Momentum Issue 19: Avoid snacking
As with a lot of knowledge in the sphere of nutrition, the idea that frequent snacking is better for weight loss and the metabolism has been disproven.
Frequent snacking actually leads to greater fat gain due to the body constantly remaining in fat-making mode from the constant influx of food. Therefore, for optimal health, we want to avoid eating between meals. This allows our fat-making processes to switch off, and also gives the digestive system a well-needed break.
This week, try to avoid snacking between meals as much as possible.
Importance
There are two main issues with snacking:
1. Our body’s fat-making process stays on
The constant influx of food means the body forever stays in fat-making mode. According to Dr. Satchin Panda, fat-storing only turns off after 2 hours without food. Therefore, we want to aim for about 3-4 hours between food.
“As soon as we eat something, our pancreas releases insulin, which does two important jobs for metabolism: it helps absorb sugar from our blood into our liver, muscle, fat, and other tissues, and it signals these organs to convert some of the sugar to body fat. This process continues for up to 2 to 3 hours after we eat, every time we eat. So, as we keep on snacking, our body remains in fat-making mode.” - Dr. Satchin Panda, The Circadian Code (my link)
2. Our digestive systems never get a break
Always having food coming into the system also means the digestive system never gets a break. Even a small snack (even one bite!) will turn on the entire digestive process which will last for hours.
This can lead to myriad issues:
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) from bacteria constantly replicating in the small intestine
One study showed that a mid-morning snack led to decreased weight loss compared to not snacking
Nighttime snacking can lead to sleep loss which leads to more snacking
Snacking has been linked to greater abdominal fat
When the digestive system gets a break from digesting, it is allowed to perform other necessary functions, such as:
A sweeping out of the small intestine to rid the system of bad bacteria
Insulin levels decrease:
“Between meals, as long as we don’t snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels go down.” - Harvard Medical School
Note: This will be highly individual, and those with any metabolic or other health concerns should check with their health care professional to ensure this is right for them. Also, there is evidence that snacking can be beneficial for older adults to ensure adequate calorie intake.
Implementation
I’m not saying you need to cut out snack food entirely.
You can keep eating your same snacks, just try to focus them around a meal. For example, I’ll eat lunch and then I will immediately eat any snacks I want to have. Of course, you will have less room as you will likely be full from your meal. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (unless you’re trying to gain weight, and then maybe you should check with your medical professional). You’ll probably find you end up eating less overall.
Aim to take a break from any calories for at least 2 hours at a time, but ideally closer to 3-4 hours. Ensure your meals are nutrient-dense and filling so that this 3 hour break isn’t difficult. Eating adequate healthy fats, protein, and fiber will ensure you stay full between meals.
Another trick I like to use is having a cup of black coffee. It has zero calories and also acts as an appetite suppressant. If you’re feeling hungry, try this.
Extras
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Here are some free links to related articles:
It’s Not What You’re Eating, It’s When You’re Eating
If You Only Focus on 5 Aspects of Your Health, Focus on These