Another of the pitfalls of snacking - or grazing if you prefer (!)

 

 

If you stop and think about it for a minute, there are really only two reasons why we would need to snack. They’re very simple and, dare we say it (!) all down to a little common sense… 

 

The first is that we’re not eating enough, whether meals that are too small or too low in calories. They simply don’t fill us up for long enough. Hence us feeling hungry again shortly after eating. 

 

It can also lead to binge eating later in the day as our bodies try to make up the nutrition they need, often involving high calorie, easily digestible foods with all too predictable results… And that’s without the guilt and shame these entail which, in turn, can lead to comfort eating and a negative downward spiral. 

 

The second is less obvious but, when seen from our bodies’ perspective, makes complete sense. What we’re eating doesn’t provide the necessary nutrients and other resources our bodies need. Protein, fats, healthy carbs. Vitamins, minerals and all the other nutrients needed, whether in large or small amounts. So, we crave more food to try and fill the nutritional gap, leading to over eating and / or snacking. 

 

As an aside, this is one of the reasons why ultra processed and low calorie foods don’t fill us up for long. They simply don’t provide the nutrition our bodies need, leaving us feeling “unsatisfied” and reaching for something else to eat. This is why it’s so easy to eat more than the recommended portion size of these foods and still feel hungry. It’s also one of the reasons why very restrictive diets for weight loss are so hard to stick too and rarely have the desired long term effect. They simply don’t provide all the resources our bodies need to function normally. 

 

Interestingly, there’s another factor at work here which has only become obvious in recent years. This is that what we eat – or don’t eat (!) – affects our digestive balance, the “flora and fauna” that live in our Digestive Systems. 

 

While their role in helping digest our food is well known, it’s become clear that they also play an important part in the production of hormones in the gut which trigger the feeling of satiety, of feeling “full.” In other words, diet affects our digestive balance which, in turn, affects our appetite and the feeling of being “full.” 

 

However, there’s another aspect of constant snacking that’s easy to overlook, but very important from our bodies’ point of view. It can be thought of as “housekeeping” and occurs roughly 1.5 to 3 hours after eating any “meal.” And that includes snacks too. 

 

Known as the “Migrating Motor Complex”, it’s a series of muscular contractions along the Digestive System, from the Stomach through the Small and Large Intestines. Not only does it help move the contents along (!), but clears and cleans the Stomach, ready for the next “meal”. This helps remove food particles and debris, so preventing bacterial overgrowth and backflow, as well as stimulating the secretion of bile and enzymes to aid digestion. It's easy to see how constant snacking interferes with this process which, in turn, has been linked to many digestive issues. 

 

So, it’s easy to see where we’re going with this. Eating healthy, balanced meals – dare we say, three square meals a day (!) – to provide the necessary nutrition, resources and energy we need to function at optimum levels. Equally important, it also gives our bodies sufficient time to do the necessary “housekeeping” between meals to help ensure an efficiently functioning Digestive System. 

 

Once again, the traditional approach wins hands down. 

 

 

As always, the choice is yours.