To snack or not to snack?
Snacking gets a lot of hype. I am always hearing comments like, ‘oh, I couldn’t get through the day without snacking’ or, the other end of the spectrum’, ‘oh, I’ve been so “bad” today, I’ve had so many snacks’…First of all, I want to clarify that there is nothing “good” or “bad” about snacking. What’s important is to understand why you are feeling the need to snack in the first place.
1 - Why are you WANTING / needing to snack?
When we eat, our bodies release a hormone called insulin which focuses on getting glucose (fuel) into our cells. Once this glucose is in the cells, blood glucose levels start to drop again and we may start to get feelings of hunger, a light grumbling of the tummy. If we ignore these initial signs of hunger then we might start to get ‘hangry’. This is because our brains, which run on glucose, start to tell us that we are in need of more fuel.
A good place to start is by focusing on having three substantial meals a day. These should have a balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates. Eating at regular times and including all the macronutrients will help to keep blood glucose levels at a nice stable level, without any sharp peaks or troughs - hopefully helping you to avoid the ‘hangry’ feeling and feelings of loss of control that might come with it. Then, we may need to include some snacks as well…
2 - So, what is a snack?
A snack should be viewed as something that you have to get you through to the next meal. It shouldn’t be seen as a necessity but, by ignoring your hunger signals, you run the risk of actually overeating at the next meal when your primal hunger kicks in and you are unable to mindfully eat and enjoy your meal, if you are recovering from an Eating Disorder, this can leave you feeling out of control! Snacks can be anything from an apple and some nuts to toast with peanut butter and jam, even a cupcake or a doughnut - whatever takes your fancy. The most important thing is that you learn to tune into your hunger and wants so that you can pick something that is going to fully satisfy you in that given moment.
3 - When to snack
You’ve been to a killer HIIT session, you had a lovely balanced breakfast and it’s 11:00am. You start to feel yourself become a little bit hungry, your stomach is making some light rumbles, then you notice you start getting a little shaky and you know the hangry you is about to appear…what do you do? In this instance you absolutely need to listen to your body, honour your hunger and reach for some fuel! Your body is clearly communicating that you need food. Likewise, you might have had a chilled morning, a great breakfast and still you start to feel those grumblings of hunger mid-morning. You still deserve to snack. Stop, check-in with yourself and chose something that is going to satisfy you.
4 - When not to snack
Ever been that person sitting at their desk who realises they have chomped their way mindlessly through a whole Lindt chocolate bar without even realising it? Yup, we’ve all been there. This is a classic case of boredom eating, when your brain is telling you to eat something so that it can release dopamine and make you feel better about your boring work task. This is probably the most common form of snacking. If you find yourself reaching for the crisps / cake / chocolate whenever you feel down or bored then, as always, it is important to look at and address the root cause of the problem. Take some time to ask yourself:
Am I hungry?
If I am, how hungry am I and what would satisfy me?
If I am not, what is driving my food choice right now?
5 - So, what should your day look like?
A balanced breakfast should keep you fuelled for 3-4 hours. Next, lunch. This should keep you full until mid-afternoon, at which stage you might need a little pick-me-up to get you through to dinner as it is a longer gap. However, some days you might just feel hungry and need to add in a mid-morning snack. Personally, most mornings I need a snack at around 11:00am, especially if I have eaten before 09:00am. What do I have? Whatever takes my fancy.
6 - Listen to your body
When it comes to health and nutrition the main objective is to find out what works for you. We are all unique so there is certainly no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to food, meal timings and snacking.
Listen to your body. If you notice that your stomach starts to rumble, that your concentration starts to go, that you feel anxious, bad tempered, shaky or ‘hangry’ then you’ve left it too long and your blood sugar levels have dropped too much. Remember though, be mindful around food and acknowledge whether you are eating because you are hungry, bored or emotional.
If you feel at a loss or out of control with your eating and in need of some help with your nutrition and lifestyle balance, then please do get in touch today.