Hunger Control Using the Rules of Ten

Understanding Hunger:TheThree–The Rules of Ten

Hunger, cravings, and fullness can be controlled by simply choosing the right foods. In less than a minute, using what I call the Rules of Ten, the best food choices are easy to make.

Every Food Label Shows You the Rules of Ten
The Rules of Ten, found on every food label, are a quick way to pick foods that will keep you full and to avoid those that will likely make you hungry. The rules can be used with any foods—whether you are eating food in your car,in your home,or even preparing food from recipes.
There are just three Rules of Ten.

The Three Rules of Ten:

Rule #1: Ten Grams of Protein Produces Fullness

The initial rapid weight loss seen in low carbohydrates diets is due in part to the high-protein foods. The cheese, sausage, nuts, and fatty meats produce fullness and stabilize blood sugar for hours and hours. However, some of these high-protein foods are also high-calorie foods, often with serious portion-control problems. When following a diet plan where these high-protein/high-calorie foods replace most of the carbs, weight loss is the result. However, when the carbs are gradually added back into the diet, they become excess calories if the dieter is continuing to eat the high-protein/high-calorie foods and weight gain rather than weight loss is usually the consequence.
Despite these problems, I still advocate high-protein foods, especially for breakfast, lunch, and late-afternoon snacks. The secret is to find low-calorie, protein-rich foods with easy portion control. Eggs, protein bars and shakes, cottage cheese, and high-protein cereals are among my favorites, as are sliced turkey, ham, and some low-fat cheeses. Desirable foods, especially for breakfast, lunch, and snacks have at least 10 grams of protein per portion.

Rule #2: Net Carbs per Portion Should Be Less than 10 Grams:

The third of the Rules of Ten involves avoiding foods with more than 10 grams of net carbs (net carbs = total carbs - carbs from fiber). Fiber is that part of plants that is not digested. Fiber promotes fullness and provides feelings of satisfaction. Non-fiber carbs are the carbs that are rapidly absorbed from the stomach and that turn to fat while producing hunger.
The suggested fiber intake for most Americans is 25 grams. The Atkins and South Beach diets each average about 15 grams. Some researchers suggest that increasing fiber actually absorbs calories in foods that are eaten. Seek those foods with 4 to 5 grams of fiber and less than 200 calories.

Rule #3: Protein grams multiplied by 10 should be equal or greater than the number of calories in a serving>

Ten or more grams of protein are required to produce fullness. Although high protein is desirable, sometimes it costs too many calories. Avoiding some of the high-calorie proteins is the third of the Rules of Ten. Take a minute and read your food label. Simply multiply the protein grams by ten. If this number is equal to or more than the
the calories in the portion, you have made a good choice.

Water to the Rescue
Numerous studies over the past 15 years have demonstrated that foods high in water content, such as fruits, vegetables, and soups, produce fullness for hours and hours. It’s not only the water that provides fullness, but the water within food. Best choices include apples, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, and all green vegetables. Recent studies also have shown that soups produce fullness for prolonged periods of time.

Good Versus Bad Carbs
Selecting foods that produce fullness is not so easy whene are faced with carbs—there are both good carbs and bad carbs. The trick is to separate the good ones from the bad ones. Bad carbs include sugar, fruit juices, candy, cookies, cake, and those foods that quickly turn to sugar in the stomach, including white bread, rice, pasta, bagels, and potatoes. Eating these carbs raises the blood sugar quickly and produces instant energy. However, the rapidly rising blood sugar initiates a rise in insulin, which quickly causes the blood sugar to fall, producing hunger. Where does the sugar go when it falls? If you are exercising at the time, it is used as fuel. Unfortunately, most people cannot time their exercise to their sugar spikes, and the excess sugar is converted into fat to be stored around the belly for future use.
Good carbs, like foods high in fiber and protein, can prevent hunger and at the same time satisfy cravings. They include most fruits, vegetables, and many whole-grain bread products, cereals, and even pasta. The sugars in these foods are surrounded or encased in fibers that dissolve slowly in the stomach, resulting in a much slower release of sugar into the bloodstream. When sugar is released slowly—over hours instead of in seconds—the body is able to utilize the sugar for metabolism and activities.
There are two types of good carbs: Type I good carbs are “natural” foods, not found in a package, and Type II good carbs are packaged products.

Type I Good Carbs: The Natural Foods
There are numerous naturally occurring good carbs that have little effect on blood sugar, such as fruits, beans, vegetables, and some whole grains. Blood sugars remain stable after eating good carbs. I call these carbs “natural” foods because they do not come in a package or have a food label. Such foods include fresh vegetables, fruits, and some grain products. Good carbs are easy to recognize by using the glycemic index.
Using this index, each carb is assigned a numerical value that describes how high the blood sugar rises after ingesting it. If the blood sugar rise after eating a particular food is equal to the blood sugar rise that occurs after eating pure white sugar, then that carb is given an index of 100 percent. Foods that behave like pure sugar have a glycemic index between 70 percent and 100 percent. These are the foods whose sugars are rapidly absorbed from the stomach, raise the blood sugar, and produce instant hunger.

Foods that have a glycemic index of less than 55 percent have less effect on blood sugar and subsequent hunger. These are the good carbs. I find this a fairly useful system for avoiding foods that cause hunger and turn to fat.

Type II Good Carbs: Packaged Products
The glycemic index is helpful in selecting the best of the naturally occurring foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and some grains, for which there are no labels available. However, it is not very helpful for packaged foods that are made from multiple ingredients.
Type II carbs are those found in packaged products. Often these products are labeled as low calorie and low carb, are made using non-absorbable fibers, and are sweetened with no-calorie sugar substitutes. They include numerous new soft drinks; some fruit juices; low-carb, low-calorie candy; crackers; ice cream; bread; muffins; bagels; and even pizza.
These products can fool the brain because, when compared to the originals, they have similar packaging, physical appearances, textures, and tastes. When eaten, they interact with the same receptors in the brain as the originals and release the same pleasure-producing chemicals into the bloodstream.
However, because these foods have minimal effect on blood sugar and are burdened by fewer calories, there are few metabolic consequences to eating them. To identify them, simply calculate the net carbs on the food label. Remember, net carbs are those carbs that are rapidly absorbed and raise the blood sugar. Foods with net carbs of less than 10 grams are the ideal foods. Often, you will see a little number on the front of the package, identifying the net carbs. If no label is available, then seek foods with a glycemic index of less than 55 percent.