Foods that make you feel satisfied and craving-free

There's a better way to argue

View this email online Nov. 5, 2023 by Carmel Wroth Happy November! With the holiday overeating season nearly upon us, we’re bringing you a deep dive into the science of satiety, including which foods keep you feeling satisfied and which leave you craving the next snack. Plus, we have tips for beating seasonal depression, and advice from real-world peacemakers about how to have more effective, less combative discussions when you disagree with friends and family.  How some foods boost levels of an Ozempic-like hormone that can make you feel full LauriPatterson/Getty Images For several months now, NPR contributor Michaeleen Doucleff has been studying how the new weight-loss medications, like Ozempic and Wegovy, work in our bodies.  Both medications contain a compound, semaglutide, that squelches hunger like a fly swatter smashes a mosquito, Doucleff writes. People who take the medication say they no longer have constant cravings for food, so they eat less frequently.  Turns out, the drug mimics a hormone that our bodies naturally make when we're eating food. It's called GLP-1. So could we increase levels of this hormone by changing our diet? The answer is yes – you can increase your body's production of GLP-1 with your diet, says researcher Frank Duca. One of the key foods that triggers its release is a food most Americans struggle to eat enough of, even though it comes with a cornucopia of health benefits: fiber. "Whenever my family finds out that I'm studying obesity or diabetes, they say, 'Oh, what's the wonder drug? What do I need to take? What do I need to do?'" Duca explains. "And I say, 'Eat more fiber.' " But not all fiber works the same way. Read on to learn which foods have the super-fiber that leaves your feeling full and satisfied the longest. Plus learn why some common low-fiber foods -- foods a lot of us typically eat for breakfast -- can leave you craving your next meal within just an hour or two.  +Don't miss: How drugs like Ozempic may also tamp cravings for alcohol Newsletter continues after sponsor message Learn to discuss hot topics without fighting (or breaking up) with friends and family Robin Lewallen for NPR In the last few weeks, some people's social circles have erupted with heated discussions of the violence in Israel and Gaza. For others, fights over gun control, policing, abortion and other social and political issues are growing more common. Scientists who study the intersection of conflict and human behavior say it's essential to understand the biology behind some of these toxic interactions. We're wired to form tight bonds with groups we belong to and fight to protect them. So how do you diffuse combustible situations? Tim Phillips, a veteran conflict-resolution expert, helped negotiate some of the most fraught conflicts in modern history — ceasefires of religious clashes in Northern Ireland and the establishment of what became South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission after apartheid. He says defusing an escalating situation first requires releasing a brain hijacked by defensive emotion. Phillips says it means saying to your opponent, for example: "I understand how important this is to you; I understand this is core to your identity and your community, and I respect your sacred values." It means reflecting your opponent's humanity back to them.  Phillips says he's seen people emotionally disarm the opposition in a disagreement this way. It can bring together fierce adversaries, and change history. He cites an example from 1972: Shirley Chisholm, the first Black congresswoman in the U.S., was battling for the Democratic presidential nomination with political rival Alabama Governor George Wallace, a fierce segregationist. After he was shot in an attempted assassination, Chisholm visited him in the hospital and prayed at his bedside for his recovery. "Wallace's daughter later said that that gesture of compassion completely changed her father," Phillips says. Wallace reportedly wept openly, and shifted his stance on racial segregation. Read advice from Phillips about how to apply these principles in heated discussions in your own life. +Don't miss: Learn more about creating win-win conversations from Kwame Christian, the director of the American Negotiation Institute. Here's Life Kit's 2020 interview with him and a simple, three-step technique to engage in tough discussions while keeping your cool. Support Independent Journalism. Support from people like you is the largest source of funding for many NPR stations. Because we're in your backyard, your donation funds stories with a real sense of on-the-ground, local expertise. Back the NPR Network to stand with trustworthy journalism that keeps you and millions informed. Your donation make a difference.    Please join us with a donation today. Donate Now Winter is coming. Here's how to spot — and treat — signs of seasonal depression Leon Neal/Getty Images I don't know about you but in my household the autumn changing of the clocks is met with big sighs all around. Losing an hour of light in the evening is a bummer, especially with already shorter, colder days upon us. My family usually snaps out of our time-change-induced bad mood in a week or so. But as NPR's Rachel Treisman writes, for some people, this time of year triggers prolonged changes in mood, sleep and appetite that can be signs a potentially serious form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. "For some people, these changes are really severe, and they add up to what is equivalent to a clinical episode of major depression," says Dr. Paul Desan, director of the Winter Depression Research Clinic at the Yale School of Medicine.  Desan tells NPR that some 5% of adults in the U.S. experience SAD, and it typically lasts about 40% of the year. Another roughly 10% suffer from "subsyndromal" SAD, meaning they experience some symptoms but do not meet the criteria for clinical depression. Symptoms include feelings of sadness, fatigue, cravings of carbs and starch and associated weight gain. Luckily there are some pretty simple ways to get help.  Medication may be called for in some cases, so talk to your doctor. But many people may get relief from using bright light therapy, with a device you can buy for about $80. Read more about the signs of SAD, how light therapy works, and other lifestyle changes that can help. Before you go Andrew Bret Wallis/Getty Images New survey data are in: Women continue to cook more meals than men do each year in nearly every country -- except for one. 'Bun in the oven' is an ancient pregnancy metaphor. This historian says it has to go. Drug shortages have become chronic at U.S. hospitals, including those needed for crash carts. Doctors and nurses are very concerned. We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of NPR's health journalism on Shots. All best, Carmel Wroth Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: shots@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. 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