Nutrition tip - Why am I hungry an hour after chinese food?

RagingBrainer

We all love getting down on some Kung pow chicken and pot stickers. Those things are so delicious I will have a chop stick duel for the last bites! Throw a little fried rice on the top and I'll be in hog heaven.

After my food has settled i noticed something strange happens. I completely stuffed myself about an hour ago, yet I'm hungry again. My stomach still feels bloated from the food I know is in there. Yet my brain is telling me it's time to raid the fridge and see how much more I can stuff in there. It's almost not fair that I ate so much yet I am hungry again so soon.

The answer to this riddle is a 2 parter. First up is simple carbohydrates (Monosaccharides) and the bodies response. When you eat a portion of fried white rice our bodies breaks it down into simple sugars very quickly. This is great for a quick boost of energy if your going to work out right after your meal (not likely). If your going to veg out and relax for a while, like me, your body is going to go about processing and storing that sugar.

One of the first steps to making the sugar useful to the body is the production of insulin. With so much sugar to be processed there is going to be am overproduction or what is referred to as an "insulin spike". These are notorious for producing hunger pangs even when your stomach is full of food. So next time you head out to PF Changs and your hungry again so soon after, you will know it's the insulin spike tricking your bodies hunger response.

The second part of this answer is about fats and I'll try and post it tomorrow.

shellyb1229

Thank you for that post. It is always a running joke at my household about eatting chinese food and then raiding the fridge when we get home. I can't wait to read the rest of the post.

byHISstrength

Thanks for the info.

Aside from just being a better choice, brown rice will digest more slowly and shouldn't make you hunger in an hour.

DMC6282

It's so weird! I feel the same way after eating chinese food. I always wonder why?? Thanks for clearing that up!

MzMiller1215

It's funny that you would post this right after I asked about the lack of nutrition facts offered at Chinese restaurants. I really love eating Chinese foods but, because I am counting calories I need to know the calorie and sodium information. I have tried P.F. Chang and did not like it; wasn't authentic enough for me.

ywolfie

Mmmm...chinese food. (This is what I'm thinking as I'm eating an apple) Do they make fried brown rice?

Laceylala

LOL there are a few in our family that are the same way...can go to a chinese restaurant and walk out feeling stuffed and an hour later feel starved.