The Appetite Spoiler
By Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD
Authors of The Serotonin Power Diet

A few days ago I was shopping in an organic market that gives out food samples. Contrary to my own advice, I had gone food shopping while hungry and I walked around trying to see what I could buy and eat immediately. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a table topped with small cups of something that smelled wonderful. I strolled, or more accurately, jogged over and saw that the cups were filled with a mixture of couscous, roasted corn and string beans. I took a cup; the salad was warm and delicious. It tasted so good I could have (and would have) made lunch out of it except that it would have been rather rude to eat all the samples myself.

As I moved on, I noticed almost right away that I no longer was prowling for foods to satisfy my hunger. Instead, the only items I put in the cart were those on my shopping list. By the time I reached the checkout counter, it occurred to me that I was not longer particularly hungry.

As I thought about it, I realized that the reason the tiny cup of couscous salad took away some of my hunger was because it stimulated my brain into making serotonin, which is made after sugary or starchy carbohydrates are eaten. The couscous and corn were perfect partners to bring about this event. Since serotonin has the useful function of turning off hunger, that tiny serving was able to take the edge off of my appetite. And the effect persisted. When I arrived home, rather than grabbing something to eat right away, I was able to assemble a balanced meal.

Spoiling the appetite with the power of serotonin is a useful technique for weight loss and weight stability. One problem dieters, and those trying not to gain weight, experience is preventing oneself from eating larger portions than you should. This is, of course, made more difficult by the oversized portions served in restaurants and your own generous hand when dishing out home-cooked foods.
It is much easier to be satisfied with a small meal if you don’t feel very hungry when you start to eat. The feeling is similar to being not very thirsty when you drink a beverage. In that case, you are willing to sip rather than gulp. Taking away hunger before eating allows you to eat slowly and consume less rather than inhaling your food and cleaning the plate.

A small carbohydrate snack will do this if eaten about 30-45 minutes before a meal. Eating about 2 ounces of pretzels, for example, is sufficient to get your brain to produce serotonin. Other easily available low-or no-fat carbohydrate snacks include graham crackers, rice cakes, rice crackers, Cracker Jacks, popcorn, dry breakfast cereal or even a piece of bread with jam. The snack, kept to 130 calories, will save you many extra calories in uneaten food at the meal.

Most of you know the effect on your appetite when you eat a roll in a restaurant. If you nibble on one while waiting for your meal, you will find yourself able to resist eating all of what may be a too large serving of food. You probably have said to yourself, "I am not even that hungry anymore," when the food arrived.

There is one situation in which this may not work. That is when a relative, who insists that you must be starving, dishes out enough food to feed a small village. The only way to deal with this is to eat very slowly so your plate looks full—and hope that there is a dog under the table waiting to be fed.


Copyright © 2007 Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, and Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD

Authors
Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, has been recognized worldwide for decades of pioneering research into the relationship of food, mood, brain, and appetite. Dr. Wurtman received her PhD in cell biology from MIT and took additional training as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in nutrition/obesity. The author of five books for the general public, she has written more than 40 peer-reviewed articles for professional publications. She splits her time between Boston and Miami.

Nina Frusztajer Marquis, MD, received her master's degree in nutrition from Columbia University and her medical degree from George Washington University. Her articles on weight, stress, and lifestyle have appeared in numerous publications. With Judith Wurtman, she founded the Adara Weight Loss Centers in the Boston, Miami and San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives.

They are the authors of The Serotonin Power Diet: Use Your Brain’s Natural Chemistry to Cut Cravings, Curb Emotional Overeating, and Lose Weight. Published by Rodale. January 2007; $24.95US/$31.00CAN; 1-59486-346-6.

For more information, please visit www.serotoninpowerdiet.com