The science behind satiety shows how eating the South Beach Diet way eliminates hunger - with ease.

"No doubt, a major obstacle to weight loss is the fear of going hungry. But by eating the right kinds of foods, you can lose weight and feel satisfied too," says Dr. Arthur Agatston, preventive cardiologist and author of The South Beach Diet. "By adopting the South Beach Diet lifestyle, you reestablish a normal appetite and therefore can shed those extra pounds without ever having to go hungry. In fact, you'll feel fuller longer." 
   The principles of the South Beach Diet - which include regular exercise - are eating good carbs, lean protein, and good fats, while eliminating the highly refined foods that contribute to daily cravings and the onset of numerous chronic diseases. "The foods that are high in fiber and lean protein tend to be the healthiest in general, as they contain the most nutrients," says Dr. Agatston. "By eating such foods, you can drop unwanted pounds without feeling hungry or deprived and reduce the risk of killer diseases that being overweight contributes to, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancer."

Understanding Appetite
Researchers are finally beginning to unlock the secrets behind the complex process of appetite control - how we make decisions to start and stop eating. To regulate food consumption, your brain responds to a delicate interplay of hunger and satiety (fullness) signals. Hunger is driven primarily by a host of signals that originate in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus and from the stomach and intestines. Within about 30 minutes after you start eating, satiety signals are transmitted from your stomach and small intestines. These satiety signals act as a sedative on the gastrointestinal tract, slowing down the processing of food, creating a sense of fullness, and blunting the effect of the hunger signals in the brain, all of which tell us to stop eating. 
   Key to the normal functioning of this intricate balance of hunger and satiety signals is the type of food you choose to eat. Nutrient-dense foods stimulate satiety signals, while most junk food and highly processed foods stimulate hunger signals. "We have learned that foods high in unhealthy fat and refined carbs - even though they are loaded with calories - actually activate the hunger signals in the brain, thwarting the satiety signals," says Dr. Agatston. "Simply put, the more highly processed foods you eat, the hungrier you feel. This is how the typical high-fat, highly refined, highly processed Western diet ultimately ends up disrupting normal appetite regulation and leads to obesity." 

The Power of Lean Protein
Which foods have the greatest capacity to satiate? A number of studies have shown that proteins are the most powerful. In one study investigating the effect of protein on weight loss and satiety published in Obesity, February 2007, 46 overweight women aged 28 to 80 followed calorie-restricted diets consisting of either 30 percent or 18 percent protein for 12 weeks. While all women lost weight, those women on the higher-protein diet lost more fat and less muscle, and they reported greater satiety than those on the normal protein diet.
 In another study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, December 2005, researchers compared the satiety effects of two types of breakfast: protein versus refined carbohydrates. Thirty women between the ages of 25 and 60 years old, with BMIs of at least 25 (a measurement considered overweight), consumed either eggs or an equal-calorie bagel breakfast, followed by lunch three-and-a-half hours later. Women who ate eggs had greater feelings of satiety and ate fewer calories - not only at lunch but over the entire course of the day and for the next 36 hours. The women who started the day with the refined carbs ate more calories but felt less satisfied. 
    "One of the ways protein-rich foods work to curb your appetite is by prolonging the release of hormones that trigger the feeling of fullness in your brain," explains Dr. Agatston. The South Beach Diet calls for dining on plenty of lean proteins such as eggs, reduced-fat cheese, skinless white-meat turkey and chicken, fish, lean cuts of red meat, and vegetarian proteins like tofu, tempeh, and soy-based meat substitutes. 
    Musikc, a member writing in her online South Beach Diet Journal, notes the effectiveness: "Here's the deal, pre-South Beach Diet, I would get ravenous. But after just one week, I noticed that I'm simply not hungry like I used to be!"

The Force of Fiber
The South Beach Diet also calls for plenty of good carbs - nutrient-dense, high-fiber foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (like dried peas, beans, and lentils). Why? First, good carbs act to stabilize blood sugar and insulin levels. "This is extremely important to controlling hunger," explains Dr. Agatston. "The typical Western diet - filled with highly processed, refined carbohydrates - sends insulin levels soaring, which in turn drives down blood sugar. Low blood sugar stimulates cravings and leads to overeating. Eating a diet rich in good carbs (also known as complex carbohydrates) prevents the blood-sugar dip and eliminates cravings." In addition, good carbs that are rich in fiber help to slow digestion and trigger satiety signals, both of which contribute to a sense of satisfaction. 
    A study published in the June 2003 issue of the International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders compared the effect of a simple-versus complex-carbohydrate breakfast on 26 men of normal weight whose average age was 26. Those who ate the simple-carbohydrate breakfast had higher insulin and blood-sugar levels within 30 minutes after breakfast, and higher levels of triglycerides (fats that circulate in the blood) three hours later. In contrast, the men who ate the complex-carbohydrate breakfast not only had better blood chemistries, but they also reported greater satiety, as well as more energy.
     "Numerous other studies have shown that meals based on good carbs are also more filling and result in more energy than meals high in fat," says Dr. Agatston, adding that keeping blood levels stable also prevents dips in energy levels.

A Deeply Satisfying Lifestyle
Eating the South Beach Diet way also includes eating good fats, like extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil, avocados, nuts, and fish - especially salmon and tuna. Exercise is another key component: Dr. Agatston recommends getting 30 minutes of activity, like brisk walking, most days of the week.
     Within days of adopting it, you'll see that the South Beach Diet lifestyle allows you to eat healthy, delicious food that will not only promote weight loss and good health but will do so while satisfying your hunger. Now that's a terrific recipe for living!