8 Strategies to Prevent Your Snack From Becoming a Meal
SNACKING IS A POPULAR American pastime. Nearly all of us (94 percent) snack at least once a day, while half of all adults snack two or three times per day. It’s easy to see why: From cookies in the conference room to vending machines full of chips and crackers on every floor, our environment makes it easy to spend all day eating. When done correctly, snacking can be a good thing. It can help you get to your next meal without being too hungry (thus preventing overeating) and, when balanced, can help keep your blood sugar and energy level stable throughout the day. But most snack foods tend to be highly processed, low in nutrients and high in sugar. These types of snacks give you a temporary energy boost, but very quickly you’ll bottom out and feel fatigued and hungry again. And…
Could Fatty Foods Make You Hungrier?
Scientists have known for several years now that people are partly controlled by the gremlins and goats in their stomachs… Pardon me, I mean ghrelin, the so-called “hunger hormone” that triggers appetite when it interacts with fatty acids in the stomach, and GOAT, the enzyme that facilitates that interaction. (But when I’m really hungry, I could swear there are a few of those other creatures kicking around in my belly, too!) Until now, it’s been assumed that the fatty acids which activate ghrelin are something the body produces when we’re not eating, meaning that hunger is inevitably triggered by an empty stomach. Turns out that may not be the case, however. Instead, it seems to be ingested dietary fats that activate ghrelin—in other words, eating a deep-fried Twinkie may actually make you hungrier! (Or, to put it visually…) This twist comes from a new…
Ask Smithsonian: Why Do We Love Junk Food So Much?
What is it that keeps so many of us bellying up for double-decker burgers, dipping repeatedly and obsessively into bags of crunchy chips, and chasing it all down with super-sweet soda? These so-called junk foods hit us right where our taste buds live and also satisfy a love of sugar that we’re born with. But the burgeoning, and in some cases, chronic, consumption of junk is driven by peer pressure and marketing—not physiological need—say nutrition experts. “People love the way they taste,” said Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. But she said, that love is aided and abetted by the fortunes that manufacturers put into formulating those products, marketing them, and establishing brand loyalty. “Studies show that brand preference trumps taste every time,” said Nestle. What is junk food? “Most people…
Are Your Food Cravings Trying to Tell You Something?
As I sat down to write this blog post, I couldn’t concentrate. Instead of thinking about cravings, one of the subjects I recently discussed with Marci Pelchat of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, I couldn’t stop thinking about my own overwhelming urge to eat some of the homemade peach and berry crisp siting on the kitchen table. Was my body trying to tell me that I needed the antioxidants in the berries? It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to figure out that, in this case, the craving probably had more to do with psychology (namely, procrastination) than biology. But is a food craving ever a message from your body that you are lacking something in your diet? Other than a few kinds of extreme deficiencies, probably not, Pelchat says. If research animals are deprived of salt, for instance, they will tend to…
It’s okay to have a late-nigh snack—just make sure i checks these 3 boxes
Even if you throw together the most drool-worthy dinnertime feast of cauliflower pizza or opt for the breakfast-for-dinner route with a hearty stack of sweet-potato protein pancakes, late-night hunger pangs might still come knocking a few hours later. Rather than going on autopilot and reaching for options that are easy to consume way beyond their recommended serving sizes (looking at you, almond butter spooned from the jar), you can take the guesswork out of snacking by following a bonafide, good-for-you formula. Spoiler alert: It’s both nutritionist- and taste-buds-approved. “The key is finding balance and not overindulging, and watching portion size—especially later in the evening.” —Rebecca Ditkoff, RD Rebecca Ditkoff, MPH, RD, CDN, and founder of health-coaching company Nutrition by RD tells HuffPostthat the main goal of your moonlight-munchies sesh should be to keep you full until the a.m., adding that it’s best to be…
How to Avoid Vacation Weight Gain
Use these three fail-proof strategies: 1. Rise and sweat. A quick morning exercise session sets the tone for a healthy day. And you don’t have to just hit the hotel gym. Instead, take advantage of your unique surroundings and find vacation-like ways to move. For example, walk around the town for an hour and explore new streets, shops and cafes. Or, take a jog on the beach, swim laps in the pool, or sign up for an a.m. snorkeling class…or yoga on the beach. 2. Stick to your regular (healthy) eating plan. In other words, continue with your normal routine: Maybe it’s eggs and fruit for breakfast, salads for lunch, and fish with veggies for dinner. However…. 3. Enjoy a daily splurge. It’s vacation after all, so allow yourself one delicious indulgence each day. Anything goes from French toast for breakfast…a pasta entrée or paella at dinner…or an umbrella drink on the beach. Eater’s choice! Eat slowly, and savor every delicious bite (or sip).