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.

5DPT: Carbohydrate Withdrawal and Nausea

It is not that uncommon, when making any kind of dietary change, that our bodies go through a rebellious phase. In the case of withdrawing simple carbs from the diet, when using the 5 Day Pouch Test or quitting cold turkey, many people experience nausea, sweating, or disorientation. A reasonable remedy is eating a piece of low glycemic fruit which will relieve the symptoms and provide beneficial vitamins and  nutrients.

From the 5 Day Pouch Test Owner's Manual:

If you notice symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal you can eat a small piece of melon, some berries, an apple or orange. Any low-glycemic fruit or vegetable will reduce the symptoms of carbohydrate withdrawal.


You may also try a dose of Emergen-C, which should reduce headache, dizziness or cramping from carbohydrate withdrawal.


Feeling nauseated? Try sipping some freshly brewed warm green tea. You can add fresh ginger juice to further ease the symptoms of stomach distress and nausea. The nausea may be the result of a switch from carbohydrate slider foods to richer proteins and the ingredients in the protein shakes.


Include: Low-Glycemic Fresh Fruit: apple, avocado, banana, blueberries cantaloupe, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, lemon, lime, mango, orange, peach, pear, plum, raspberries, and strawberries.


Avoid these fruits: fresh apricots, cherries, papaya, pineapple, rhubarb, and watermelon.


Include Low-Glycemic Dried Fruit: apple, apricots, dates, and prunes.


Include: Low-Glycemic Fresh Vegetables: alfalfa sprouts, artichokes, arugula, asparagus, bean sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, chives, corn, cucumber, eggplant, endive, fennel, garlic, ginger, green beans, herbs, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, peppers, radishes, scallions, shallots, snow pea sprouts, spinach, squash, Swiss chard, tomato, turnip, watercress, and zucchini.


Avoid these vegetables: Beets, fava beans, parsnips, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams.

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Find an Apple Orchard Near You

Apples are an excellent selection for weight loss surgery patients because they rank medium on the glycemic index therefore impacting our blood sugar only slightly. In addition apples are fat-free and a good source of dietary fiber, pectin, potassium, and Vitamins A and C. Apples are a healthy choice at any time of year, at any time of day. They are delicious on their own but fare well as supporting cast in many savory protein recipes, as I share with you today in Cooking with Kaye. I usually have an apple a day this time of year, 1-half in the morning for a mid-day snack, and the other half in the afternoon.

"An apple a day" may keep more than the doctor away. In fact, apples may keep a whole host of illnesses away, from heart disease and asthma to cancer. New research has shown a wide range of apple health benefits. Apple pie hasn't been declared a health food just yet, but nutrition researchers around the world are discovering there is more to the apple than meets the eye. Long known to be a great source of fiber, apples are now poised to take their place among such super foods as garlic, broccoli and red wine, thanks to a growing body of research documenting potential health benefits provided by other apple nutrients.

Find and Apple Orchard Near You

To learn more about apples go to All About Apples. There you will find a national orchard listing with many links to orchards in your area that host festivals and pick your own events.

United States Orchards Directory

Seasonal Hint: Apples and Exercise Promote Body Fat Loss

It is apple harvest season across the country so what better time to enjoy the health and weight loss benefits of including apples in our post weight loss surgery diet. Learn more in this article from our archive:

Apples and Exercise Promote Body Fat Loss

 

We have all heard about marathon runners chowing-down on pasta heavy meals the night before a 26-mile race in what is commonly called "carbo-loading". It is an effort to supply the body with energy efficient carbohydrates that will be a ready fuel source come race time the next morning. But for the average person engaging in modest physical activity for weight loss or weight control, such carbo-loading is detrimental to our efforts. In fact, there are very few occasions where one will require the energy to perform physically that warrants a carbo-loading meal.

Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) patients who are following their bariatric guidelines know they must exercise daily in order to lose weight and maintain that weight loss. As they lose weight their endurance and intensity of physical activity will naturally increase. Often traditional physical activity enthusiasts will encourage WLS patients to eat high energy carbohydrate-dense snack bars before exercise. These may negate the caloric benefits of exercise for the patient and lead to discouragement when weight loss stalls or weight gain occurs.

For many WLS patients a better solution is to eat a nutrient dense apple about 30 minutes before exercise. Apples are low-glycemic* which means eating one instead of a high-glycemic energy bar will reduce the amount of insulin needed to digest it. That makes it easier for the body to burn fat and when the low-glycemic snack is followed by exercise the body will continue to burn body fat for the next few hours. Our goal in weight loss is to lose body fat, not muscle, so the combination of a low-glycemic snack with exercise is beneficial in reaching this goal.

Apples are available year round and they are affordable. They are exceptionally high in antioxidants, which can help offset the damage caused by free radicals, an unfortunate by-product of daily exercise. They are also rich in vitamin C as well as potassium. A medium apple provides about 81 calories and nearly 4 grams of fiber. Some of the fiber in apples is pectin, which may help lower blood cholesterol. Before exercise try slicing a tart apple and spreading the slices with peanut or almond butter (2 teaspoons). This will add a perfect balance of protein and fat to your healthy low-glycemic pre-exercise snack.

At the market look for apples that are hard and unbruised. Most of our better supermarkets now offer less-common apples alongside the familiar varieties of Golden Delicious and Red Delicious. Try Empire, Fuji, Jonagold or Crispin apples. But do not forget the old favorites including the tart and juicy Granny Smith.

*Low-Glycemic foods have less effect on your blood glucose than foods with a high glycemic index. High-GI foods tend to cause spikes in your glucose levels, whereas low-GI foods tend to cause gentle increases. Different carbohydrate foods can behave quite differently in the body. Some break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream; others break down gradually and slowly trickle glucose into the blood stream.

Grapes and the Low-Glycemic Index

Neighborhood Question:
Regarding Low Glycemic Index Fruits & Vegetables: What about grapes? They are different on each list I've found. I don't have them as an ingredient in anything, but sometimes when I have to have something, instead of reaching for chips, I go for grapes.

Kaye's Answer:
Grapes - They are a crafty fruit so innocent and delicious yet such a real trouble maker when they mix with the wrong crowd!

Denise - this is a very good question. I did go back to my research file on GI fruits & vegs to make sure I reply correctly based on what my original research uncovered as I did recall some very specific things about grapes. My primary research source is The Glycemic Index and I use their tables because they are world's leading authority on glycemic index and endorsed by the American Diabetic Association. http://www.glycemicindex.com/

On the GI index grapes have a GI value of 53 ranking them a "LOW" GI Value. That means they have low impact on glucose levels. One cup is considered a serving size. At first glance this would make them a suitable fruit for patients of gastric surgery, but front line research tells us a different story -- grapes are beautiful fruit of the Gods just waiting to slip down into our little pouches and morph from healthy fruity snack to spiteful little slider food and dumping disaster. Here's what happens: Grapes are good for us and low calorie, so we don't measure portion size. We enjoy each grape, one by one, which is mostly water and fructose, in unmeasured portion as a snack, so there is no buffer to slow the absorption of fructose through the esophagus or intestinal walls of the pouch. We can eat a copious amount of grapes because as fast as we are enjoying them they are sliding right through the stoma - we never achieve fullness. Unaware of the dramatic glucose load this puts on our body we continue to enjoy our healthy snack when at once the slam hits us and we are in glucose overload distress - dumping. (I believe Kim has a few stories about dumping on silly old grapes!) This can happen with banded patients as well who have followed a lean protein diet and developed a low tolerance for glucose surging.

So the short answer, though low glycemic, grapes are a fruit to enjoy very cautiously. As a snack I suggest measured portions, no more than one cup in a single serving. Make your grape snack a mini-meal and include a one ounce serving of deli meat and one ounce serving of low fat cheese.

Consider grapes as "ingredient" food, not just a snack. Here is a classic Southern Style Chicken Salad that makes wonderful use of grapes in the main dish. The high protein count in the recipe will prevent a glucose overload from the grapes.

You Have Arrived Classic Southern Chicken Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup Miracle Whip Light
1 teaspoon You Have Arrived Signature Blend
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Salad:
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped and chilled
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green seedless grape, sliced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Bibb Lettuce, leaves separated into six cups - one per serving

For Dressing: In a medium bowl using a whisk whip the whipping cream until fluff. Fold in Miracle Whip Light, You Have Arrived Signature Blend and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss together cooked chopped chicken, chopped celery and sliced grapes. Add dressing and fold together gently until combined. Chill until serving, may be prepared to this stage one day ahead. When ready to serve divide chicken mixture evenly among lettuce cups, garnish with toasted sliced almonds and chopped fresh parsley. Serve chilled.

Serves 6. Per serving: 363 Calories; 27g Protein; 24g Fat (5g saturated);11g Carbohydrate; 2g Fiber; Rich in Vitamin B12 & Niacin.

More of this discussion in the Neighborhood