Snacks the good, the bad and the downright ugly!

*This post may contain affiliate links. See the disclosure policy for more information.

In any eating plan, the key word is plan.  Most of our clients fail to plan and as a result, let themselves down when it comes to their nutrition, but most importantly the snacks.  Our bodies require energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to function and survive, however, we don’t eat all day and so as a result, we have this awesome built in energy delivery system that converts the foods we eat into energy and then drip feeds it to the cells of our body on an as required basis and it goes something like this:

When we eat, our food is broken down in the digestive system and any glucose (preferred energy source) in the foods enters the blood stream causing our blood glucose levels to rise. The pancreas secretes insulin to reduce the amount of glucose in our blood stream and it does this in 3 different ways.    Firstly it provides all of the cells of our body with a means of grabbing the glucose in the blood stream, (except the brain which doesn’t need insulin).  We can store about 4 hours worth of energy as glucose in our blood stream.  Next, when insulin is detected in the blood stream the liver can suck it out of the blood stream, convert it to long chains of glucose molecules called glycogen and store it in the liver and muscles for later use. Lastly, once insulin is detected in the bloodstream, the hypothalamus (a small area of the brain) releases another hormone called “Leptin” which sends a signal to the brain telling us, “I’m Full”.

As our blood glucose levels fall due to the three insulin induced responses described above, the pancreas releases another hormone called “Glucagon”, which instructs the liver to access the stored glycogen stores and convert them back into circulating glucose for use as energy by our cells.  It also stimulates a hormone in the stomach called, “Ghrelin” which counteracts the effects of Leptin giving us the feeling of being hungry. And in case you were wondering, a similar system exists for when we eat fat.  When we’ve eaten enough fat, the upper intestines release a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK) which tells the hypothalamus to suppress hunger and make us feel full.

By knowing how this system works, you can now have a huge impact on it by selecting the right foods to eat at both meal and snack time, because you can directly impact on your insulin levels in your blood stream and therefore affect the way your body creates and stores fat.  You see, while insulin is vital for your constant supply of energy, it is also directly involved in your body’s ability to create new fat cells and store fat on your body.

As an example, a meal or snack laden with a truck load of sugar like a muffin, chocolate cake, orange juice, can of coke or even a bowl of nutri grain will require a sudden and large amount of insulin to be secreted from the pancreas to deal with the sudden burst of glucose entering the blood stream. This sudden burst of insulin will send your blood sugar levels plummeting, requiring a sudden burst of glucagon to counteract the sudden plummet of glucose levels.  This sets off a roller coaster ride of blood sugar levels until such time as they can be stabilised, usually by a meal consisting of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

By making a better and informed choice when it comes to snacking, you can maintain your blood sugar levels at a relatively stable level throughout the entire day, thereby minimising the roller coaster ride and reducing the amounts of insulin and glucagon being released from the pancreas.  This will in turn produce a steadier and more constant supply of energy via the release of glucose into the blood stream and also minimise the risk of health issues.

So, what snacks do I suggest?  Your snacks should consist of either carbs & protein together or good fats and protein together, but never carbs and good fats together (both are pure energy sources) and never carbs on their own.

I use my workouts to govern my snack combo.  If I’m training before breakfast then I have a pre-workout snack of carbs/protein.  If I’m training mid morning, I’ll have breakfast early, and have my post workout snack of carbs/protein.  If I’m training mid afternoon, I’ll have breakfast, morning snack of carbs/protein, lunch and a post workout snack of carbs/protein.  If I’m training after work I’ll have breakfast, morning snack of protein/carbs, lunch, afternoon snack of protein/good fats, and then a post workout snack of protein/carbs and then dinner.

To help you make that healthy choice, here’s a great resource, FREE for you.  Its an e-book titled Healthy Snacks. Simply click on the link to get your own free copy for you to have.