The worst diet advice I ever got was to eat a small salad before meals to fill up and eat less calories.

Even worse? I used to give that advice to other people too, like my high school waitressing friends (I’ve basically been a health coach since i was 12; people always ask me for guidance).
I would hear this advice in Self, Shape and Cosmo, and thought it HAD to be true, so I would all-knowingly share it with everyone who asked me about food (cringe).

The truth? Salads always make me MORE hungry, and my current and recent clients have said the same.

Now, don’t get me wrong, appetite and hunger are great things (this is not an anorexia tips website). They mean your digestive system is working effectively and you’re ready for more nourishment.

What I’m interested in is curbing false hunger for processed carbs and sugar that leads to chronic disease, weight gain, and low energy.

I’d also rather not be on a blood sugar roller coaster ride all day, shaky and unfocused.

How about you? What’s your experience with intense hunger and energy dips?

It’s difficult to find Western scientific research on this (would you expect a dude with a microscope to show up when you’re elbow-deep in peanut butter?), but based on Chinese medicine, salad stimulates the appetite and prepares you for heavier foods. It doesn’t soothe hunger in any way.

Salads also dilute digestive enzymes, making your digestion of heavier foods less effective, leaving you bloated, sluggish and foggy.

So what do you do when you have that hyperactive, blood sugar-induced hungry feeling when you get off work but still have an hour or so before dinner?

Have bone broth, seaweed, or a small, nutrient-dense fish appetizer like sardines.

1. Bone broth relaxes the nervous system and stabilizes blood sugar with its protein and essential minerals. On a sensory level, it gives your stomach a warm, round, full feeling, and calms frenetic energy.
2. Seaweed is incredibly nutrient and mineral rich, replenishing vitamin and mineral stores that might have been washed away by afternoon coffee. When you’re mineralized, your blood sugar is stable and your hunger cues are in tune.
3. Sardines are rich in essential fats and protein, boosting and stabilizing blood sugar so you don’t feel dizzy and ravenous.

These three things actually take the edge off raging hunger, calibrate your metabolism and regulate your blood sugar so you can stop being bitchy to everyone within a mile radius (just speaking for myself here).

When you have one of these nourishing foods, you normalize leptin and ghrelin production by evening out blood sugar levels.

Crash course: Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain you’re full, and ghrelin says “I’m hungry!”

By balancing leptin and ghrelin levels, you’ll eat just what you need for optimal weight and energy, enjoy it fully, and avoid feeling tired and bloated.

Have you always thought eating a salad before a meal is good for curbing overconsumption?

How do salads actually make you feel, and will you experiment with bone broth, seaweed or a fish appetizer before meals?

Share in the comments below – I want to hear from you.

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P.S. Want to get in on the live weekly support I personally get to live an incredible life in a body I love? The fall term of Wholly Shift started yesterday, but you can still hop on board. Sign up here to join me and get weekly mind-body support. This work changes everything.