Tips to Stop the Mindless Snacking
By Donna Stark
When it comes to the food you consume, many things can make or break your diet, but none so much as those extra snacks you eat throughout the day. If you choose healthy snacks, you can fuel your body with proper nutrition and support all of your health and fitness goals. However, if you choose unhealthy ones, you can pretty much expect those goals to become derailed. It's important to be very intentional with the foods you choose to include in your diet because mindless snacking can take its toll.
Why Are You Snacking?
Snacking isn't always a bad thing. There are certain times when your body craves nutrition and a healthy snack is more than appropriate (like after an intense workout). But there are also times when snacking is simply a situational or mindless response that feeds an emotion, and that is where many people run into trouble. Snacking that occurs when you aren't even hungry is the kind of snacking that needs to be changed, and if you that's the type of snacking you find yourself struggling with, you may want to take a look at the following tips on how to stop it.
- Understand the why - Before you can make any significant changes, it would help to understand why you turn to snacks. Keeping track of the snacks you are eating, how you are feeling emotionally, and what is going on at the time can help you identify the triggers that keep you in this unhealthy cycle.
- Eat healthy, satisfying meals - Filling your body with nutrient-dense meals can help curb those cravings to snack. Make sure your meals have enough protein, healthy fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates to get you from one meal to the next.
- Stay hydrated - Dehydration is often misinterpreted as hunger, so the next time you are craving a snack when you know you shouldn't be hungry, make a point to reach for that glass of water instead. It may be all that you need.
- Avoid temptations - It's simple. If you know that your coworker brings donuts into the break room every Friday, keep yourself busy and snack on that apple you brought into work instead. And if you have self-control issues while at home during the night, avoid buying unhealthy snacks in the first place. Small behavior changes like these may be hard at first, but will be worth it in the end!
Not All Snacks Are Bad
Choosing healthy snacks at the right times during your day can be a good thing so don't deprive yourself of something that your body needs. It's the other type of snacking that you want to reduce, and you can do so by being intentional and breaking those bad habits before they get the best of you.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Sunset Hills, Mo.