A scientist who studies ultra -processed foods follows 3 simple rules to help him stop overeating

• Ultra -processed foods tend to be energy dense and soft, making them easy to overeat.

• Sam Dicker, a nutrition researcher, tries to avoid Upf because of course there is a great appetite.

• He shared how he avoids overeating without checking the labels, such as looking at the texture of the food.

Sam Dicker is a scientist who examines potential harm ultra -processed foodslike bought from cookies and pizza stores. However, what he knows, these types of food are often produced to make them so easy to overeat that even it is struggling to control around them.

“My appetite is huge,” the UCL obesity researcher in London told Business Insider. “I find it really easy to keep eating.”

But Dicker has a few smart tricks to practice moderation when he eats fewer foods that go beyond just trying to decipher from the label, whether ultra-processed.

UPF are made with ingredients that you would not find in a simple kitchen, such as stabilizers and gums, and are heavily placed on the market and stable on the shelf.

Part of what makes them so easy to overeat is that this combination can make UpFS hyperpalative – which means they contain a mouth -watering combination of fat, salt or sugar and are soft in texture, Dicker said. All this can mean that they are also energy thick, containing a large number of calories per gram food.

Scientists are working to reveal whether it is the effects of supplements, processing or nutritional content of UPF, which means that the diet with a high content is associated with many health problems. These include obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

UPF is a vague category so that it maintains its appetite under control, Dicker thinks about the following three things when he decides what to eat.

Energy density

Dicker has to eat a large volume of food in order to feel pleased, he said, so one thing that really looks is how much energy thick is food.

Fruits and vegetables are not energy dense because they contain very few calories per gram, which means that he is happy to eat them as the desire of his heart while feeding like chocolate and sugar -sweetened drinks are very energy dense.

“You can have 1000 calories of strawberries and this is a massive pile,” he said. “And 1000 calories of chocolate in front of me, it’s a tiny plate.”

“This is what I do if I go to a supermarket, I always have a look at the energy density. I know it’s a big factor for me,” he said.

Texture

UPFS tend to be low in fiber and therefore have a soft, easy -to -eat texture, Dicker said. Take cheese cheese, for example: you can eat a handful in seconds barely even chew. For this reason, he takes into account how soft the food is when he decides what to eat. If he is hungry, he will choose something crispy as carrots or nuts.

When you have a breakfast that is really energy thick with a soft texture, “it’s very easy to excessive,” he said.

It takes about 20 minutes to allow the stomach to send a signal to the brain, informing it that you are full. Dressing slowly and withdrawing more time with each bite means that the body has enough time to process, that it is complete before you overeat, Dicker said.

Recommended dietary guidelines

First of all, Dicker tries to make sure that the UK’s national dietary instructions are followed, such as eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, limiting salt, sugar, saturated fat and red meat and eating many fresh products.

Attempting to consume less UPF can improve your diet, he said, as this usually involves eating and making more fresh, whole foods.

But if the UPFS focus is not approaching the national dietary guidance, Dicker said he “won’t do it.”

UPFS are also convenient and if an busy parent relies on supplementing their diet with pre -cooked meats or protein powder, for example, which can be considered ultra -processed, refusing to simply lead to nutritional gaps in their diet, said Dicker.

Read the original Business Insider article