How to know if snacking is bad for you?

Day 1 Facebook Live

I took the opportunity to discuss the effect eating has on different hormones. This gives you an overall understanding of the impact snacking has on hormones and your metabolism.

Hormones which I cover in the Facebook Live are:

Cortisol
Leptin
Progesterone
Insulin

Also discussed:

Why some people binge snack?

When is snacking ok?

Fasting versus lots of little meals

I’m not anti-snacking. But I do think it is a good idea to understand how snacking impacts each person. If you have low progesterone coupled with too high cortisol, snacking less frequently will suit your metabolic needs much more.

Understanding the ‘WHY’ behind snacking is also an important factor.

Are you Hungry or …

Bored
Feeling guilty
Going through acute stress
Experiencing shame

Or maybe you have a hormone imbalance?

My general advice is to start off by ensuring you have three meals per day. Get these meals to suit your metabolic type. Then if you need to add in snack times, do so between breakfast and lunch, or lunch and dinner.

Menstrual Cycle

Your menstrual impacts your appetite. Which results in more food being consumed. During the 2nd half of your menstrual cycle just after ovulation, progesterone rises, serotonin lowers and women become insulin resistant. By, remembering this you can plan. It’s a good idea during this time to ensure you eat some more starch at each of your three meals. This will help to stabilise serotonin and hopefully reduce ‘feeding frenzy’ symptoms.

Fasting

Try and fast overnight, which means no snacking after dinner. Snacking after dinner has been shown to increase LDL (bad cholesterol) as well as an increased risk of obesity. So, once you have dinner don’t eat until breakfast. This is a good 11 hours of fasting (make sure that dinner was a good one though. Balanced with fat, protein and carb)

Women should be careful when it comes to fasting longer than overnight. As it can negatively impact hormone balance. Particularly if you have conditions with elevated testosterone such as PCOS – fasting too long with stress can exacerbate these conditions.

DAY 2 Facebook Live Q&A

In the 2nd episode, I answered some questions sent to me via email.

Q1 – I was told snacking every 2-3 hours was correct for hormone issues?

Q2 – Is snacking the same as 5 smaller meals?

Q3 – Does snacking help to keep blood sugar levels steady?

Q4 – Should fruit be eaten on its own, how does this work when it comes to balancing meals?

To sum up, I’m not a snack hater. But it pays to be conscious of your choices and how often you snack. A healthy diet should not rely on snacking to get through the day.

7 Great Habits to Navigate Snacking

Start by having three balanced meals a day, and see how that supports you.

If you get hungry add in a healthy snack between breakfast & lunch, or lunch & dinner.

Try and ensure your snack is balanced with protein or fat for sustained energy or some slow carb.

If you crave due to boredom, guilt, stress, anxiety, loneliness then choose another activity to take your mind off food.

When you snack has a designated snack time, sit down and enjoy your snack.

Don’t snack after dinner. Studies show snacking too much before bed can lead to elevated cholesterol and a higher risk of obesity.

If you are hungry always snack on something savoury.

Naomi Judge

How to know if snacking is bad for you?

How to know if snacking is bad for you?