Is snacking good for me?
Snacking as a concept isn’t bad, rather it depends what you are snacking ‘on’. If you get to 3pm and find yourself in a slump, munching on a cupcake is not going to help you for the long term, hence you will not reap the benefits of your afternoon snack. For some people eating little and often is better than 3 meals a day. For some, 3 meals a day is plenty. Again, health is individualistic. When it comes to snacking, I often recommend a protein rich and nutrient dense snack if you experience energy slump at some point during the day. It is always best to choose wisely when it comes to snacking so that you can reap the benefits that a good snack exudes. Good options include a ¼ cup nuts/seeds with a piece of fruit, raw veggies and dip, a boiled egg, homemade healthy trail mix, a healthy muffin, a smoothie chia pudding etc.
I encourage you to find what works for you and stick to that.
Does sugar consumption = increase in body fat?
Why is it that when we eat a delicious decadent food that we become laden with guilt and self-loath? We all have that one food in mind…you know that delicious Lindt milk chocolate ball or perhaps a slice of that perfect looking cheesecake in the fridge window of your local café…we all have that little something.
We need to trust our bodies more. Ask yourself these questions…will one meal cause me gain weight?, will one meal…cause my skin to breakout?, will one meal…destroy all my good habits and hard work? The answer is no. We are all human, we need to remain sane. We need to enjoy the foods we love. We need to put an end to this deprivation mentality. We are not doing ourselves any favours. You’ll only become more frustrated and more likely to overindulge later on.
Many people link sugar consumption to an increase in body fat. This is not entirely the case! When we consume a carbohydrate-based food or one high in sugar, our body can work quite efficiently to break it down into glucose, the smallest usable molecule. This glucose gets transported around the body, with some of it getting used as energy there and then and some of it getting stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen for later use. When we experience a drop in blood glucose levels, the body releases this glycogen to bring us back into balance. Essentially, the more muscle one has, the more glycogen you are able store. So the long and the short of it, one piece of cake at your friends birthday dinner is not going to result in an increase of body fat. However, if this becomes a daily pattern, one where we regularly consume more carbohydrate and sugar than we can store, the body will then convert this excess to fat. Again, health is individualistic and everybody’s needs and levels of intake are different. I encourage you to check in with your health practitioner if you need a little helping hand to tweak your dietary patterns.
A little tip is *choose one day a week to enjoy something indulgent, a real treat, something that makes you smile and feel good. On the other hand, if you do splurge, don’t let the guilt ruin it. Accept it and move on.