Dr. Roberts has identified the five food instincts that drive our relationship with food and cause us to pack on the pounds, and also shows us how to control them to make weight loss almost effortless:

1. Hunger – Primitive humans never knew when their next meal might be available, so now human brains are hard wired to respond to feeling hunger by telling us to eat! iDiet has an exceptional selection of easy no-cook meals and recipes that scientifically optimize the balance of different nutrients to literally eliminate hunger so you can stay on track more easily.
2. Availability – The more food we see, the more food we eat – it’s not just a question of lack of willpower but a natural response. The sight of food actually triggers powerful metabolic signals of hunger. iDiet shows you how to control your environment better so you feel less temptation.
3. Calorie density – nature guides us to crave foods that are loaded with calories – sweets like chocolate cake and cookies, ribeye steaks laced with fat, pasta smothered in cheese and sauce. These cravings are found in all cultures, all over the world…but iDiet shows you how to rebalance calorie density so that lower calorie foods still taste great.
4. Familiarity – we like eating foods that we grew up with or are familiar to us. These foods make us feel safe and comfortable, so our emotional triggers drive us to eat them again and again. Our delicious menus and recipes offer iDiet versions of familiar foods to satisfy this instinct.
5. Variety – we are attracted to many different kinds of food and we eat more when we have more choices. iDiet helps you balance variety so it works in your favor and you still get the pleasures of a delicious, varied meal.

These five food instincts worked well for early human beings, helping them to survive when food was scarce. But today, high calorie, high fat and highly processed foods are everywhere. Being smart about how to control food instincts has become the key to losing weight and keeping it off. The iDiet helps you understand and work with your food instincts and puts you back in control. Here’s a summary of how the iDiet helps you work with your instincts:

1. Hunger – Eat three meals and three snacks every day. The iDiet meals and snacks cut hunger because they contain fiber, volume, optimized protein/carbohydrate/fat combinations and a mix of high and low-glycemic index carbs.
2. Availability – Take charge of your personal food environment by making over your pantry, and learning how to eat out without overeating and turning challenges into non-temptations.
3. Calorie Density – Keep calories low without sacrificing taste by adding the right amount of fat or strong seasoning to vegetables and protein. Use Dr. Roberts’ “sandwich” technique, putting a moderate portion of a high-calorie food in the middle of a meal with lower calorie foods that are high in fiber and protein at the beginning and end.
4. Familiarity – Stick with a food routine by eating at regular times. Eat iDiet healthy and delicious foods when you get hungry so they become familiar comfort foods. Substitute a healthier version of foods you crave, such as iDiet Chocolate Cereal Dessert for brownies (honestly, our dieters love this switch!).
5. Variety – Learn how to “rebalance” the variety of foods on hand to reduce unconscious overeating. It’s as simple as keeping a lower variety of unhealthy foods around and increasing the number of healthy foods in your home.

 
 
Read More:
The Science
Cognitive Restructuring
Magic in the Menus
Our Food Brain
The Five Food Instincts
The iDiet Food Plan