Enhance Satiety With Soluble Fiber

Fiber is an important part of our daily diet and can be obtained easily from fruits and vegetables.  It is currently recommended that we consume about 25 - 35 grams of fiber each day in order to obtain the many benefits of fiber.  Unfortunately, it has been reported that less than half of us consume enough fiber.  One way to increase our fiber intake is to add it to the beverages we drink.  Many fiber supplements easily dissolve in liquids, making this a simple way to increase our fiber intake.  A recent study on the impact of soluble fiber and appetite suggests that another benefit of soluble fiber might be its ability to make us feel fuller.

In this nutrition research study, study investigators examined the impact of four types of fiber on feelings of fullness (satiety) and energy intake at the next meal.  For this study, 14 men and 22 women were enrolled and completed 6 study sessions.  Study volunteers were asked to consume a solid snack with a liquid beverage in the mornings.  This liquid beverage contained one of four different types of fiber: soluble fiber dextrin, soluble corn fiber, polydextrose, and resistant starch.  The volunteers' feelings of fullness were measured every 20 minutes for 3 hours and 40 minutes after consumption of this snack and beverage.  Study volunteers were then provided a noontime meal and the amount of food not eaten was measured.  The study investigators reported that all four fibers and the control snack with a similar amount of calories increased feelings of fullness and less hunger compared to a snack with lower calorie levels.  However, the researchers indicated that only the consumption of the soluble fiber dextrin resulted in a reduced calorie intake at the noontime meal.

This is an interesting study that suggests not all fibers are the same when it comes to their impact on our overall food consumption.  While all four of the fibers tested helped the study subjects to feel full and reduced their hunger, only consumption of the dextrin fiber altered how much food the study subjects consumed.  While many people use fiber supplements solely for the health benefits of fiber, some use fiber as a weight loss tool because of fiber's ability to reduce our hunger.  While reducing hunger with fiber consumption can be a good weight loss tool, this study suggests that picking the right fiber might be necessary to obtain the full weight loss benefits of fiber.  Since this was a small study of only a few adults, it will be necessary to confirm these results in a larger study.  In the meantime, if you are considering adding fiber to your drinks in an attempt to lose weight, you might want to consider trying different forms of fiber to find what works best for you.

Start losing pounds now with my easy diet plan using delicious, low glycemic, protein-packed bars and shakes to satisfy your hunger. Please recommend to anyone who wants to lose weight using a clinically tested diet plan and weight loss program.

Snacking Linked to Reduced Obesity Risk In Children?

A new obesity study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that snacking is linked to a decreased risk of being overweight and a decreased risk of abdominal obesity.

Upon reading that, many of us are probably thinking that these results make no sense.  After all, wouldn't it make more sense that snacking would increase one's risk for obesity if for no other reason than snacking would increase the amount of calories consumed?  Apparently, the impact of snacking on obesity risk in children is understudied and the results have been inconsistent to date.  Some studies have reported that frequent snacking between meals increases obesity risk, while other studies suggest that consuming several small meals throughout the day instead of relying on 1-3 main meals per day helps with weight control.

This new study examined nutrition and body weight data from the National Health and Nutrition Examinaton Survey (NHANES) between 1999-2004.  For this study, teens were categorized based on the number of snacks they ate per day and their percent of total energy intake from snacks.  Differences in various weight measures between these groups were analyzed.  The study investigators reported:

• Increasing levels of snacking by teens was linked to lower body weights, reduced percentage of overweight or obesity, and smaller waist size in addition to reductions in other weight measures.
• The risk for overweight or obesity was reduced by about 60% in teens eating more than 4 snacks per day.
• Eating more than 4 snacks per day was also linked to about a 60% decreased risk for abdominal obesity.
• Similar results were observed when snacking was examined as a percentage of total dietary intake.  Consumption of snacks at a level greater than 20% of total energy was linked to reduced risk for overweight and abdominal obesity.  

These are both interesting and somewhat puzzling results that will probably continue to fuel the debate regarding snacking frequency in teens and weight control.  These inconsistencies are liable to be due to such things as the types of snacks consumed and whether beverages are included in a study's definition of snacking.  If the snacks being eaten are of poor nutritional quality (high in energy, low in nutrients), then snacking might have the potential to increase obesity risk.  In contrast, if the snacks are healthier and nutrient rich, then snacking might have weight management benefits.  This new study does not appear to mention if the types of snacks were determined.  Instead, this new study appears to be looking at snacking as a general eating pattern regardless of the types of snacks consumed. While nutritionists and other food researchers continue to explore the impact of snacking on weight management and obesity, it is best if we all choose healthy snack options.  This could be as simple as choosing fruits and vegetables for snacking or taking the time to look for snacks that have more protein and carbohydrates than fat content.

Snacking can be a great way to curb mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and late evening hunger.  Each serving of my Crispy Lace Non-Naughty Nibbles contains 7 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and only 100 calories, making them a delicious snacking option.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more about my delicious foods!

Gastric Bypass Surgery Reduces Hedonic Hunger

Obesity is an extremely complex condition that involves many factors including both mental and physiological aspects that appear to be tightly intertwined.  While overeating is a major factor in obesity, overeating can sometimes be the result of physiological changes.  For example, severely obese individuals have been reported to have low levels of dopamine type 2 receptors in certain areas of their brains; similar to changes seen in individuals with addictive behaviors.

Hedonic hunger relates to the pleasure experienced when eating highly delicious foods as well as the craving of such foods in the absence of any dietary needs.  It has been suggested that hedonic hunger may be a greater trigger to overeating than actual hunger.  The impact of gastric bypass surgery on hedonic hunger is the focus of a new obesity research study recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  For this study, obesity researchers asked study volunteers (110 non-obese volunteers, 123 severely obese individuals, and 136 gastric bypass patients) about their feelings about food and appetite using the Power of Food Scale questionnaire.  The results of this study were quite interesting:

• Severely obese study subjects had substantially higher levels of hedonic hunger thoughts and behaviors compared to non-obese study volunteers.  This was true for the overall scores as well as 2 of the 3 questionnaire sub-sections.
• Gastric bypass patients had lower hedonic hunger scores when compared to severely obese volunteers.
• The hedonic hunger scores of gastric bypass patients were similar to the non-obese study subjects for both the overall scores and 2 of the 3 questionnaire sub-sections.

Gastric bypass surgery aids in weight loss through both the reduction of food intake and food absorption.   The reduction in food intake appears to be due to a number of factors including [1] reduced stomach size, [2] increased levels of hormones that make one feel full, [3] increased levels of dopamine type 2 receptors in certain areas of the brain.  These changes help to reduce food intake and support weight loss.  The way in which gastric bypass surgery effects hedonic hunger remains an area for further investigation.  Changes in appetite-related hormones and hormone receptors are potentially involved, but probably do not act alone.  The study investigators suggest that their observed reduction in hedonic hunger might also be learned as a result of adverse effects experienced by gastric bypass patients who continue to consume highly palatable foods after their surgery.  While the reasons remain uncertain, it appears from this study that one of the ways gastric bypass surgery helps with weight loss is to normalize hedonic hunger and thereby possibly removing one of the triggers for overeating.

Weight loss, even weight control, can be difficult for many of us.  That is why my diet plan is both simple and delicious.  My easy diet plan keeps you full with high-protein bars, shakes, and snacks.  Visit us at www.drtabor.com to learn more!

Impact of Sweeteners on Hunger & Food Consumption

Sugar-sweetened beverages have been implicated by many advocacy and research groups as being one of the causes of the current obesity epidemic.  Over time, this has lead to an abundance of drinks and other snacks sweetened with a variety of artificial sweeteners.  Among the many concerns that have been voiced about artificial sweeteners, there is some question as to whether these low-calorie drinks cause compensatory over-eating to make up for the reduced calories in these drinks.  A new study recently explored this possibility.

For this new study, nutrition researchers fed study volunteers a snack sweetened with one of three different sweeteners (stevia, aspartame, or sucrose [table sugar]) and then studied the impact of these snacks on hunger and food intake at later meals.  The snacks contained either 290 Calories (stevia-sweetened and aspartame-sweetened snacks) or 493 Calories (sucrose-sweetened snack).  Hunger levels were recorded before and after meals and throughout the test afternoon.  The study investigators reported that:

• Consumption of stevia- and aspartame-sweetened snacks did not cause an increase in calories consumed at lunch and dinner meals compared to consumption of sugar-sweetened snacks.
• Feelings of hunger or fullness were not different between the different sweeteners.
• Stevia-sweetened snacks appeared to do a better job of supporting normal blood sugar health compared to sugar-sweetened snacks.

These are interesting results that suggest low-calorie snacks or drinks will not induce compensatory eating behaviors.  This appears to be because feelings of hunger and/or fullness were not different between the three sweeteners despite the fact the stevia- and aspartame-sweetened snacks contained about 200 fewer calories than the sugar-sweetened snacks.   This ability of low-calorie sweeteners to achieve the same feelings of fullness at a lower calorie intake level suggests that consuming low-calorie snacks can be an effective way to reduce overall caloric intake and lose weight.  The International Food Information Council Foundation has some excellent material on low-calorie sweetener options if you want to read more on this topic.

Controlling calorie intake can be difficult for many of us.  Making appropriate food/beverage choices is an important part of controlling calorie intake.  My protein bars, shakes, and snacks are portion-controlled to help easily regulate calorie intake, making them a great part of my easy diet plan.