018 Eat for Weight

It was Thanksgiving in Manaus, Brazil. No one else around me cared except my missionary companion. It was my first Thanksgiving outside the United States and as patriotic Americans and finding ourselves sans the usual turkey, mashed potatoes , and gravy Elder Donat and I decided we’d feast with the closest thing—McDonald’s.

For a 19-year-old young man now accustomed to the local rice and beans fare, 2 Big Macs left me feeling the opposite of every other Thanksgiving before this—empty.1

Why?

One study suggests drinking water before a meal increases satiety.2 Researchers in the experiment tested whether drinking water before a meal resulted in participants eating more or less of the meal. Participants who drank water before the meal in the experiment ate less.

The same may be true when we consume water-rich foods—if not rice and beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean meats. Try it for yourself.

#eatintentionally

1. Perhaps that’s why they’re called “empty” calories.

2. Jeong JN. Effect of Pre-meal Water Consumption on Energy Intake and Satiety in Non-obese Young Adults. Clin Nutr Res. 2018 Oct;7(4):291-296. doi: 10.7762/cnr.2018.7.4.291. Epub 2018 Oct 31. PMID: 30406058; PMCID: PMC6209729.