Eating five or six small meals throughout the day, as opposed to two or three larger ones, is a new idea that dieticians and nutritionists are talking about. Eating a greater number of smaller meals, sometimes referred to as “grazing,” keeps your body’s metabolism revving as it is constantly digesting food. The concept is like a whole day of moderate physical activity, as compared to a few short bursts of intense exercise. Slow and steady may just win the race.
We’ve known for a long time that it’s a good idea to avoid really large meals. The basic problem with large meals is fat: your body stores as much as it can from these feasts, maybe a good thing to do thousands of years ago when our ancestors didn’t know where their next meal was coming from, but today it’s not so helpful, or necessary. So, if eating many meals can help you avoid over-indulging at any one sitting, this is a great system to utilize. Your stomach works more effectively when it’s not stretched to the limit anyway. Also, many people find that eating five or six small meals throughout the day gives them a more constant energy level throughout the day, helping to avoid that post-lunch sluggish feeling.
Come to think of it, you could avoid that post-lunch empty feeling in your wallet if you packed a few healthy snacks to get you through the day. Your creative sandwich ideas won’t seem insufficient if you’re also taking a small salad, carrot sticks, pistachios, and a non-dairy yoghurt to eat throughout the day. Have a warming and nourishing dinner size meal when you lunch with colleagues, this allows for the remaining hours in the day to digest those calories, and avoid the extra calories most people take to bed. Maybe those healthy apples and oranges will get eaten too, since they’re so easy to grab on the go!
Remember, even when you’re eating five or six small meals throughout the day, what you eat during those smaller meals is still important. Did you know your body burns calories simply digesting all of the things you eat? For simple carbs and refined sugars (donuts, cookies and cola), you’ll only burn two to four percent of the calories you take in during the digestion process. Complex carbs like pasta, potatoes and bagels burn about 20 percent, while proteins like turkey and eggs burn about 25 to 30 percent, simply through digestion. So make sure that you’re not over-indulging in processed snack foods, which are often loaded with refined sugars and simple carbs. My new book, What shall I Eat? released July 4, 2010 will be packed with information and guidance for a healthier you.
For more information, please call 1-800-GET-THIN (800-953-5000) and visit www.WeightLossCenters.com or www.youtube.com/lapbanddiet .