Are Snacks Ruining Your Diet?
Snacking is a fascinating and significant Topic of Snacking in the realm of nutrition and diet. In an attempt to control their intake, people snack between meals, to gratify their appetite or just as a habit or company. Conversely, snacking raises the level of hunger and thus, snacking is an ultimate cause of overeating. We will figure out the reasons of snacking, its possible consequences, and some of the best tips to break down your snacking habit in this blog.
Why Do People Snack? The Topic of Snacking
Not always snacking is due to hunger. Human beings take snacks in the middle of meals for different reasons such as to relieve stress, depression, or anxiety, or just for enjoyment. The social environment is a source of common snacking habits, where people snack to interact and bond with each other. Moreover, past food intake affects one’s desire for specific snacks. If you had been eating Doritos frequently, and suddenly you decided to eat Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, you might find yourself craving the first food more. This might lead to an excessive consumption of snacks and a loss of control over your snack intake.
Are Snacks Worse Than a High-Carbohydrate Diet?
Generally speaking, snacks are considered to be more harmful to health and weight control than a high-carbohydrate diet. My own point of view is that if I remove snacks from my diet, I will be able to lose weight and improve my health in general. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to mention that this is only my viewpoint and may not be applicable to everyone. You maintain your diet but do not snack between meals. Please, take notice of your body’s reactions and determine if there are any changes to your appetite and general health condition.
The Influence of Insulin
One of the primary reasons that snack foods may be harmful is the effect they have on insulin levels in the Topic of Snacking. To keep sugar levels in the blood at a normal level, the hormone insulin comes into play. A snack will raise the insulin level, hence, the calories to be taken from the food will increase. Pancreas is the organ that produces insulin, so its production is going to be very high if snacks are consumed during the day regularly. Over time, this most probably will lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition where cells in the body become less sensitive to insulin and thus higher amounts of insulin in the blood are required. This can lead to overweight, among other things, ailment problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc., may also be the consequences.
How to Stop Snacking
Ways to escape the snacking cycle and get your health back on track are several:
- Remove snacks from your diet, most importantly the ones you eat between meals. You will be giving your pancreas the opportunity to relax and therefore decrease insulin levels in your body.
- Change the diet to one that is low in carbohydrates. It is not only a good measure to lower insulin levels but also a way not to feel the need to eat snacks.
- Do not be afraid of fats; instead, consume them liberally but in a controlled manner. Fat remains in the stomach for a long time and hence, satiety is kept preventing the need for snacking.
- Make more use of fiber in your daily meals. For example, consume green leafy vegetables as they provide a good amount of fiber and also help in blood glucose stabilization.
- Eat more oily foods together rather than separately. For instance, by spreading olive oil over the salad and consuming celery with peanut butter, we are providing our body with what it needs thus helping to reduce insulin resistance.
- Make time for physical activities in your daily schedule. Exercise is a good way to solve insulin resistance problems as well as to keep oneself healthy.
Additional Considerations
It may be helpful to understand that a few people can have low blood sugar levels, which can be a cause of snacking. Nevertheless, grabbing a snack if blood sugar is low only continues the interactive cycle. In order to handle blood sugar in an effective way, it is very important to lower one’s carb intake and also to follow the recommendations given. Besides that, some vitamins and minerals such as B1, potassium, chromium, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D are good for insulin regulation and general health.
Conclusion
Briefly speaking, snacking can negatively influence your health and set back your weight management efforts. Getting rid of snacks, following a low-carb diet, eating healthy fats and fiber, and doing regular exercise will help you to come out of the snacking loop and, besides, to your general wellness, they will increase. Also, it is not the same solution for everybody. Hence, prior to any substantial modification in your diet or physical activity, you should definitely get a consultation from a healthcare professional.
Even more useful information about healthy eating — read it here!
