When (and why) To Stop Snacking

We’re told to graze throughout the day to keep our blood sugar steady, right? So then why do many of us lack energy, have poor digestion, and find it hard to lose weight… even though we’re doing what we’re told? Listen in as Laura explains why she believes that the key actually lies in NOT snacking for all of the above.

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5 Common Weight Loss Mistakes Guide

Transcript

You’re listening to the Love and Lettuce podcast episode 36. Have you ever wondered if snacking is a good thing? Or have you ever thought, Hmm, I wonder if snacking has something to do with my fill in the blank symptoms, inability to reach goals and so on. If that is you, or if you’re like, Whoa, I have never thought about this in my life. This episode is for you. Stay tuned.

Hey, this is Lauren Lima, holistic nutritionist and founder of New Mama Nation, and host of the Love and Lettuce podcast. I am here to help mamas know what to eat to give them energy and help them feel fantastic. So they can better enjoy life with their littles. And remember, this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only, and does not replace medical advice from your healthcare provider. And it’s not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition. As always, please consult your healthcare provider to find out what is right for you. With that said, let’s get to the show.

Is weight loss a goal that you have, but you feel like you’ve tried all the things and nothing sticks?

Well, I want to give you some advice. Specifically, I want to give you the five common weight loss mistakes that I see so often. And I want to break them down for you. So go to http://bit.ly/5wlmistakes, and get my free download there.

I want to talk to you today about when and why to stop snacking.

Here is the thing, Mama, we need snacks in our lives at certain times of our lives. So for example, when you just had a baby, of course, that’s a time when you maybe it’s your first baby, maybe it’s your fifth baby. Either way, your life is so different than it was before you had that baby. And if you’re in that stage where, you know, your day is like, who knows what’s going to happen, things are up and down. You’re going crazy in your brain, then yeah, that is a stage of life when you need to snack. Absolutely.

So I’m not talking to you if that is where you’re at right now in life. But I do just want to give you some info on when you actually might want to consider stopping snacking, and why you might want to consider that.

Stop Snacking

So first of all, when to stop snacking. Okay, if you are feeling any sort of digestive issues… so if you’re feeling really bloated throughout the day, or if you’re feeling like oh man, I just can’t seem to digest my food, it always seems just sit in my stomach, my stomach is feeling heavy all the time. That could be because you’re not giving your digestive system enough time to break down that food. And if you’re doing that, if you’re not allowing your body time to really process that last meal that you ate, because you’re constantly eating more and more food, then it’s not going to be able to digest fully, you will always be really trying to break down your food. And that doesn’t feel very good.

In fact, it’s not just in your digestive tracts that you might feel it. Here’s another reason why you might want to stop snacking. Because it takes so much of our body’s energy to digest our food. Like so much of our body’s whole total energy is taken when we eat a meal. So if we’re constantly providing our bodies with this food that it now has to digest, well so much of our energy is going there. So no wonder we feel so tired after a Thanksgiving meal, for example, or after a holiday meal. Because we’ve eaten so much food, our digestive system is taking all of our body’s energy to just break down all that food into the smallest components so that our bloodstream can absorb the nutrients and our cells can absorb the nutrients from that food.

So if you’re feeling tired all the time, if you’re feeling sluggish, if you’re feeling low energy and you’re like what the heck. I want you to look at the meals that you’re eating, and specifically the snacks that you’re grazing on throughout the day. Are you feeling like you know, I really could cut down on my snacking? Yeah, I could. I do eat a lot., I do eat often I should say. I do eat really often. If that’s the case for you, then I encourage you to stop snacking, and see what happens.

Want to lose weight?

Here’s another reason when or why you might want to consider stopping snacking. If you want to lose weight. Yeah, here’s the thing about eating, every single time we eat, we have an insulin response to that food unless we had pure fat, which fat is good for you. So I’m not saying, Oh, unless it was bad, no, unless you purely had only fat in that food, which is almost impossible. Most of our meals and snacks will have some kind of protein and carb, then you will have an insulin reaction.

Because if you eat carbs, your blood sugar level will rise accordingly, depending on how high that carb content was. And also how much fiber you had in the meal, how much protein and fat. Because those things helped to slow down the digestion of the food, which causes your blood sugar level to be more level as opposed to skyrocketing up. If somebody doesn’t have a lot of fiber, or protein or fat is digested quickly, our blood sugar level rises in response, we get this hit of insulin. Every single time we eat, we have a hit of insulin. And the more exposure to insulin our cells have, the less sensitive to it, they become.

Insulin Resistance

This leads to something called insulin resistance. Literally our cells are resistant to insulin effect. And here’s insulin’s effect. It brings glucose, aka sugar from our bloodstream into our cells to be burned off as energy. But if our cells are saying, Well, I’m not responding to insulin, I’m full, I’ve got enough glucose, whatever. Then insulin says, Well, my only job is to get this glucose out of the bloodstream. Where else am I going to put it? So it says, Okay, well, I’m going to store some in your muscles. And I’m going to store some in your liver as future energy. And that’s great. It’s like thanks, insulin, that’s amazing. But guess what, those stores get fooled, too.

So what happens now? Insulin says, Well, I’ve got a store somewhere, I’m going to turn this glucose into fat, and I’m going to store it usually around the abdomen. Usually around the belly is where our sugar that became fat is stored. So if you are interested in any kind of weight loss, or weight maintenance, you have to be concerned with your insulin. And the more often you eat, the more often insulin is, or I should say, the more often your cells are exposed to insulin. The more often your cells are exposed to insulin, the more likely they are to become insulin resistant.

Insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes to type two diabetes. And so many of us in North America, I would say probably most of us have some form of insulin resistance. And this is because of our North American typical diet, right? The standard American diet. It’s full of carbs, and not enough quality fats, and quality proteins. And we just eat all the time. So it’s the foods themselves that are really high carb and not having enough protein and fat typically. And it’s the frequency with which we’re eating.

So if we’re eating every hour, every two hours, and we’re not giving our body time, or our insulin time to, you know, use that glucose and in get it into our cells properly. And we’re not giving our digestive tract enough time to digest that food, well, we’re just going to be sluggish. And we’re going to be insulin resistant, and we’re going to be low energy, and fatigued and have lethargy. We’re just going to be lethargic. And we’re going to wonder what the heck is going on?

Snacking

Well, I’m going to point today to snacking. I know it’s crazy. It seems like well, how is that even possible? Because I’ve been told to actually snack more often to keep my blood sugar steady, Laura. And I will say to you, I know I’ve been told the same. But here’s the thing, if we are concerned about energy, weight, proper digestion, feeling amazing. We have to be concerned with insulin. And the more exposure to insulin our cells have the more insulin resistant they become.

So here’s like the what to do instead.

So if you’re not snacking, what the heck are you doing three meals a day, and I call those solid meals have three solid meals a day, what the heck does that mean? Protein, fat. Some kind of fiber, ideally, not every meal will have fiber. And what I mean by that is, for example, breakfast could be three eggs. Three eggs is an amazingly satisfying, nutritious, awesome breakfast. But three eggs does not give you fiber. But in this case, that’s okay. Now, you could add avocado, you could add some gluten free toast or some sourdough rye toast. Those things would give you certainly some fiber. You could even add some other vegetables, even some salsa, some hummus. So you could get fiber in the three egg meal. But you don’t necessarily have to, to make it amazing. Already three eggs is awesome.

So that’s why I say fiber. For the most part, usually the meal should have fiber, but not necessarily every single one. So eat three solid meals a day – protein, good fats, and fiber. Make sure that you’re not skipping out on the protein or the fat. These are such important components of foods, such important food components that will make you feel satisfied from your foods. They are what will keep your blood sugar level more steady so that you’re not getting hungry in between meals. Because I want you to really think about it.

The next time you’re thinking, I’m going to go get a bar I’m going to get like a protein or a granola bar, I’m going to go get some yogurt from the fridge. I want that pepper that’s in the fridge. What are you actually craving? Why are you looking for that snack? Is it a habit? Because usually it is number one I would say is that your body is just used to it. Your brain’s used to it. It’s used to getting that dopamine hit of like, Yeah, I’m gonna go have some, even if it’s not necessarily a sugary snack, your body is used to eating. So it’s gonna go to what it’s used to. Right?

But also I want you to think about – am I actually hungry? Or is this just something that I’m used to? And therefore my body’s kind of wanting it, kind of craving it. I want you to think about – is this some kind of specific craving? Am I addicted to sugar perhaps? Because I believe sugar addiction is an absolute real thing coming from a recovering sugarholic, as I call myself. So I want you to think about – am I actually hungry for this snack? Or am I craving it? Am I looking for a dopamine hit? Am I just doing this out of habit? And that’s a really interesting thing when you stop before you just go with what you usually do and have that snack. It’s a really interesting thing to see what you come up with.

Now, I also want you to say, Okay, if it is true hunger, like yes, I actually need food and snacking. My stomach’s growling, my body is hungry. I want you to eat. So I’m not telling you to be hungry in between meals. That is not the goal ever. But I’m saying okay, so as you’re eating that snack, think back to your last meal. Why are you hungry before your next meal?

Because ideally, one solid meal, protein and fat and maybe fiber should last you about three to four hours before you start feeling the first little inkling of hunger. Yes, three to four hours seems like a lot, right? Especially if you’re used to just having the snack in between every single meal. And it’s all with foods always there just in case they get hungry. So if that meal didn’t last you three to four hours, I want you to say how could I make it last me longer next time.

So next time you have that breakfast…

How can I make that smoothie for example, last until lunch, maybe you didn’t have enough protein in it. So look at your protein powder. If that’s the source of protein in your smoothie, and I want you to aim for 25 to 30 grams of protein per serving. Likely you will see a lesser amount of protein because a lot of protein powders are not that rich and protein it depends on which one you get. I will say that whey protein tends to be higher in protein content compared to a plant based protein, but it really depends.

So just look at your label. How can we add more protein to that smoothie for example? We can add more protein powder if you want. So you can do a scoop and a half instead of a scoop. You can also add hemp hearts, aka hemp seeds. Awesome source of protein. Also fat and fiber and other nutrients. And they’re delicious. They add a nutty flavor. Or even other seeds to your smoothie. You can add almond butter, and or peanut butter, you can add some yogurt. I love Greek yogurt, because it’s higher protein. These are all ways that you can increase the protein content in your smoothie, or keep the smoothie the same, and have a wild egg on the side, for example.

Add more fat

Now, how can I add more fat to that smoothie? Because that’s the other component of smoothies. I keep talking about smoothies, but this is just my example. That is the other component of smoothies that I see people not putting enough of into their smoothie. How can I add fat to it?

Well, I would normally suggest putting oil in your smoothie. Yes, put oil in your smoothie. And it’s not gross, believe me, it depends what else you put in there. Every time I make a smoothie, I definitely put frozen berries and or frozen fruit of some kind. It’s usually blueberries. Sometimes it’s a mix of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, whatever. And oftentimes, I put a frozen banana as well or have like a ripe regular, non frozen, if you will, banana. I like the frozen because it just makes it even more icy and delicious, a smoothie texture. But you can definitely just do a fresh banana. So play around with the fruit.

But yes, absolutely add oil to your smoothie, my favorite oil to add is coconut oil, it just gives a really good flavor. And I love adding that saturated fat that our bodies absolutely need. So coconut oil is great, but you can also do flax oil. And there’s another oil blend called Budo’s oil, amazing blend of omega three to omega six fatty acids that we need. We need more omega three in our life as opposed to omega six, this is a good balance. So flax oil is actually really great balance of Omega three as well to six. So those are some ways that you can add the good fats into your smoothie.

I would just say like, yes, you can do the whole avocado as well. And avocado is going to add good fats, it’s also going to add some fiber, and other good nutrients. But just don’t skip out on the oil. It’s just an easy, fast way of adding really good nutrients, and really satisfying fat that’s going to help you make that meal that smoothie in this case last year longer.

Think before you eat

So if you’re hungry between your meals, I want you to snack. But I want you to look at the previous meal and say why was that not satisfying enough? How can I make that last me longer in satisfaction until I get hungry for my next meal? And my ideal is, I say three meals a day, and no snacks if you’re in that stage of life where you can.

So right now, for example, my son, my youngest is four months old. And the way that his feeding schedule works out, and I do breastfeed exclusively for him. The way that his feeding schedule works out, I’m able to get away with my three solid meals and no snacks. Now, I do still snack. I allow myself those times when I am feeling hungry. Yeah, I am running out the door because I also have two daughters. And we’re a busy family just like we all are right? So yeah, I’m definitely someone who plans to not snack, but knows that it’s totally fine on those days when I need to.

We’re running out the door to get one to school on time, which happens a lot. Yeah, I’m going to take something with me. And that might be a smoothie on the go. That might be something that is like considered a meal or part of a meal on the go. But it also just might be a snack and then I’ll have my regular breakfast later. So that is totally fine. But in this stage of life, I’m better able to switch into my no snacking zone. As opposed to when Ben my son was first born. I started to say you know what, I allowed myself way more snacks.

You know, snacks on the nightstand because you don’t know how often you’re going to get up at night. And if you’re going to be hungry, then you got to have that snack there. So I’m getting back into the stage where I don’t have to snack and honestly, it feels so good. I want you to experience how it feels. To not snack and to not need to. Because when you feel like oh my gosh, I didn’t eat since four hours ago and I’m just starting to get hungry now for lunch.

I want you to experience that feeling. Because it’s surprising. You’re like, oh, wow, that must have been a really satisfying meal. And then you think about what you ate, and you’re like, Yeah, that was awesome. And that did keep me satisfied for a long time. It really feels good. And it feels good physically. And mentally, because you’ve got all this constant energy. It’s not like this huge surge, followed by the drop. And that’s when you’re craving all the crappy foods and all the carbohydrate rich foods to bring you back up. It’s like, no, it’s steady energy, mentally and physically. I want you to experience that.

In conclusion

So this is why I say, this is when you might want to stop snacking if you want to experience those things. And if you’re having those other things that we’re talking about, and that I talked about today, if you’re wanting to just feel better overall, if you want to have better digestion, if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight, if you want to have more energy, if you just want to see how the heck it feels to do what I’m talking about. That is why and when to stop snacking.

So let me know if you have any questions. Send me a DM on Instagram @LauraLima and I would love to chat with you. And until next week, my friend have an amazing week and I will talk to you next week. And hopefully I’ll talk to you on Instagram. In the meantime, bye, my friend. Thanks for listening to the Love and Lettuce podcast.

To find out how to work with me and for more great info check out newmamanation.com. This is Laura. Until next time, love and lettuce.