When the Munchies Attack Fight Back

 Adapted from a Blog Posted By Isagenix Nutritional Sciences, October 30, 2009

It’s a frightening time of year for your waistline. Junk food seems to lurk behind every door and at every party.  Here are a few holiday tricks to stop cravings from creeping up on you.

Tip 1: Eat high protein and keep away haunting hunger.

The reason: satiety. You know that full feeling you get when you’ve just had a bit too much pumpkin pie? That’s satiety. And if you have protein earlier in a meal, satiety comes sooner. In fact, nutrition research over the last decade has found that eating meals higher in protein can keep you from overeating. The overall decrease in calories over time leads to weight loss, so be sure to get 20-30g of protein early in each meal: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Dietary protein can help keep you satisfied for hours, especially if from a high-protein shake that includes milk casein. Milk casein digests slower than other types of protein, which is why bodybuilders use it for help maintaining muscle. But not only does it provide a sustained release of amino acids, it also helps keep you satisfied longer.

Tip 2: Scare away the sweet tooth by controlling blood sugar.

If you want to exorcise sugar woes, try exercise. Also, eat high-fiber, low-glycemic meals, make sure to get bioactives such as chromium and cinnamon, and replace sugary drinks with green tea. These suggestions all can help you control blood sugar, which ultimately helps you avoid binging on those tootsie rolls.

Tip 3: If you must have chocolate, come over to the dark side.

According to a survey from the University of Pennsylvania, chocolate is the sweetest temptation on Earth. Its draw is most apparent in women (just ask any woman). The enjoyment of chocolate is often associated with high fat and sugar, but new research is showing that dark chocolate is far from being a hindrance to weight loss.

Dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate and other candies and is rich in antioxidants that support healthy circulation and blood sugar. More importantly for weight loss, some research suggests dark chocolate, unlike milk chocolate, may even reduce cravings for fatty and sugary foods. To get the most benefit, choose quality dark chocolate tested for its antioxidant strength.

Tip 4: Freak out kids with healthy snacks.

Okay, so the kids might not be happy about this tip, but they’d be healthier for it. And you would have avoided a lot of temptation by keeping the lollipops from entering your house. Some healthy goodies you could offer might be yogurt, nutrition bars, or high fiber cookies.