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11
FILL THE
VOID01
YOU’RE NOT
EATING
REGULARLY
Your mid-morning meeting
pushed through lunch – and
you’ve still got five hours to go
before dinner. But eating less is
good, right? Wrong. Research*
shows that if you don’t take
regular meals, you’re likely to
eat more sugar, which is quickly
digested, leaving you peckish.
The fix: Consistent meal times- no skipping. The same study
found that breakfast curbs
impulsive snacking. Your
stomach takes around four
hours to empty after a meal,
so if you’re hungry before
noon after an 8am breakfast,
go for bigger portions.
02
YOU’RE NOT
EATING ENOUGH
PROTEIN OR FIBRE
A cheese sandwich and packet
of crisps may be your lunchtime
staple, but your stomach will
be grumbling come the 3pm
slump. Most meal-deal options
prioritise empty carbs and
don’t contain enough protein
or fibre to keep you sated.
The fix: Researchers at
Purdue University found that
consuming 30g of protein and
10g of fibre per meal will help to
keep cravings at bay. “It’ll slow
the emptying of your stomach,”
explains gastroenterologist
Scott Levenson.04
YOU’RE
BOOZING
TOO MUCH
As you might have deduced
from your post-pub McNuggets
habit, alcohol can give you the
munchies. Research in Nature
Communications suggests that
it puts your brain in starvation
mode, while Obesity journal
reported that booze makes you
more sensitive to food aromas,
tempting you to overeat.
The fix: If you don’t want
to miss out on post-work
pints, tap into the low-alcohol
beer trend. You get the best
of both worlds: a crisp lager,
but without the lost inhibitions
and the consequent packet
of peanuts – or three.05
YOU’RE NOT
ACTUALLY
HUNGRY
False hunger is real. The next
time you think you’re hungry,
run through a quick checklist:
are you bored? Tired? Thirsty?
Are you ingesting too much
social media? Crucially, do
your snack binges correspond
with your Instagram feasts?
The fix: A review in Brain and
Cognition found that looking
at images of food can trigger
physiological changes that
occur in anticipation of a meal.
If you’ve scrolled yourself into
a ravenous state, push through
two items on your to-do list, or
take a walk – minus the phone.03
YOU’RE
DRINKING
YOUR MEALS
Most packaged “meal
replacement” shakes won’t
keep you satisfied for long.
First, it takes liquids less than
an hour to leave your stomach,
says Levenson. By contrast,
solid foods take two to four
hours. Second, blending foods
pulverises their fibres, so your
body breaks them down faster,
further reducing satiety.The fix: Swap out the shakes,
then remember the advice
your mum gave you years
ago: chew your food properly.
A review of scientific studies
found that a higher level of
“oral processing” during meals
affects the gut hormones
linked to reduced hunger and
increased feelings of fullness.FUEL UP THE RIGHT
WAY, OR YOU’LL SOON
BE RUNNING ON EMPTYWHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HUNGRY?
Are you frequently covered in crumbs? Do you partake, like
a hobbit, in “second breakfast”? Fill up on these simple fixesMEN’S HEALTH 29
A
SPOT FIXING
SNACK HABIT