Snacks can be a dangerous thing. That is, if we forget or overlook the real purpose of food in the first place. When we remember, snacks can be a powerful ‘tool’ for maximizing your health and performance.
Food is a source of FUEL. It provides energy and the raw materials for every function our bodies and minds need to perform.
I believe that we should be snacking – or re-fueling – at regular intervals throughout the day. This keeps our tanks topped off, so to speak. Every 2-4 hours, depending on activity levels and several other factors, we should supply a high quality, balanced snack in order to maximize all physiologic, mental & emotional functions.
Quality and quantity of fuel is of critical importance. The point of eating is not just to insert enough of a chewable substance in order to feel fullness in our bellies! “Filling up”, with little concern for the source of the filler, is not our primary focus if Health is something we’re interested in!
Cruddy fuel equals cruddy performance… regardless of whether or not we can ‘feel’ this happening. It’s basic physiology.
Unfortunately, we seem to forget this, particularly when it comes to snacks.
Understandably, it somehow seems easier to ‘stray’ from healthy choices when that tummy starts rumbling between meals. Oftentimes, we’re on-the-go, or at work or school… living life between meals. We’re inundated with the marketing of “snack foods” that are quick, easy, convenient, cheap, tasty, and come in handy-dandy little packages, many of them showing off their lovely little calorie count or “low-fat” properties right on the front of the wrapper and tricking us into thinking that *that* must somehow make them healthy!
I found this inaccurate view of “nutrition” especially upsetting when we returned to the school setting this year. I had forgotten how toxic and deficient kids’ snacks could be. I rarely saw fresh, real food. Packaged snacks were the norm. I know parents were simply trying to do their best – provide a snack that the kid likes, that tastes good, that woould curb their hunger ’til the next snack or meal, that’s cost-effective, and that’s as healthy as the label says. We’ve been SO misled.
(That’s why I made the “Healthy School Days Menu” … so our kids would learn to make better choices ‘on their own’! With the help of the menu and their mother, they’ve learned that 1) food is fuel, 2) how to treat their bodies with respect and care, and 3) there are consequences to their choices. Now the menu has become a kitchen essential in many other families’ homes!)
It doesn’t matter how many calories or how much fat a food or drink has if it’s made from toxic, chemical junk. Toxicity drives the stress response, causing our brains to produce a cascade of stress hormones affecting every single function throughout our bodies. Once in awhile and temporarily? Our brains and bodies can more effectively deal with the acute stress of toxicity. Sadly, our addiction to toxic, chemical “food” is not a once in awhile thing!
You may have thought you were doing the right thing, especially for weight loss, by choosing low-calorie, low-fat, diet or sugar-free options. But if the calories, fat and sugar have been decreased via toxic processing, or adding toxic ingredients or removing essential nutrients, you’ve been unknowingly sabotaging your efforts for better health and a better body. One of the stress hormones released is cortisol, which can cause you to GAIN weight and have a tougher time shedding it.
What’s the solution? HealthIER choices, of course!
Instead of reaching for those packaged snacks, stick to the basic “rules” of Nutrition that you probably know you should be following during meal time:
Eat REAL foods – not packaged, synthetic, factory foods.
Your snacks should come from healthy sources of protein, natural fats and fresh fiber (vegetables and fruit). Water is the drink of choice.
Whenever possible, choose CLEAN options that are closest to their naturally occurring state – that might mean organic, or it could mean free-range, grass-fed, free of antibiotics, hormones, steroids, nitrates, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, MSG, hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed fats, and so on.
Keep it real and keep it clean.
Our health would be greatly enhanced if we’d start looking at snacks as ‘mini meals’… not just that filler I talked about earlier!
On the go and “too busy” to prepare a healthy snack? For a nice balance of protein, natural fats and some fresh fiber, pack some nuts (like almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.) and some fresh veggies or fruit. When possible, choose raw nuts since this reduces the oxidation of those pesky polyunsaturated fats.
Nuts are great for many reasons. Because of their nice mix of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and all their antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, they meet many of our cellular requirements for optimal function. They also help us feel satisfied and ‘full’. They’re a great choice if you’re looking to shed some pounds of excess fat – they’ll keep your metabolism boosted and control your appetite. Bonus!
I didn’t mention grains or dairy as snack options, did I? I won’t open that can of worms too wide in this article, except to say that leading nutrition experts agree that we require clean sources of protein, naturally occurring fats (ALL types of natural fats), and fiber (especially from fresh sources like vegetables and fruit). Modern day, refined and highly processed toxic cereal grains and dairy don’t make the cut as far as cellular requirements go.
If you’re going to consume grains or dairy, or feed them to your kids, make sure they’re as non-toxic and untainted as possible, as close to their natural source as possible, and limit your intake. Sprouted whole grains and raw, unpasteurized, non-homogenized dairy are considered the safest, most nutritionally valuable sources. As part of an overall healthy and balanced diet, and in appropriate quantities, I believe these high quality sources of grains and dairy can be just fine.
In our family, we have some “food agreements”. (I know. You’re shocked!) One of those agreements is that our snacks must include real, “live” foods. That means, even on those days when mom gets lazy and provides an organic, whole grain &/or raw food bar as a snack – in a PACKAGE (!) – they’ve gotta’ have some fresh, live food along with it. And, no “grainy” snacks or “grainy” meals back-to-back. The same goes for dairy.
We don’t snack on junk because I don’t keep it in the house. If I did, I’d snack on junk! Definitely. I’m not *that* strong!! If you’re currently a junk-a-holic at snack time, try leaving it out of your shopping cart. If it doesn’t make it into your cart, the chances are better that you’ll eat less of it overall.
Anyhow, try this for a week or two. Think of snacks the same way you’d think about preparing healthy meals. Snacks are a source of FUEL for you two, three or four times per day. You owe it to yourself to think about them more carefully than food manufacturers and advertisers would like you to!
If shedding excess body fat is your goal, check out the complete plan in “The 7 Essential Keys to Shedding Toxic Fat & Unwanted Pounds”. You’ll find simple lifestyle strategies and tips based on REAL science that surpass what the rest of the “weight loss experts” are telling you!
