Chinese Food Hunger

"Every time I eat Chinese food I'm hungry an hour later." We've probably all heard someone say this at one time or another. It's an all too common experience to be unable to finish a Chinese meal, yet find yourself wishing you'd requested a doggie bag just a short time later.

Does Chinese food hunger exist? If so, what causes it? One theory is that MSG (monosodium glutamate) is responsible. It is true that fast food restaurants often rely on MSG as a cheap flavor enhancer. But I find Chinese food hunger sometimes strikes after I've prepared a home-cooked, MSG-free meal. What could be the cause?

Researchers now believe carbohydrates may be the culprit. More specifically, certain types of carbohydrates, including rice and pasta. These carbohydrates have a high glycemic index (GI), which means the body needs to produce extra insulin to digest them. Certain diet doctors believe consuming these carbohydrates can cause overeating, since excess insulin causes the blood sugar to plummet, creating a hungry feeling. In his best selling Zone diet books, Barry Sears advises individuals trying to lose weight to maintain a ratio of 40-30-30 between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Claiming that his diet is based on the same science that won the 1982 Nobel Prize for Medicine, Sears states that consuming the proper ratio of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins allows individuals to control their insulin levels, which often leads to an increased ability to burn excess body fat.

While the Zone diet books are extremely popular, the diet itself, and the theory behind it, are not universally accepted by other nutrition experts. For example, registered dietitian Ellen Coleman points out that it is calories, and not carbohydrates and insulin, that make you fat. In other words, your weight is determined by the total amount of calories you consume, and not the type of food that the calories come from. Furthermore, she argues that a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet doesn't increase your body's ability to burn fat. Instead, she says exercise is still the best fat-burner around.

Nonetheless, a recent study at Tufts University supports Sears' claim that high glycemic diets can lead to overeating. Researchers at Tufts' Human Nutrition Research Centre conducted an experiment with overweight teenage boys. Each group of boys was served breakfasts with either a low, medium, or high GI index. Researchers report that the boys who consumed the high-GI meals subsequently ate nearly twice as much food as the boys who ate the low-GI breakfasts.

This doesn't mean that you need to steer clear of Chinese food altogether. Still, if you find you're the type of person who tends to overeat on a high carbohydrate diet, try passing on the rice and consuming more vegetables. Below are a number of recipes for you to try, along with more information relating to carbohydrates and glycemic index. Ho ho sik! (Good eating).

from about.com