Yahoo Lifestyle Feeling fat, literally
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Your poor sweet tooth – it’s always the scapegoat for why you can’t pass up those Lindt chocolate balls.
While it’s not off the hook, taste (sweet versus sour, bitter versus savoury) does draw us to certain not-so-saintly foods – but another factor can mess with your weight: texture, or the way a food feels as you sip, chew and swallow.
Think of the sensation when your fingertips touch cashmere, sandpaper or a baby’s skin. The tongue can compare – it’s among the most finely tuned sensory organs in the body and can detect tiny differences in texture, says Professor Paul Breslin from the department of nutritional sciences at Rutgers University, US, and a member of Monell Chemical Senses Center.
Slippery slope
The problem is, we don’t just notice texture – we may crave it. Texture can spur us to shovel down snacks when we’re not hungry or to zero in on the greasiest menu option without realising. How to win? Learn how to get in touch with your food. You might love being slim, but your brain adores the feel of fat.
MRI research conducted at the University of Oxford, UK, shows that fat’s oily sensation in the mouth lights up the orbitofrontal cortex, a part of the brain that registers pleasantness and, in turn, may drive the urge to eat more.
Compare fat’s 37kJ per gram with 16 for both proteins and carbohydrates, and you’ll realise why this is dangerous if you’re trying to shed kilos.
There is a solution – and, luckily, it’s not to ban fat from your plate entirely. To your tongue, a little goes a long way. “If you have a zero-fat food, it’s not going to taste good at all,” says Breslin. But increasing the fat content in low-fat foods very slightly (three per cent for foods and one per cent for milk) feels much better and still has far less kilojoules than a full-fat product.
In the thick of it
If you’ve been through thick and thin physically, it might have something to do with thick and thin food textures. Research shows that viscosity – how easily a food flows – is a factor in the texture wars. “The more runny or soft a product is, the less contact it has with the taste system,” says Kees de Graaf, professor of sensory science and eating behaviour at Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
Call it a speed trap – the faster you can suck something down, the less signalling to the gut and brain and the more you’re likely to gulp it in one go. In one study, people given a yoghurt drink to sip through a straw consumed, on average, 22 per cent more than those who ate the yoghurt in its usual form. The lesson? Choose thicker foods.
According to de Graaf, many modern food products are engineered to be eaten quickly (that’s “convenience”, right?) – another reason to limit factory-made foods and head to the fresh food aisle. Texture can also bring on a binge for “emotional eaters” – those who overindulge out of boredom, sadness or anxiety – since certain feelings directly relate to the particular foods they ache for.
“When people are angry, they tend to go for something crunchy, like chips,” says disordered-eating expert, psychologist Denise Lamothe, author of The Taming of the Chew. (It’s the eating equivalent of tensing up or grinding your teeth.) “And when they need consolation or are bored, they’ll want something creamy and smooth, like ice-cream.” It’s a psychological, rather than strictly biological, link, like slamming a door out of rage or wrapping yourself in a fluffy blanket for comfort.
Emotional fix
Don’t consider yourself an emotional eater but crave certain foods? Look at your nibbling patterns. You may be shocked to see how texture compels your choices and points to buried feelings, says wellness coach and nutritionist, Linda Spangle, author of 100 Days of Weight Loss.
Spangle sees this happen all the time. “After an argument, do you always head straight for the can of nuts and chomp away till it’s empty?” she asks. If you seek out soothing foods, ask yourself if you’re missing affection or appreciation.
When you pinpoint an emotion, the key is to handle it with something other than a crackle or a slurp. Divert the habit with a list of non-food-related things.
“Exercise, get crafty or call someone,” suggests Lamothe. “Over time, you’ll be less likely to deal with your feelings through food.”
And when you do eat the textures you love, slow down. “Eating with attention to the pleasure a food brings can help you eat less,” says de Graaf. “Enjoy more, eat less.”
Chew this, not that
When a certain texture calls your name more than your waistband would like, use these swaps to help satisfy the craving without adding centimetres.
When you crave crunchy (chips, popcorn, biscotti) Chew baby carrots, fruit slices or rice cakes. Almonds can also work, but go easy and stick to 30g (about a handful) as half a cup can clock up to 1680kJ.
When you crave creamy (peanut butter, risotto, mac’n’cheese) Chew sugar-free jelly, hummus or, for dinner, a bowl of velvety soup.
When you crave greasy (hot chips, pizza, burgers) Chew sweet-potato chips (baked) or thin-crust pizza with vegies and lean beef.
When you crave fluid (juice, soft drink, slushies) Sip sparkling water with freshly squeezed lime or homemade iced tea. You could also try a smoothie. Research published in Flavour found that the thicker and more whipped the drink, the more satisfying it will be. To achieve maximum thickness, blend in a banana.
