“Eat to feel good” is my advice to patients. Why? Because food should be relaxing and creative satietywhich is the feeling of being full or full.
Getting your fill of solid foods like meat and potatoes is 1) a great way to achieve optimal nutrition and 2) the single best way to avoid overeating and simply live without having to fight the cravings or constant efforts to avoid snacks and desserts.
Best food for satiety
According to the satiety index, the most satiating or satiating foods are whole foods high in protein, fiber, and some types of starch, such as oats and legumes. Potatoes, in particular, are extremely filling because they provide resistant starch and a possible appetite suppressant called proteinase inhibitor 2 (PI2).
Sugar is not filling, and High doses of fructose can lead to overeating. That’s true for processed fructose like table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, that’s also true for natural sources of high-dose fructose like dates, fruit juice, and agave syrup.
Protein for satiety
According to The protein utilization hypothesis, protein is the most satiating macronutrient because protein is our primary appetite. And protein is our main appetite because amino acids are essential for the healthy functioning of every part of the body, including the brain, nervous system, digestive system, and more. Because amino acids are so important, we evolved just keep eating until we get enough of them—even if that means eating too many calories.
Your daily need for protein depends on your age, state of health, activity level, and whether or not you are in menopause (Women in menopause need more protein). In general, you need about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight per day. For example, if you are 65 kilograms and that is your ideal weight, you need about 65 grams of protein per day, which equates to about 22 grams of high-quality protein per meal.
What does it look like? Here is a rough rule of thumb actual food you need to get 20 grams of protein.
| red meat | 77 grams |
| chicken breast | 87 grams |
| almonds | 93 grams |
| salmon | 105 grams |
| feta cheese | 121 grams |
| egg | 159 grams (3 eggs) |
| tofu | 167 grams |
| chickpeas | 242 grams |
| lentils | 263 grams |
It’s like your body wakes up every morning wondering, “Am I going to get all the amino acids I need today?” If your goal is 65 grams, and if you’re not even close to that by noon, you may start to feel hungry, anxious, and crave snacks.
If you make it through the night without getting 65 grams, you are likely to binge, eating too much without stopping yourself. It’s your body that says, “Right. I need amino acids, and I’ll just keep eating until I get them.”
Nighttime binge foods can be anything, including sugar, but they are usually “protein decoy” foods, which are not protein but taste like protein thanks to their umami flavor. Chips are the best example.
The solution to binging at night is to use protein to your advantage by eating lots of high-protein foods early in the day before you get hungry. That means eggs, cheese, or meat by at least 12 pm and preferably by 10 am (since protein in the morning also helps establish a healthy circadian rhythm).
👉🏽 Tip: Too much protein can suppress appetite, which can be a problem if you’re in the situation of losing your period with undereating (even if you’ve been misdiagnosed with PCOS).
For an example of the power of protein, consider my patient Mandy (quoted from my book Handbook of Hormone Regulation).
Patient story
Mandy has struggled with her weight for years, constantly dieting and always regaining everything and more. At the time he came to me, he was also seeing a psychologist for emotional eating and was trying to eat less.
Most of Mandy’s weight is distributed around her middle in the classic apple shape that suggests insulin resistance. His cholesterol is high, which is another sign of high insulin. I ordered a glucose tolerance test with insulinand Mandy’s insulin results were 10 mIU/L (60 pmol/L) fasting, then 72 mIU/L (541 pmol/L) at the one-hour mark and 60 mIU/L (423 pmol/ L) in two hours, all this is above normal range.
“You have insulin resistance,” I said, “which is prediabetes and makes you both gain weight and crave sugar. The only way out of this situation is to find a way to feel more satisfied with your meals so that eventually you will be able to stop eating all kinds of dessert.”
We made a plan for Mandy to start her day with coffee (which she loves) and if she has time to prepare it, a 10 am meal of an omelette or leftover dinner. If she doesn’t have time, Mandy quickly eats 3 eggs and cheese or a protein smoothie. He then eats two more solid meals (usually meat and potatoes) for lunch and dinner and stops eating by 7 pm, which is a nine-hour eating window. He also took it magnesium to improve insulin sensitivity.
By the time I saw Mandy a month later, she had lost a centimeter from her waist and was feeling more energetic. He even signed up with a personal trainer. At this point, Mandy is still eating sugar because we are still in the “feeling better” part of the plan and haven’t gotten to the “quit dessert” part yet.
“I feel so much better,” Mandy told me. “You were the first person to tell me I could eat enough to feel good, considering the way I looked.”
By “considering how I look,” Mandy means her body shape. She meant I was the first person to see her weight and still say she should eat in a way that feels good.
Mandy continued her protein breakfasts and cut down on meal times and found that, because her energy was better, she was eventually able to cut out desserts.
When we rechecked his insulin six months later, all of his readings were in the normal range. During that time, he lost 10 centimeters from his waist.
Ask me in the comments.
