LEPTIN AND GHRELIN

Blame these two if your gut grumbles an hour after you’ve eaten. Leptin, released by your fat tissues, alters your appetite in the long term by telling your brain when you have stored enough fat. Ghrelin, produced in the gut, signals to your brain that you’re hungry. If either is out of whack, cravings will strike.

HACK IT Protein, protein, protein. Eating 30g at each meal reduces ghrelin – it’s why you feel so full after a sirloin. Regularly eating protein may also lead to increased leptin sensitivity in the brain. Brian St Pierre, director of performance nutrition at Precision Nutrition, says that 30g is about a palm-sized amount.