Nutrition Know-How
First for Women
By: Ann Louise Gittleman
November 3, 2008

I can’t stay away from the Halloween candy.

My afternoon cravings for chocolate get the best of me, and it shows on my jiggly belly. I feel so miserable if I don’t get my “fix.” I’m even dipping into the candy stash I bought for trick-or-treaters. Why is my willpower so weak?

That gotta-have-it feeling is due to theobromine, a compound in chocolate that activates the brain’s reward center and triggers a spike in the production of feel-good serotonin. When the body associates these happy feelings with the treat, out-of-control cravings can return day after day in a powerful cycle. For 77 percent of women, these cravings are strongest in the afternoon, when serotonin levels naturally dip. To outsmart the urge, nosh on 1 oz. to 2 oz. of chocolate in the morning. Researchers found that if women ate chocolate when serotonin levels are highest, the addictive quality was lost and they had fewer afternoon cravings. This helped study subjects lose 23 percent of their weight in eight months. Opt for antioxidant-rich dark chocolate that’s at least 70 percent cocoa.

My appetite-curbing snack backfired.

To avoid temptation, I’ve started bringing my own snacks to work—peanut butter on rice crackers. But lately I find that I’ve become constipated and super-tired. Plus I’ve gained five pounds even though I’m not eating extra calories. What gives?

  I think the culprit is your snack. Peanuts harbor molds that, when ingested regularly, squelch good gut bacteria. This creates an internal environment that lets yeast thrive. Yeast cells then release inflammatory aflatoxins that hinder the function of every organ, triggering fatigue, digestive woes and weight gain. My advice: Avoid peanut butter and consume more probiotics. These beneficial gut bacteria release a significant amount of yeast-killing hydrogen peroxide as a metabolic by-product. Try having 1 cup to 2 cups of Greek yogurt, kefir or unsweetened yogurt daily. You’ll notice looser fitting clothes in as little as a week. After three weeks, you can resume eating peanut butter. But have at least 1 cup of probiotic food every other day to keep yeast at bay.

Is there a natural swap for a diabetes Rx?

At my physical I weighed 200 pounds—my highest ever—and my doctor said that’s why I’m skipping periods. He warned that if I don’t get my blood sugar and weight under control, I could become infertile. He’s recommending a diabetes medication, but is there a natural option that works?

Give cinnamon a try. In a 40-day study published in the journal Diabetes Care, cinnamon consumption enhanced cells’ ability to take in glucose for energy. That helped subjects lower their blood sugar levels by up to 29 percent—a drop that’s been linked to weight loss and up to five pounds in one week. The proven dose: ¼ tsp. to ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon daily, which can be sprinkled on breakfast food (like cereal and yogurt), beverages (such as hot chocolate and coffee) and entrees (like rice and lamb). One caution: Some people with liver conditions like hepatitis can be sensitive to cinnamon and should check with their doctor before adding more of the spice to their diet.