Many of us could do with trimming away some fat but the concept of having to go hungry is something we could never embrace. The solution? These five low calorie foods that make you feel full.
By Robert Carry
Popcorn
Although it reputation is sullied somewhat by the fact that it chooses to hang around on shop shelves beside Hula Hoops and Monster Munch, popcorn is actually rich in fibre and low on calories. The fact that it keeps our mouth busy for a long period of time means it is more satisfying than other foods with a similar caloric content.
Sadly, the same doesn’t go for buttered or caramel varieties while salt, which makes you retain water and look more bloated and overweight than you might be, should also be kept to a minimum.
Tomatoes
A group of human guinea pigs were recently given cream cheese sandwiches made with either white bread or bread with added carrots or tomatoes.
The French researchers had predicted that the extra fibre in carrot would make the carrot-bread lunches the most filling. As it turned out, the bread with added tomato was signaled as being the most filling.
It is now believed that eating tomatoes alters levels of appetite-regulating hormones, making us feel full.
Citrus fruit
The oranges, lemons and grapefruits of this world are rich in Vitamin C and fibre. Vitamin C encourages the body to process fat at an accelerated rate while stimulating an amino acid called carnitine, which also speeds up our fat-burning capacity.
The high water content in citrus fruit, meanwhile, helps us feel like we are more full than we are while only setting us back by 50 to 75 calories.
Low fat dairy
While the full-fat gear should be left to children and tubbers, skimmed milk and low fat cheeses or yoghurts are a great way of filling yourself up without weight-gain consequences.
They are also a good source of calcium, which helps break down fat cells and some studies suggest that not getting enough calcium may cause the release of calcitrol – a hormone that prompts the body to store fat.
Olive oil
A recent study by researchers at the University of California suggests the fullness factor may even explain why the Mediterranean diet, which contains a lot of olive oil, is so healthy.
Olive oil contains a substance called oleic acid, which aids weight loss by stalling hunger pangs.
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