Let’s move on with our final step…learning HOW to eat.
If you think this post isn’t for you, give me a chance. I believe that most people, even those who know a lot about healthy eating, don’t quite understand how to eat properly.
After years of practicing Nutritional Therapy, food blogging and obsessively feeding my growing family as “perfectly” as I could, I discovered that I didn’t understand HOW to eat. I realized that this concept of conquering how to eat could even be more important than WHAT to eat.
Here’s the basic idea for HOW to eat:
Eat only 3 satisfying meals per day. Maybe four. No snacking.
Many people have been told that it is healthy to eat small meals throughout the day- perpetually snacking and never eating a large meal. We believe this is the worst advice!
For healthy blood sugar regulation, the body produces a balanced amount of the hormones insulin and glucagon. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels and glucagon raises blood sugar levels, generally speaking. Insulin is produced when we eat and glucagon is produced when we don’t eat and begin to feel hunger. Both insulin and glucagon production is necessary for healthy blood sugar regulation and healthy weight management, among many other things.
When we constantly eat- even small meals and snacks- we are constantly stimulating insulin production which can lead to weight gain, hormone imbalance, insulin resistance, and, more seriously, dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and other organs of the endocrine (hormone) system. Even a bite of food can interrupt the healthy ebb and flow of blood sugar regulation because chewing begins the digestive and metabolic processes.
Traditional cultures around the world tend to eat balanced meals at specific meal times during the day, with limited or no snacking between meals. We believe this is the healthiest way to eat, not matter what age or size. This isn’t necessarily for weight loss, but is an appropriate way to eat to support the body and support weight management. Always be sure to eat appropriately for your level of daily activity.
How To Eat Rule:
Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with no snacking in between. If necessary, eat a small afternoon snack if there is an extended amount of time between lunch time and dinner time, or if you are highly active. Always choose the healthiest, most nutrient-dense foods and avoid processed, chemically-laden “non-foods”. Drink pure water throughout the day!
It’s simple folks.
Oh…and enjoying your food is pretty important, too!
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