Stimulating vs. Satisfying

Staying on track with healthy eating can be quite challenging. There are many factors that affect the ability to stay on track. One of these is food itself.  Some foods tend to be truly satisfying for our hunger, while others will actually stimulate it.

Foods that tend to be satisfying are usually those that are closer to the way in which they are found in nature.  Examples include whole fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes and small amounts of nuts, seeds or oils, dairy and animal protein.

Foods that are stimulating to our hunger tend to be those that don’t occur naturally.  There is no Dorito bush, no Oreo tree and you won’t find a jar of nuts in nature.

None of us respond in the exact same way to these foods.  Some people can eat a serving of chips and have the rest go stale, or at least not have them seemingly talking from the cabinet.  For many people, eating foods high in added sugars, white flour, fat, salt or artificial ingredients stimulate rather than satisfy their hunger. I invite you to reflect upon whether there are certain foods that stimulate rather than satisfy your hunger.  Do a trial of a week or so without these foods and see what happens to your hunger.  It can take at least a few days for the stimulating effect to go away.  When it does, it tends to be much easier to stay on track with healthy eating.