Discover Functional Nutrition

How to Stay Full While Losing Weight

Jeremy Thararoop — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 17:39:39 +0000

A common question with those who are struggling to lose weight is…

How can I stay full when I'm trying to lose weight?

Keep yourself adequately hydrated.

Some people love the drink throughout the day. They never forget. They always have something in their hand to drink. That's great if you are that type of person. However, suppose you are like me, who needs a reminder to drink. In that case, whether it's a visual reminder of a water bottle on your desk, an app that waters a plant and you're reminded to hydrate yourself, a phone timer, a sticky note, or some other way to remind yourself to drink enough water, you might go all day long without drinking anything and may feel tired, irritable, and sluggish, and might confuse hunger with thirst. You may be eating when your body needs water, meaning you might feel hungry when you're thirsty. I recommend drinking ½ of your body weight in ounces. So that means that if you weigh 200 pounds, you will consume about 100 ounces of water daily. If you have a heart or kidney condition, please consult with your doctor as your water requirements may differ for you.
Eat enough protein.

Protein helps keep you full, but also it helps build and maintain muscle. Generally, I would say about one palm-size (3 ounces) of protein for women per meal and 1-2 palm-size (3-6 ounces) of protein for men per meal. Adequate protein may help keep you full and maintain lean muscle tissue as you lose weight.
Eat at least 5-7 servings of non-starchy vegetables daily.

Each serving is 1 cup raw or ½ cooked non-starchy vegetables. If you love starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn, and beans, you can have them but limit the number of servings and portion sizes due to their high carbohydrate content. Add more non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc., to your meals. They are very low in calories and very high in fiber and volume, which will support satiety and keep you full throughout the day. Those were my three tips to help you stay full while losing weight.

So if you have any questions or comments, please comment below.

Why B12 is Important and Where to Find it in Foods

Jeremy Thararoop — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:40:54 +0000

Vitamin B₁₂ is needed to make neurotransmitters, red blood cells, and DNA. A deficiency in vitamin B₁₂ can be caused by alcohol abuse, vegetarian diet, bacterial dysbiosis of the gut microbiome, reduced intrinsic factor needed for absorption due to aging and acid-blocking medications.

Symptoms of Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency are:

Depression
Peripheral neuropathy
Fatigue
Anemia
Gastrointestinal disorders
Ischemic heart disease
Stroke

Here are some common foods that are good sources of vitamin B₁₂.

Chicken
Turkey
Beef
Lamb
Salmon
Sardines
Cod
Scallops
Shrimp
Milk
Cheese
Yogurt
Fortified cereals

The recommended daily allowance is 2.4 mcg of vitamin B₁₂for an adult. If you are deficient, you may need a higher dose to replete your vitamin B₁₂ levels. It is essential to determine the reason for low vitamin B12 if it’s from alcohol use, low dietary intake, bacterial dysbiosis or other factors for maintaining adequate vitamin levels. Check with your primary physician or another healthcare practitioner to test your vitamin and mineral levels before you start taking a high dose of vitamin B₁₂.

Vitamin D may Improve Mood

Jeremy Thararoop, DCN, RD, CDCES — Sat, 17 Jun 2023 10:35:00 +0000

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps with blood sugar regulation, the building, and maintenance of bone, immune system function insulin secretion and metabolism. There is an inverse relationship between vitamin D and depression [1]. When vitamin D levels are low, there is a higher risk of depression. When vitamin D levels are high, there is a lower risk of depression.

Natural sunlight is the best source to make vitamin D. Daily sunlight exposure can help regulate your sleep cycle. Adequate sleep has been shown to help with mood. Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, low-fat diets, inadequate vitamin D in the meals you eat and limited exposure to sunlight can create a vitamin D deficiency.

Here are some common foods that are good sources of vitamin D.

Salmon
Sardines
Mackerel
Tuna
Egg yolks

Other are fortified with vitamin D such as:

Milk
Orange juice
Soy milk
Almond milk

The recommended daily allowance is 400 IU of vitamin D₃. Vitamin D₃ is the active form. Vitamin D₂ is most common in multivitamin and is cheaper, but may not be absorbed as well. If you are vitamin D deficient, you may need a higher dose than the recommended daily allowance to bring your vitamin D level within the normal range.

Check with your primary physician or another healthcare practitioner to test your vitamin D₃ before you start taking a high dose of vitamin D₃.

Since vitamin D is fat-soluble, it can be stored in the body, unlike water-soluble vitamins. If you are taking a higher dose of vitamin D, it is recommended to check your vitamin D levels every 3-6 months to adjust your dosage to find your daily maintenance dosage to remain in a healthy range.

Kaviani, M., et al., Effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression and some involved neurotransmitters. J Affect Disord, 2020. 269: p. 28-35.

Improving Mood with Good Sources of Folate

Jeremy Thararoop — Mon, 08 May 2023 11:40:22 +0000

Folate is also known as vitamin B9. You may have heard of folic acid which is a different form of folate and is the form commonly found in supplements. Folate is needed to make red blood cells, DNA and neurotransmitters. Over 1/3 of depressed people have borderline low or low blood folate levels. Depression is a common symptom of folate deficiency which may be related to low serotonin levels.

Here are some common foods that are good sources of folate.

Dark green leafy vegetables (spinach, turnips, romaine lettuce)
Asparagus
Broccoli
Avocado
Dried beans (black, kidney, lentils, garbanzo, navy pinto)
Peanuts

Other foods, mainly grains, are enriched with folic acid such as:

Cereals
Flours
Pasta
Rice
Corn meals

The recommended daily allowance is 400 mcg of folate. If you are deficient, you may need a higher dose to replete your folate levels. Check with your primary physician or another healthcare practitioner to test your vitamin and mineral levels before you start taking a high dose of folate.