The shrieking cacophony of your alarm jolts you out of bed way too early for your own liking. The only thing that will make you feel like you’re not a zombie is gulping down a cup or two of coffee.
If you have time to make anything for breakfast, it’s most likely just a piece of toast. Your day is so busy that you don’t have time to eat anything else until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. Maybe for lunch, you’ll scarf a turkey sandwich with wheat bread, mayo and tomatoes and lettuce.
By 3 p.m. you wish you worked for a progressive company that encourages employees to refresh in a nap pod.
Can you relate to this? If so, you’re setting yourself up for binge eating later in the evening to make up for the insufficient calories earlier in the day. This can lead to weight gain.
To prevent this, you need to do the following:
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Include protein, natural dietary fat, and slow-burning, low-starch carbohydrates at every meal. Miracle Noodle, of course, is a great substitute for high-starch carbs like pasta.
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Eat at consistent times every day. This will get your body used to a regular routine and help eliminate cravings.
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Eat enough fiber at every meal. Fiber helps keep you full. Vegetables are loaded with fiber.
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Avoid sugar: sugar can raise blood sugar levels. After blood sugar levels come down, your blood sugar levels can actually become lower than before the meal. That’s why binge eating can occur; it’s a vicious cycle.
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If you need to snack, eat a handful of fruit with nuts and/or seeds. The natural fat from the nuts/seeds will help keep you full.
Small changes in nutrition and eating habits can make a huge difference. Here are some other ways to maintain energy throughout the day. Adopt these principles and you will likely not succumb to overeating.
Eat food that gives you steady energy
You shouldn't feel either wired or dead tired after you eat or drink something. If you feel an energy crash within an hour or two hours after eating, you didn’t eat the right food(s). Usually, it’s because of eating too many high-starchy carbs such as regular pasta or rice.
Eat at regular times throughout the day
New research suggests that for those that have trouble with overeating, eating three meals a day is better (see our blog on this subject). Some dietitians recommend eating at the same time every day to help maintain blood sugar levels and prevent energy crashes. For example, 8 a.m., noon, and 5 p.m. If necessary, you can have a snack at 8 p.m. of a handful of olives or fruit with walnuts or other nut/seed options.
Don’t be afraid of fat
Even if you want to lose weight, you need to eat dietary fat, healthy sources of dietary fat, that is. Healthy dietary fat serves several important health functions, one of which is helping in reducing the size of abdominal fat cells! Healthy sources of fat like avocado, olive oil and nuts and seeds also help give structure to our trillions of cells.
Fat contains over twice as many calories per gram as carbohydrates and protein. This is a double-edged sword. Healthy fat is nutrient dense so you don’t need to eat a lot of it to feel full. But because fat contains 9 calories per gram, limit your portion sizes if you’re trying to lose weight.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of learning how to prevent energy crashes!
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