Trends in America show that in the 1970s people were mostly eating 3 meals a day — breakfast, lunch, and dinner. By 2004, people were eating closer to 5 to 6 times per day and the trend has continued to 2020. 

Controlling blood sugar and insulin is key to optimal health and having sustained energy throughout the day. Keeping glycemic variability to a minimum will help prevent type 2 diabetes and avoid crashing throughout the day. 

Here are some common food cravings and what they could mean for you:

When you crave something crunchy like pretzels or potato chips, you could be yearning for salt, which could indicate you are thirsty and need to drink more water.

Sugar releases serotonin, the feel-good chemical, which fires off in your brain. If you’re craving sweets, you may actually need a mood boost.

If you want starchy white carbs like bread, pasta or crackers, your craving comes from the same place as your craving of sweets; your body treats them the same way. If you’re mentally or emotionally exhausted and need a boost, you may crave these calorie-dense foods.

When you’re feeling down, you may crave the foods your parents made for you when you were sick or sad as a child. Chicken noodle soup, meatloaf, lasagna, mac and cheese and mashed potatoes are all examples of heavy comfort foods that you may still believe will make you feel loved.

TIPS To Help with Snacking:  

-Eat nutrient-dense satiating meals (as mentioned above). It will be easier to wait longer for your next meal.  

-Don’t buy senseless snack food, drink mineral water between meals and close the kitchen between meals.  

-Make it a habit to eat your meals at a table.  That way you are not eating in the car, movie theatre, on the couch, and anywhere else.

-Drink Mineral or Sparkling Water when feel hunger coming on.

-Distract Yourself — Go for a walk, play a game or read.

Bottom line is if you want to gain weight eat 4-6 meals per day or if you want to lose weight eat 1-2 meals with minimum snacking. The main idea is to eat less often, not to eat less.  Also, by avoiding frequent snacking and not eating till you are actually hungry, you can normalize your ghrelin levels (hunger hormone). 

If you love the Get Lean Eat Clean Podcast, we’d love for you to subscribe, rate, and give a review on iTunes. Until next time!

Links:

Watch Get Lean Eat Clean podcast video episodes on YouTube!

https://www.21dayfastingchallenge.com/

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