Get Full on Fruit or Vegetables |
Plan a meal entirely composed of raw fruit Eat until you are full and dont eat again until the |
next meal Afterward focus on the feeling of satisfaction Over the next few days notice how |
this experience has changed your orientation toward fruit Next time try this with |
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