(The final 21 not-so-obvious strategies to help control your appetite).

1. Get your head down: A good night’s sleep is important as lack of sleep disrupts hormones, triggering changes in your metabolism so that you’re not processing food as well as you could. It’s thought that lack of sleep is also linked with higher levels of cortisol which can throw your metabolism out of balance. Other studies have shown it can have a negative effect on carbohydrate metabolism and hormone function causing blood sugar imbalances and making it more difficult to convert carbohydrates into energy. This makes it more likely that fats and sugars are stored as unwanted extra pounds. Additional research has also established a link between lack of sleep and increased appetite, largely because cortisol is important in appetite control. More evidence for the importance of a good night’s sleep has been supplied by researchers at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York. They found that people with low levels of the hormone leptin have trouble maintaining weight loss after dieting. Leptin is produced during sleep, which suggests that people with abnormal sleeping patterns may face a higher risk of obesity. (More information on this interesting subject is in my book ‘Fat around the Middle‘).
2. Don’t eat dinner late: Try to finish dinner no later than 8pm. In the evening your body’s metabolism naturally slows down and dinner time is the time when your body needs the smallest meal. If you get home late, skip dinner. Have a light snack instead, a bowl of soup, hummus and carrot sticks, a bowl of porridge or some plain live organic yogurt and fruit.
3. Get most of your calories before noon: Studies find that the more you eat in the morning, the less you’ll eat in the evening. And you have more opportunities to burn off those early-day calories than you do to burn off dinner calories.
4. Sit in one spot: It is important that you designate one spot at home where you eat, such as at your kitchen or dining table. If you learn to always sit down at the same place, research shows you are less likely to graze on the go. Psychologically, you come to associate eating when at home only with that place.
5. Pick a hot seat: Once you’ve designated the one place you’ll eat in, for example your kitchen or dining room, choose the warmest place in that room to keep your chair and table. Perhaps the sun shines through on a particular spot or during the winter you can sit next to the radiator. Research shows that the hotter we feel, the more our appetite is switched off.
6. Don’t sit comfortably: It’s important to select a dining chair that isn’t too comfortable. That way you’ll spend less time sitting and eating. You’ll be less tempted to serve yourself a second portion because you’re not sitting comfortably. Obviously if you have family members or guests to eat they should have regular dining chairs – but not you.
7. Change your habits: Small changes can have big weight loss results. Focus on a typical week and think of three things you could do differently to help you lose weight. For example swap a cup of regular tea for green tea, eat a handful of nuts instead of crisps, park the car further away from where you want to go or get off the bus a stop earlier.
8. Drink before you eat: Drinking a glass of water before you eat can aid weight loss because you feel fuller. Water helps to flush out toxins and waste but it’s also very important to weight loss. Fat can be broken down only in the presence of water and water can also have a direct impact on energy, we may reach for a sugar fix when what we need to do is rehydrate the body.
9. Order soup: Having a bowl of soup may help you lose weight. US researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore found that people who chose soup as a starter consumed 25 per cent less fat in the following main meal than those who chose a high fat dessert.
10. Order wine by the glass, not the bottle: That way you’ll be more aware of how much alcohol you’re downing. Moderate drinking can be good for your health, but alcohol is high in calories.
11. Order your dressing on the side and then stick a fork in it: Don’t put it on your salad. The small amount of dressing that clings to the tines of the fork is plenty for the forkful of salad you then pick up.
12. Eat grapefruit: because researchers at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Centre at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego, California, found that participants who ate half a grapefruit with each meal in a 12-week period lost an average of 3.6 pounds.
13. Eat broccoli: because numerous studies link calcium with weight loss and broccoli is not only high in calcium but it’s also loaded with vitamin C which boosts calcium absorption. And, at just 20-calories per cup, this weight loss super food is also a good source of fat fighting fibre.
14. Tune in: Before resorting to a comforting snack reach for your CD player or iPod. Have mood boosting music to hand and play your favourite music. Simply listening to a few minutes of upbeat music has been shown to distract people from hunger pangs. Going for a walk can have a similar effect.
15. Become a pin up: Pin up a photograph of you from a time when you were happy and a healthy weight. The fridge door is the best place because each time you open it you’ll think about the size and shape you know you can be. This is a reminder not to raid it. If the biscuit tin is your worst enemy then stick your photo on top of it. With today’s technology you can even have a picture of yourself as you are now, slimmed down so you can focus on how you will look when you are slimmer.
16. Eat most of your meals at home: You’re more likely to eat more – and eat more high-fat, high-calorie foods – when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them!
17. Phone a friend: Sometimes you may need a helping hand to control your appetite. You can enlist the support of a friend or partner as a crisis buddy so it’s pre-arranged that you’ll ring them when you’re about to comfort eat. Or you can simply call when you’re tempted to reach for food you don’t really need. Engaging in pleasant conversation has been shown to soothe frayed nerves that may otherwise lead to overeating.
18. Stimulate your senses not your taste buds: Why not have a go with cocoa butter hand lotion? When you get a craving for chocolate or sweets, sniff your hand cream as you rub it in. It kills two birds with one stone, leading to softer skin and less snacking. Stimulating your senses with a delicious scent, such as vanilla or mint, has been shown to switch off cravings. You don’t need to invest in expensive scent patches.
19. Try some acupuncture: It removes hunger pangs by stimulating the release of the so-called ‘pleasure hormones’, endorphins, which are stimulated by food. Because acupuncture does the work of food in this way, you stomach does not miss it and hunger pangs do not occur. Moreover, acupuncturists claim that the effects last even after the course of the acupuncture is over.
20. Drink green tea because research suggests that green tea extract can boost metabolism and by so doing aid weight loss.
21. And finally, if you can … don’t sweat the small stuff: Do you worry a lot? Chronic stress increases cortisol, which is a stress-response hormone. Elevated cortisol is associated with insulin resistance and increased abdominal fat. A great reason to book that relaxing massage!

“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.”

– Ben Franklin

This month’s case study: ‘Lesley’ – who was fed up with feeling lethargic, bloated and generally not well …

Lesley’s Story:

“My gynaecologist suggested that I went to one of the Dr Marilyn Glenville Clinics as I was getting irregular periods, with blood pouring out in clots but I did not want to go on the Pill. I was also generally not feeling well and thoroughly fed up with all the different symptoms I was getting.

“All of my symptoms seemed to be unconnected and it was such a long list that I just did not know what to do. I was 42 and having irregular cycles, offensive smelling urine, dry skin and hair loss, low self esteem and confidence, anxiety, massive bloating, flatulence, water retention, no energy and a slow metabolism. Not only was I struggling to lose any weight but was sweating two to three nights before my period started and waking up at night because of it which then affected my energy the next day and round and round I went in a circle.

“My doctor had previously run blood tests and they were all fine, which normally one would think is re-assuring. But to be told that nothing was wrong and still feeling awful is not very helpful. The blood tests showed that my thyroid function was absolutely fine, so I could not blame my slow metabolism on that. My iron levels which could have affected my energy and hair loss were also tested and these were normal. My doctor also re-assured me that I was not menopausal which I thought might be the case as I was getting night sweats and my glucose level was checked to rule out diabetes.

“I was asked to complete a questionnaire before coming to the consultation and this was very enlightening as it made me aware of how much I was eating and drinking of certain things. When you have a little bit of something but you have it everyday it really adds up by the end of the week.

“I also mentioned at the consultation which I had not put on the questionnaire that I get fungal infections on my toes, an irritable scalp with lumps of skin and also that I was finding it increasingly difficult to tolerate alcohol.

“Dr Glenville’s practitioner at the clinic suggested I did a stool test to check digestion, absorption, levels of good bacteria, the presence of yeasts and bacterial infections and to rule out any parasites.

“When the test results came back they showed that although my digestion and absorption were fine and I had no parasites, I had low levels of beneficial bacteria like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and high levels of a yeast (candida) in the gut.

“I was actually relieved to find out that something was wrong as it now meant that I could make some changes.

“I was asked to follow an anti-candida diet, which involved eliminating foods containing yeast, sugar, fermented foods, etc. and to take a course of supplements to re-colonise the gut with good bacteria and to eliminate the yeast.

“The results were amazing, within three months I had more energy and was awake quickly in the morning. A symptom I had not mentioned at the consultation was a terrible tiredness in my eyes which had miraculously gone. I had less water retention, my breasts weren’t sore leading up to my period, the night sweats had gone and the muzziness in my head (like brain fog) had lifted completely, I could actually think and concentrate. I had a lost a stone and my periods since the first consultation were regular with normal blood flow, not heavy and no clots. The fungal infection on my toes had gone and my scalp was fine.

“The most amazing thing for me was to think that one problem in the body can cause such unconnected symptoms and that by treating that problem I feel like a new woman.”

My comments:

This is a very clear example of the importance of tracking down the cause of the problem by using a simple test, rather than just treating the symptoms.

In the gut, there are some five hundred different species of microflora and as many as nine times more bacteria than there are cells in your body and there is a delicate balance of bacteria and yeasts. The yeast candida is present in the intestinal tract and in normal healthy circumstances does not cause any problems. But if it grows out of control then it can give symptoms such as food cravings (especially for sugar and bread), fatigue, a bloated stomach with excess flatulence, hormonal problems, depression and anxiety, skin problems, a ‘spaced out’ feeling or ‘brain fog’ and becoming tipsy on a very small amount of alcohol. Factors which can cause a yeast overgrowth are antibiotics, HRT, the Pill, stress, high sugar and a refined carbohydrate diet.

In the intestines, candida can become ‘mycelial’, in that it forms root-like growths that can penetrate the intestine walls, and cause the gut to ‘leak’. Small pieces of undigested food then escape into the bloodstream. This condition is known as ‘leaky gut syndrome’ and results in food allergies.

The gut is very important and we tend to only think of it in terms of digestion but it does a lot more than that. It acts as an efficient barrier to invading organisms – up to 70% of your immune system is in your gut. So it is really important to have good levels of beneficial bacteria.

The test that was suggested for Lesley is called a Digestive Stool Analysis and Parasite test.