Hunger, snacking, blow-outs, diet, weight loss tips

When you're stressed, you don't eat enough at mealtimes or you gobble your meals down too fast, the snack monster can strike. And as the days get shorter, colder and rainier, we often start to feel sluggish and crave sugar hits. Here's how to avoid snack attacks:

-Fill up! Our top 5 filling foods that will stave off hunger for a long time are: wholemeal bread, turkey ham, eggs, fat-free cottage cheese and apples.
-Suppress your hunger by brushing your teeth or chewing mint gum (mint calms your appetite). Another trick is to drink lots, hot or cold, as long as it's sugarfree.
-Eat proper meals: if you eat properly at mealtimes you shouldn't be hungry 2 hours later. Don't scrimp on the complex carbs (bread, pasta, cereals etc) which release their sugars gradually into the bloodstream, keeping you full.
-Get free light therapy! As the days get shorter, our bodies are deprived of light. This can send our mood-controlling hormones all over the place and affect our appetite. Avoid the pitfalls of cold weather by making sure you get enough natural light every day: leave your windows open as long as you can and when the sun comes out, get out for some free light therapy.