Intermittent fasting is a new fad around these days. Kelly LeVeque, a nutritionist and celebrity health coach, has created a system known as Fab Four to help alleviate anxiety about healthy diet. In LeVeque’s system, food is used to balance hormones; so, you don’t crave for carbs constantly and reach out for snacks.
The crux of wellness and weight loss is based on balance. She has developed a system of fat, protein, fiber and greens, which renders sticking to diets or counting calories a thing of the past. So, here you will know about why eating fewer meals is better and whenever you do, what you should eat. This diet plan is inspired by intermittent fasting.
Eating to get by fails to work as in this case, you are not satisfying your hunger, but only delaying it. It is compounded during calorie counting as you give priority to low calorie per gram options like carbs and eliminate fat.
When you go for green juices, it is essential to understand what these snacks are made of – all carbs digesting into blood sugar. When the sugar reaches the blood, pancreas secretes the insulin hormone to bring down the levels of blood sugar. This is known as blood sugar crash and about 2 hours later, you start craving for carbohydrates due to this crash.
LeVeque says she’d rather have the clients fast intermittently instead of starting their day on something that leaves them snacking the whole day. A recent research says that binging on food every 2 to 3 hours lead to premature aging and exhaustion. Not only this, it also leads to less fat burning.
Why does this happen? After eating, the 6-hour digestion process starts, which results in the body spending too much time and energy to break the food into smaller molecules that can be absorbed. This involves the storage hormone, insulin that remains in the blood for 6 to 8 hours after release, inhibiting breakdown of fat.
LeVeque encourages her clients to go for Fab Four Diet, which includes protein, greens, fiber and fat. Fab Four meals deal with hunger hormones and turns them off, squelch inflammation and give the body a complete meal, containing all the essential nutrients.
All you need is to look at your plate and see if you have all the four components. Protein boosts collagen, metabolism and muscle tone; fat is good for skin, health of the cells and hormones. Likewise, fibers promote detoxification and gut microbiome proliferation, and greens give you cancer- and inflammation-fighting plant nutrients.
This can easily make you go 4-6 hours without thinking of food or loading up on processed foods. It is mainly about learning tricks and tips to eat up to satiety and balance the hunger hormones naturally. So, this way you save yourself from those aggressive cleansing, the irritating do-not-eat list and fad diets. It’s about having your cake and eating it too.
Difference Between Hunger and Appetite? Balancing Hunger Hormones with Food
When we feel hungry, we are driven to eat. It is an impulse and a reflex action. Hypothalamus regulates hunger in the brain, which gives a signal that the body is satiated or it requires more food to achieve that state.
When we consume foods rich in amino acids, vegetables, greens and essential fatty acids, our brain gives a signal to the body that we are satiated and that we should stop eating. Then, the process of absorption and digestion begins. There are 8 hunger-related hormones that tell you to eat, and these are all regulated by specific foods.
The great thing about Fab Four is that it balances all 8 hunger hormones, and that too, not just for an hour. When these foods that are nutrient dense and cleanse without added ingredients, which are not required by the body, our body uses up the energy provided by the food through physical and mental activities as well as sleep.
But, when we consume foods high in sugar or carbs, the brain sends a signal to the body that it is still hungry and we tend to eat more food. The processed foods lead to the release of dopamine in the brain, which makes such foods addictive. And thus, we start craving for them when we feel stressed.
Fat Is Good – There’s Nothing to be Afraid About It
High-quality fats are good for your immune system. These help the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins like K, A, D, E and improve the function of the brain. These help in building cell membranes and balancing hormones. This really helps in preventing aging. You need to know that this is the only macronutrient, which does not cause the release of fat storage hormone, insulin.
Some of the foods that can be included in Fab Four are
Chicken-cauliflower rice bowls, chopped salad, hard boiled eggs, spicy salmon, bone broth vegetable soup with herbs and avocados or a veggie omelet.
Best Breakfast to Avoid Mid-Afternoon Crash
Fab Four Smoothie is your best bet. This would act as a low-sugar, meal-replacement smoothie. This is not the same as a usual smoothie, which is packed with sugar; particularly fructose from agave, dates, juice and excess fruits.
This one does not take fruits into account and helps you load up on proteins, fibers and fats that help balance your blood sugar levels. This will help you from crashing before lunch and prevent sabotaging your efforts to eat healthy.
What’s About Coffee?
It can be taken, but only in moderation. Morning is the best time to have it. People can go for organic tea or coffee. In case people are fighting adrenal fatigue, they must keep distance from caffeine.
What Do We Eat To Have A Healthy Glowing Skin?
Healthy skin needs hydrating omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B for elastin and collagen production and trace minerals for cell regeneration, protection and repair.
Maintaining a healthy skin is a science, which requires greens and fibers to help the growth of healthy gut bacteria. You must incorporate wild fish, which is a great source of omega 3s, along with vitamin D and B.
