By Sandy Braz
 It’s happened to all of us: You promise
yourself that eating just one small serving of
fatty food will be enough to satisfy your cravings,
whether it’s potato chips, ice cream or a
second helping of cake. But new research from UT
Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, suggests
that fatty foods send messages to your brain to
keep eating – so beware.
One of the fats studied was palmitic acid, found
in foods high in saturated fats such as butter, cheese, milk and beef. When palmitic acid makes its way to your brain, it alters the way in which your brain signals that you’re
full – instead your body ignores the signals
that suppress your appetite and you overeat.
Moreover, the effects of one night of splurging
on food can last up to three days, meaning your
efforts at weight management may be derailed for
up to 72 hours – during which time you’re
likely to eat more than usual. But before you add
this information to your worry bowl, researchers
suggest that there are ways you can get around
palmitic acid’s negative messaging.
What you can do:
1. When you snack, stick to clean snacks such
as a handful of nuts or fresh fruit with a dollop
of natural peanut butter.
2. Reduce your intake of saturated fats. Opt
for low-fat dairy products and lean cuts of beef.
The less palmitic acid you consume, the less chance
it has of preventing fat-fighting hormones from
doing their job.
3. When a recipe calls for any oil or fat, opt
for extra virgin olive oil, which contains oleic
acid, one of the other fats studied by researchers
from UT Southwestern Medical Center. Oleic acid
allows your brain to signal you to stop eating.
4. Keep track. Logging what you eat is a useful
step when leading a healthy clean-eating lifestyle.
You could be ingesting more palmitic acid than
you realize. Knowing what you’re eating will
keep you mindful and allow you to make better choices
down the line.
Photography: Paul Buceta, Model: Rachel Davis,
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