Make it a Decaf and Feel Less Hungry

Weight loss and the nation's obesity rate has been on the center stage of health care for a long time and its threat to our nation's health continues to rise.  It is a complicated issue because so many factors affect one's ability to lose weight.

One of the difficulties someone who is trying to lose weight faces is the hunger issue.  People do not like to starve themselves and they like to feel satisfied after a meal.  Optimally, the satisfaction after a meal should last at least 3 to 4 hours.  From a weight loss standpoint, eating less often means less calories consumed which translates to weight loss.  In Ayurveda, allowing 3 to 4 hours to elapse after a meal, gives the body a chance to digest the food eaten.  Digestion is a process that begins in the mouth and travels through the body all the way down to the intestines.  If the process is interrupted or strained before it has a chance to complete, food can remain undigested and become a toxin to the body.  Undigested food also does not nourish the body, so the body loses the opportunity for its healthy fuel source.  When one eats before the process finishes, the digestion is incomplete.

A recent study found that drinking decaffeinated coffee with glucose increased the satiety time in the body after the meal.  Specifically, Peptide YY remained at higher levels in the bloodstream for a longer period of time after consuming decaffeinated coffee.  The Peptide YY is created in the body after a meal.  Its levels decrease with fasting, and obese people tend to have lower levels in their body.

In Ayurveda, a meal should incorporate all 6 tastes (salty, sour, sweet, bitter, astringent and pungent), so the meal will be more satisfying and digest well.  Spices are used to create all of the tastes.  Bitter is not a common taste consumed by the average American.  Perhaps the bitter taste from the coffee is offering satiety and digestion in the natural way espoused by Ayurveda. 

Coffee has been shown to provide many health benefits, but its caffeine content can be a detriment.  People who consume too much caffeine can develop anxiety, insomnia and heart palpitations.  The decaffeinated coffee gives the benefits without the risk of consuming too much caffeine.

Drinking decaffeinated coffee with your meal is an easy way to help you lose weight by keeping you feeling satisfied longer.  Easy, healthy weight loss tricks are always welcome.

Stay healthy & well,
Lisa