6 simple good habits to stop snacking
You may eat breakfast, morning snacks are a must, and in the afternoon cravings are frequent, not to mention evening when you get home, where do you throw yourself in the fridge? Quickly discover 6 good habits to adopt now to stop snacking.
Nearly 4 in 10 people admit to consuming at least one "other than a meal" a day, according to a study published by the Research Center for the Study and Monitoring of Living Conditions.
As explained by Florence de Le Roux, a dietitian and nutritionist, a "smart" snack is not the first enemy of the line, provided that you choose the right food and prohibit nibbling, which is on the other hand a weight gain factor ...
To avoid throwing yourself a box of baby cookies in the kitchen when you come back from a long day, and candy and chocolates at the office, here are some simple tips.
Improve your sleep quality
You may have noticed this already, but sleeping and feeling hungry are sometimes closely related. In the question, there are two types of hormones: leptin which is the "satiety hormone", and ghrelin which is the "digestive hormone" that stimulates appetite.
Eat enough during meals
Wanting to stop snacking is fine when you want to lose weight, but drastically reducing the amounts eaten during meals is not the answer. If you don't give your body everything it needs at breakfast, lunch and dinner, you risk "starving" it and throwing yourself more on sweets and other snacks outside of meals!
Eating a balanced diet (by including legumes and proteins in the menus for the cytogenic effect) and in sufficient quantity for your needs, is a good way to respect the three meals a day, without any disruption in the meantime.
Set aside at least 20 minutes for each meal
To take a meal, whatever it is, it is necessary to be calm, and to take the time to chew it. Physiologically, it takes your body at least 20 minutes to be able to send the signal until it is full, so take your time!
Also, we turn off screens (phone, TV, computer, etc.) when we eat: if something distracts you when you eat, you will eat 20-30% more, as if you were snacking, without even realizing it. Because you are focusing on something else!
Choose a (really) balanced breakfast.
It's not recommended to leave this meal out for breakfast, arguing that you have a day to burn off your calories, but skipping this meal isn't the answer either, if you want to last all morning without being tempted to snack. So your choices at breakfast matter. Ideally, a balanced breakfast consists of:
Hot drink without sugar (tea or coffee according to your preference)
Protein food (almonds, cheese, pork, eggs or yogurt)
Low-refined grain source (whole bread or oatmeal)
Whole fruit (not fruit juice!)
Expect a healthy snack
In order to meet your energy needs during the day, and to avoid the urge to throw yourself on the fridge when you get home, providing a snack is essential. In addition, they allow you to reduce quantities at meal times, without feeling hungry when leaving the table.
But beware, not just any snack! The morning before you leave the house, always plan in your bag a handful of almonds, hazelnuts, or fruit. Gourmets can even get a square of dark chocolate (at least 60, 70% cocoa).
Brush your teeth after every meal
As we know, for the issue of hygiene and oral health, brushing your teeth after a meal is a must, but to avoid snacking, this ritual is also a plus. Providing a sensation of freshness in the mouth, thanks to menthol toothpastes, you repel the craving for a sweet snack. So even after lunch or a snack, think about it!