There may be some science behind this, according to British researchers. It seems that the hormone PYY, known as the weight loss hormone, is activated more effectively by high protein foods.
The researchers are not advocating diets like Atkins, which are high in saturated fats. Leaner meals that are low in carbs and high in protein may be what you are looking for to trigger your weight loss hormone. Researchers also say that a diet close to our ancestors, the hunters and gatherers, may be the key.
I wish the researchers — or the original article-writers — had been more specific with their diet recommendations. If you want to know more about what our ancestors ate, like I did, try the Paleolithic Diet site. I found this link the most informative, although I was shocked by the all-or-nothing approach to this diet. No grains at all? And no beans? Sally Fallon, author of the Nourishing Traditions cookbook, has a solution to the toxin problem mentioned in the Paleo Diet information. She suggests soaking overnight in water with an acidic medium, such as whey, helps change the chemical composition of the grains and beans and makes the nutrition more readily available. A good review of Nourishing Traditions can be found here.
So what’s a person to do if they want to activate their weight loss hormone? According to researchers, high protein works. How stringently you follow our ancestor’s diet is up to you.
