Test Your Hunger with a Carrot!

The 5 Day Pouch Test: Express Study Guide

I came across this terrific hunger test on the well respected website: Lap Band Doctors. The concept is a simple self-question to determine the true nature of feelings of hunger in the moment we are feeling "hunger." We all feel hungry at times, sometimes physical, sometimes emotional. In an effort to remove the confusion between emotional hunger and physical hunger try this simple question and answer test as presented here by Dr. Ron Hekier:

How to use the carrot test to stop snacking.

By Dr. Ron Hekier October 11, 2014

"We’re all victims to emotional eating.  No one is immune to emotional desires that encourage eating.

Myself, I find that I’m most likely to make a poor food choice and eat snacks and junk food that I normally don’t when I’m under stress or feeling negative emotions.

In my experience, a significant amount of people have weight issues because of an emotional connection to food together with a rational detachment from food.

I want to share with you a great tip I just learned of while listening to a podcast about changing one’s state of mind. It can help you avoid snacking and reduce eating by incorporating a habit to change your frame of mind.

I’ll call it the carrot test.

Next time you are hungry and about to eat something outside ask yourself the following question: “Would I eat a carrot right now?”

That simple question “Am I hungry enough that I would eat a carrot now?” makes us mindful eaters.

I just learned this technique but I think it has the potential to work very well. If every time we’re about to eat a snack we ask ourselves if a carrot stick will satisfy us it makes us mindful eaters.

Before you grab any junk food or snack if you take a moment to ask yourself  “I’m hungry.  Would I eat carrot sticks now to satisfy my hunger?”

If the answer is no, then you aren’t hungry, but instead there is some emotional trigger driving you eat."

More Tips and Advice from Lap Band Doctors

 

Carrots Are Good!

If you are truly hungry have a carrot stick or two! Carrots are the leading source of beta carotene in the American diet. They also contain flavonoids, phytochemicals that function as antioxidants. A 1-cup serving of raw carrots provides 52 calories, 4 grams fiber, 1 gram protein, 686% of your Vitamin A Daily Value, 18% Vitamin C Daily Value and 13% potassium Daily Value. Carrots are an economic treasure at just .80 cents/pound. They keep well in the refrigerator and are easy to take on the run. On the Glycemic Index carrots score a 41 which is low-glycemic, making them a good addition to low-glucose-impact diet.