Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Nutrition Question of the Day

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Apples make me hungrier?!?

During last night’s Nutrition 101 class, a question came up regarding the reasons why after eating an apple, some of us feel hungrier than we were before we ate the apple. Some of us even get an empty feeling in our stomach, as though we had not eaten for hours. Has this ever happened to you? It makes absolutely no sense!
So I looked into the matter. From what I’ve gathered – per my own nutrition-sense and some semi-reliable/semi-questionable sources listed below – the reason behind the “empty stomach” felt after eating an apple is attributed to its carbohydrate content. Apples are essentially 95% carbs, without any linking protein or fat. These “fat-free” carbohydrates act as pure, immediate energy and are digested very quickly, which can leave you with the feeling of having an empty stomach. A similar reaction is the feeling of being hungry again when you were not hungry prior to eating said apple.
To avoid this in the future, enjoy your apple with peanut butter, cheese or any other source of lean protein or healthy fat. If you’ve never tried a red delicious apple paired with sharp cheddar cheese, you are seriously missing out! J For the more adventurous, here are some other apple and cheese pairings that will surely tantalize your taste buds: Say Cheese - Great Apple Pairings.
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Has this helped answer your questions?
What other nutrition-mysteries can I solve for you??

Happy eating,
Chloe RD & the GLC

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