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Is DNA to Blame for Over Eating?

We all know that some of us naturally have smaller appetites than others.  I know my own for instance, tend to ebb and flow, especially depending on the day.  I think that my appetite has a lot to do with my hormones that day.  For instance, when I’m PMS’ing, about one week before my period, my appetite is so out of control that I feel like no amount of food will satisfy me, and I feel like I’m constantly stuffing my face, and it’s also really not the best stuff I’m stuffing it with.  But then, when my period actually comes and I’m on it (hormones drifting away), I feel like I could go hours without eating, or with eating very little, which is very unlike my normally voracious self.

Some people think that appetite has to do with your DNA. I happen to agree that this is part of your appetite, but a lot of it is also your upbringing, your particular eating habits and the foods you eat since the food you eat actually dictates your appetite in part iself, and also your moods (which is directly connected to your hormones).

All of it is interconnected. And now, there is evidence that there may be groups of people who are missing particular chunks of DNA which are a sort of appetite suppressant. In other words, these chunks of DNA are the switches which turn off our appetites when our bodies know that we’ve had enough to eat.

This is obviously an important function, and appetite is a huge function that is performed largely by the brain center called the hypothalamus.  The children who have been found to be lacking these particular chunks of DNA which we are talking about tend to get very obese early on in life because their appetite is literally always “on” and they have no off button. So they end up eating inordinate amounts of food all the time.

And although we all know that kids have naturally higher energy levels and also burn calories at a higher rate because their metabolisms are still naturally higher, these children don’t stand a fighting chance because they are consuming so many calories that their body could not possibly burn them off to keep them at a normal, healthy weight.  Also, obesity leads to sitting a lot, because larger people have a harder time performing activities since it’s harder on the body and heart, so you have a recipe for obesity disaster in these kids that are lacking this DNA.

The whole problem is that the elimination of this DNA creates a communication problem between the brain and the hormone leptin, which controls hunger and induces satiety so you stop eating. Without the particular chromosomes these kids are lacking, the brain cannot communicate with the leptin, and that is why these kids cannot shut off their appetites, and why they get obese.

Oatmeal, How I Love Thee – Now!

Did you ever really despise a certain food for most of your life, and then come to really enjoy it once you’ve learned that you were either eating it the wrong way, with the wrong combination of foods, maybe cooking it wrong, or buying bad brands or something of that nature? Well, my sudden turnaround with oatmeal may be a combination of all of those, plus add in a little bit of maturity and the desire to eat a hot, nutritious breakfast without having to do a lot of work, oh and the fact that we have one of those nifty insinkerator hot water machines at our newer house.

You wouldn’t believe how easy oatmeal is to make in the morning with a hot water dispenser. Shoot, it’s easy even without the hot water machine, it’s just way easier and almost ridiculously lazy to make once you have that too! Oh, and the best part is, we also have one of those insinkerator things where I work too, so it’s voila, instant hot breakfast at work as well. Cheap and nutritious, and filling too. Here’s the types of oatmeal that I have found a new love for, and how I prepare it so that it’s tasty, never bland.

I really enjoy the brand Quaker Oats, which is probably one of the biggest maker of the ready made packets they sell at most any grocery store. There’s that and then I’ve seen a few other brands like Kashi cashing in on the craze too. My current favorites are the reduced sugar Maple and Brown Sugar, the Banana Bread, Cinnamon Roll and Cinnamon and Brown Sugar flavors. They’re all excellent, and you totally forget you’re eating mushy oatmeal when you’re eating them because the flavoring is so good.

I add only the equivalent of a few tablespoons of hot water, since I’m not a fan of really soupy oatmeal. This gives it a thicker texture, although I also don’t like it too thick and pasty, so I often add a little water first, check it’s consistency, then keep adding it until it’s just right. I then add a couple tablespoons of chopped plain walnuts to the top of the oatmeal. I sometimes add a little extra sweetness by adding a half packet of stevia to the top as well.

I only eat one packet of oatmeal in the morning, so I’m pretty generous with the walnuts because they add the really filling fats and omega 3’s that get me through the morning and help suppress my appetite better throughout the day.

Oatmeal provides a filling, hot and nutritious breakfast that’s fiber filled and the walnuts add a lot of vitamins and nutrition as well, I wouldn’t recommend eating it without them. Sure, the plain stuff may be better for you, but when you’re eating such a small amount, it probably doesn’t matter.