you might believe you're eating exactly what you love, and it's satiating both your hunger and your taste buds, but you're wrong. There are a number of food items all around that trick you into believing that eating them will kill your hunger, especially if you're following a diet to the T.
But actually, these food items end up making you feel hungrier after you're done eating them. Haven't you ever felt hungry within half an hour or so of eating a lot? If you have, you should know that you have been tricked. You've eaten a lot, but you haven't satiated your hunger, and so, you'll actually end up overeating--there goes your diet!
Is there a way out of this trap? Of course, there is! Here's a list of foods that you should avoid, because they icrease your hunger after you eat them.
1. Cheese
You might think a cube of cheese is a good, healthy snack, especially if you're vegetarian and are depending on it to provide you with protein. But actually, a bit of cheese can increase your cravings. How, you ask? According to Julieanna Hever, the author of The Vegiterranean Diet and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition, cheese--as a concentrated form of milk--has an opiate-like effect on us. It leaves us desiring for more than just a cube of cheese.
2. Juice
From cleanses to vitamin supplements, we have juices for a number of reasons. You might assume that your weight loss regime depends on fruit juices, but actually, they harm your diet in the long run. Most juices have a high sugar content. If you consume too much fruit juice, your blood sugar levels will rise temporarily. But once the juice is digested--which happens quite quickly--you'll face a sudden crash in energy levels, and feel hungrier than ever!
3. Salty Snacks
You might already be aware of why it's best to avoid that packet of chips (even if the packet says "diet" or "unsalted"), but allow us to break it down for you. Most salty snacks have an excess of sodium, which draws away the moisture from the food you eat. Have too many of these snacks, and you'll face an increase in both hunger and thirst. You're bound to end up eating more than you originally intended.
4. Egg Whites
Surprised? Haven't you always been told that egg whites are a good source of protein, while the yolks can add to your cholesterol levels? Yes, but there is always a balance in nature and its products. The whites and yolks together provide a balanced supply of protein and fats. Miss out on either, and you'll feel hungrier later. In fact, an analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2010 explains that the yolks play a key role in satiating hunger. So, don't miss out on the yolks.
5. Low-fat Yogurt
Chock full of protein, calcium and minerals, yogurt is considered to be a good choice for both breakfast and snack. But when you go for a packaged, low-fat or fat-free yogurt from the supermarket for the sake of your diet, what you end up with is extra sugar. What's more, the lack of any fat at all in these yogurts will actually leave your body craving it elsewhere. You'll feel hungrier, and might end up bingeing on unhealthy snacks to fill up the nutritional gap in your body.
6. Granola Bars
Most granola bars available in the market are made of sugar and hydrogenated oils. The packages usually say they have less calories, and they do, because they lack most essential nutrients. Your body can be tricked for a while to believe that it has consumed something filling, but that's not the case. Once the sugar, even if it is artificial, is digested, you'll go back to feeling hungry. So, it's best not to replace a full meal with just a granola bar.
Keep this list in mind, and observe what you're eating. Our bodies usually try to tell us just what nutrients we are lacking through our cravings. If you're feeling hungrier and unsatiated after a snack or meal, go back and take a look at what you just ate.