How To Resist The Snacking Urge And Control Calories

Stress, boredom, fatigue… we too often want to bite into something. And these small deviations have a cost to health.

Why Do We Especially Want Sweet And Fatty Foods?

When the urge to nibble is there, it’s hard to reason with yourself and not to bite into a pastry or a chocolate bar! Sugar, on contact with the many sweet taste receptors in the oral cavity, triggers an immediate chemical response of taste satisfaction. The presence of lipids increases this effect tenfold: the fat, put in the mouth and brought to a temperature of 37 °, has a coating effect on a large number and a wide variety of taste receptors. The fun is at its maximum!

Snacking All Day Long, Is It That Bad?

Having very frequent food intakes can be dangerous if the habit sets in permanently. Indeed, this eating behavior makes our digestive metabolism work constantly. As if the machine was still running at full speed … To regulate blood sugar, our body is programmed to provide a number of insulin responses throughout our existence. If our blood sugar is perpetually high, our body will work intensely to regulate it. In the long term, appears as a phenomenon of fatigue and wear and tear of the digestive organs which will inevitably have repercussions on health.

So The Body Needs To Take Breaks Between Meals?

Of course. It is recommended to space out food intake by at least four hours so that the digestive cycle can proceed normally and completely. When the body digests, it devotes all its energy to it.

Everyone has been able to verify it: after a meal, our body slows down. Times of fasting allow the body to concentrate fully on other daily activities, physical or intellectual. We must not think that the brain, like the whole body, is in constant need of food: everything works much better outside periods of digestion!

Also Read: How Do Antioxidants Protect Our Skin?

What If The Urge To Snack Is Too Strong?

So I invite you to review the composition of your meals, by adding foods that bring satiety, such as slow hydrated sugars (pasta, rice, cereals…) and proteins (meat, fish, eggs). Otherwise, it is possible to nibble intelligently: apple, apricots, a banana, a few almonds… which will not trigger a strong insulin response.

You can also drink a large glass of water or divert your attention by inhaling essential oils: Lavender for a soothing effect or Lemon tree for a gourmet effect. Most of the time, snacking worries benefit from being taken care of more broadly, for example with the support of adaptogenic plants that help to cope with stress, such as Rhodiola, or plants that help stabilize weight, like Green tea, Hibiscus