Balanced Snacking

Countless people have tried diets that, when followed, do result in weight loss. The problem is, the diet is usually too restrictive to maintain for any extended period of time. Who wants to feel overly hungry and deprived all of the time? This is not fulfilled living. Eating should be inspiring and guilt-free. It's how we fuel our bodies so that we can fulfill our life's purpose, whatever that may be, without unnecessary health problems.

Weight loss is very much about keeping blood glucose/sugar levels steady throughout the day. Insulin plays a big role as well, since when blood glucose levels spike, the body produces insulin to bring it back down to normal. When the body is constantly having to pump out insulin to normalize blood sugar, say from sipping on sodas, sweet tea and juices all day, we've got a problem. This is because insulin causes the body to store fat. So, high insulin levels means lots of fat storage, especially in the belly area. Insulin also feeds tumor cells. Yikes! This means that we need to eat in a way that supports normal levels of insulin production.


Most of us typically run into other problems with blood sugar as well. When we skip meals or don't have balanced snacks between meals, blood sugar levels drop and we are suddenly very irritable (Some people get violent), we may get shakey, dizzy or get a headache, and we are ravenously hungry. We tend to be so hungry that even when we're full, we can't seem to stop eating. We're having an internal conversation that sounds like this:
"OK, I feel full, but this tastes so good. Just a little more. I'll stop after this. Oh, but I just want to keep eating! Oh man, did I seriously just finish these chips by myself? My meal hasn't even come yet! " Am I right or am I right?

Let me paint the physiological picture now: You're getting low blood sugars from skipping meals and snacks, which then makes you REALLY hungry. At dinner, you overeat, which sends your blood sugar soaring, which causes large amounts of insulin to be pumped out in response. Then perhaps we wake up full from our large dinner the night before and we skip breakfast. The craving cycle begins again.

With proper planning of meals and snacks, we can break this cycle. I like to focus clients and patients on having Balanced Snacks to avoid the craving cycle. I focus on snacks to do this because if they are balanced in protein, carbohydrate and fat, and taken mid-morning and mid-afternoon, they help us to achieve a goal that's commonly set but missed: cutting portions at meal time.

Now, let's take this a step further. In reality, we typically get all or more than we need at meal
times where carbohydrates are concerned. When we snack on breads, cookies, chips, cereal, etc, we're likely going over the amount of starches/carbs our bodies need each day (and at one time) for proper functioning. This means that these carbs are extra energy that will be stored as fat. Additionally, many of us are eating too many carbs at meal times because didn't eat a Balanced Snack 1-3 hours beforehand.
A first step to decreasing your overall carb intake from excessive to normal, is to commit to having only fruit or vegetables as your snack-time carb. You're having complex carbs instead of grains and starch here. Pair it up with 1 serving of protein and fat (nuts, cheese, milk, egg) to make it last and to keep your blood sugar from dipping in another 1-2 hours. By practicing Balanced Snacking, you will automatically eat less at your meal, cutting your carb intake again, without feeling deprived. Trying to lower your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure or control diabetes? If you practice Balanced Snacking, you can achieve all of these health goals and then some.
Not only are you cutting your carb intake with Balanced Snacking, you're increasing your fruit and veggie intake, which always makes us feel better and lose weight. Snacking this way is not
only balanced in carbs, protein and fat, it BRINGS BALANCE to your diet and your life. The best part is, Balanced Snacking tastes great!

Examples of Balanced Snacks:

• 1/3 cup raw almonds and an apple
• 2 TBSP almond butter and apple slices or carrot sticks
• 2 TBSP peanut butter with celery
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese with fresh peaches
• 1 string cheese and grapes
• mixed green/veggie salad with 1 sliced boiled egg and 1 tsp olive oil dressing
• cantaloupe wrapped in sliced turkey
• 1/2 cup tuna salad (made with minimal mayo) and orange slices
• plain yogurt sweetened with vanilla extract, cinnamon and a sweet fruit(s) such as pineapple or mango.
• There are many more combinations to be tried!
• Figs and 1 oz of Gouda cheese.

Extra tips:

• 1 oz of cheese is about the size of a domino.

• 1/3 cup of nuts is usually a handful. Measure it out for a while before eyeballing it.

Try Balanced Snacking and let me know on the Gourmet Healer Facebook page, how it works for you. You must commit to it in order for it to work, and you must do some planning ahead if you're going to be out and about. You can put together simple snacks like 1/3 cup raw nuts and 1/4 cup raisins or currents in a bag, or an apple along with a bag of raw almonds. Always have Balanced Snacks with you instead of relying on the corner store or "snack" machine, which 9 times out of 10 will steer you wrong.

Blessings and Good Health,
The Gourmet Healer