Dr. Michael Lyon and Dr. Michael Murray’s Hunger Free Program teaches people natural ways to eliminate food cravings and shed pounds without feeling starved. Here is their fourth Hunger Free Forever tip:

Reduce the effects of stress and cortisol: Elevated cortisol levels, which are often the result of a stressful event, go hand-in-hand with increased appetite and sugar cravings. Keep cortisol in check by managing your time effectively, meditating or practicing relaxation exercises regularly, and getting plenty of sleep each night.  

There are three more Hunger Free Forever tips to come. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks for the rest!

When I hit age 40, I was convinced something was wrong with me. I had slowly regained 40 of the 130 pounds that I had lost, and was having a terrible time losing it. Turns out, this is just another joy of growing older. As we age, our metabolism slows. Research shows that a person’s metabolism slows down by about 5% every 10 years, which means you have to eat fewer calories and work out more just to maintain your normal weight (thanks, Mother Nature).

Eating more soluble fiber is one of the most important things you can do to increase metabolism and fight belly fat. Fiber fills you up fast so you eat less and stay satisfied. The USDA recommends we eat 30 grams of soluble fiber each day. Here are just a few great sources of fiber: 1 bowl of steel-cut oats= 9 grams of fiber 1 cup raspberries= 8 grams of fiber 1 cup brown rice= 8 grams fiber.

To help lose the extra weight, I also added PGX to all my meals. I drank a protein shake with PGX, and took up to six capsules with every meal. On ravenous days, I even took two capsules with snacks. Six capsules are the equivalent to four bowls of steel-cut real oatmeal, which is about 36 grams of fiber.

I swear by PGX. I take it daily, and so do my kids. My daughter lost 11 pounds after moving back home and having the PGX shake I make her every morning. I also like putting PGX in batter when baking pancakes, waffles, cookies and brownies. Even my parents take it! I believe there is no better soluble fiber available than PGX. It makes sense to me! Join me today on my quest to help one million people lose weight

Our research has shown that virtually everyone who is overweight suffers from being on what we call the “blood sugar rollercoaster.” PGX can literally flat line a person’s blood sugar level. We have found that if you can control a person’s blood sugar level, you can easily control their appetite and food cravings, making weight loss virtually effortless.

The agent to impact appetite must possess an ability to increase insulin sensitivity, reduce blood sugar volatility, have volumetric effects, be very viscous, and to produce a targeted effect of reducing those factors which increase appetite while simultaneously increasing those factors that decrease appetite. We believe that PGX is exactly this magic bullet.

How does PGX control/reduce blood sugar/insulin resistance? We believe that it accomplishes this effect via a combination of several factors. Foremost it reduces the glycemic impact of any food or meal by 50-70%. Secondly, daily use of PGX has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by nearly 60% in subjects with insulin resistance. This is what leads to improved diabetes control, and why PGX is an extremely important consideration to improve blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.

The effect of PGX on reducing the glycemic index of foods is unparalleled. Keep in mind that the development of PGX was initiated by intense scientific research by the same research team at the University of Toronto that developed the now very famous glycemic index. Recent studies have shown that when added to virtually any food, PGX can reduce the glycemic index of the food by an amazing 35 to 70 percent.

Like most people, you’ve probably started out your day many times with the best of intentions for a healthy, nutritious diet, starting off strong with a reasonably successful breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then it becomes more difficult to resist sweet or starchy foods, and after dinner is when the temptation to reach for something sweet is the hardest to ignore. Because of this, many people find themselves snacking on sugary or high-fat foods between dinner and bedtime.

When you’re dieting, not eating too close to bedtime is the golden rule. But this is the time when most people find they are the hungriest! PGX, a unique soluble fiber complex, may help control these cravings, which is helpful even for those who aren’t necessarily trying to lose weight. Try taking PGX with breakfast or lunch to help eliminate those bedtime munchies.

Having a rough time keeping your hand out of that bag of chips, or keeping that box of Rocky Road hidden behind the freezer door? Learning to make better choices for your breakfast, lunch and dinner can help you gain control over your food cravings throughout the rest of the day.

Fact: Fiber and protein may help you say “no” to the chips and ice cream. You’re less likely to give into your cravings if you are full. Eating high fiber foods in abundance reduces hunger and promotes satiety. Fiber also slows the absorption of carbohydrates from food, lowering their glycemic impact.

Eat fresh vegetables and fruits as snacks at the first sign of hunger, and add them to recipes whenever possible. When you eat grains, try to choose whole grains. Boiled whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, barley grits, couscous and quinoa are best. Use all-bran cereals for breakfast or mixed with plain yogurt as a snack. And try to use legumes as often as possible. Check back in a couple weeks for another tip on handling your cravings.