Eating green leafy vegetables causes sugar gremlins to turn a little GREEN. And when your sugar gremlin turns green, it is not in the mood for MORE SUGAR.
You know tucking into a sugar treat is not a good idea. You really shouldn’t. But you do.
Eish !
You just LIKE things that taste good !
Experts will tell you, this is the reason you’re “FAT”. You have zero will power. Around about this time……………….. the well meaning expert, will encourage you to
“Just say NO”.
Yeh. Right. Love of sweet things is often hard wired into you.
Why saying no is not so easy
First off, it is doubtful that your ability to “Just say NO” is a reflection of a flawed self-control. Being able to say NO, is a function of your hormone status.
The BIG hormone in the “hunger” games is insulin, but insulin is not the only player. Two other hormones contributing to your HUNGRY FOR NICE THINGS fettish – are ghrelin and GLP-1 (glucagon like protein). Ghrelin drives the munchies. GLP-1 puts a lid on the munchies.
The trouble with dieting….
When you GO ON DIET – your hormones notice.
Ghrelin levels rise. GLP-1 levels drop.
And……………..
You find yourself obsessing about hot chocolate fudge sundaes, which of course are now forbidden.
So, are their ways to bump up GLP-1 levels ?
Giving GLP-1 a leg up
Big pharma can provide options. Re-arranging the gut, through bariatric surgery, is also an option.
But can it be done naturally ?
Yes.
Chew your food, really chew it and eat those greens.
One of the reasons, they’re good for you (it is wise not to mention this, too often if you have small kids) – is they give GLP-1 a lift. This is what a group of researchers from Lund University have just discovered.
A shot of green juice
The researchers “greened” a bunch of healthy overweight women. The ladies were encouraged to follow a balanced diet and do a little exercise………………….
Half the ladies were then GREENED.
The greening happened, every morning for 90 days. It involved consuming a smoothie, laced with a spinach extract. The remaining ladies, also consumed smoothies for breakfast, but their smoothie, did not include the additional plant material.
Smoothies can smooth out your curves
All the ladies in the study lost weight, slurping blueberry smoothies for breakfast.
- The smoothie only ladies, on average, lost 3,5 kg.
- The spinach laced smoothie ladies, on average, lost 5 kg.
That is an extra 1.5 kg – not too shabby. And along with the extra weight loss, their cholesterol numbers, improved significantly too.
So why did it work ?
It seems the spinach, turned their sugar gremlin GREEN.
A green sugar gremlin….
Is not in the mood for MORE SUGAR.
The team verified this, by inviting the ladies to “Dine at the lab day”, at the end of the study. All the dining experiences on the day, were carefully controlled.
Cravings and hormones were measured.
The greened ladies, were not AS turned on by cookies, or potato chips ……………….or chocolate.
You read correctly, a couple of green membranes at breakfast time, diminished chocolate cravings.
Unbelievable………………
It’s a GLP-1 effect
The team showed that this unbelievable effect, was driven by changes in GLP-1 levels.
In a word………..
GLP-1 levels were HIGHER.
This makes the whole digestive process – SLOWER. And, as digestion slows, there is more time for the brain to get the “I AM FULL MESSAGE”.
And…. a satisfied brain, is less likely to send you on a sugar binge.
Willpower melt downs
So if you want to avoid over indulging at the dessert table.…..
Add a little greenery to your plate, early in the day.
I know, I know – broccoli or brussel sprouts for breakfast is not terribly appealing – but a blueberry protein-rich smoothie, use whey protein, with a little kale/spinach is do-able. And the appetite suppressing effects lasts for hours.
Further reading
Broccoli is a sweet treat – seriously
Consuming broccoli, provides your intestinal cells with sweet treats, this makes the cells happy and stops sugar cravings.
A short walk flattens that irresistible NEED for chocolate
If you’re in the habit of reaching for a chocolate fix, more often than you would like – RUN an errand and flatten the chocolate NEED.
Maybe it’s time to invest in appetite suppressing glasses
Avoiding eye contact with chocolate fudge sundae, is helpful, but there is more to “watching” than meets the eye. Appetite control begins with the eyes.
Interested in learning more about the chemistry behind those extra fat layers ?
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