Why relying on a few main meals are essential for your body?

Integrating superfoods and healthy meals into your daily regime may reap little effects if one element is missed: how frequent do we eat and snack? Some friends come to me and say that if they stop eating, they feel weak and lack of energy. In this article, I am going to clarify (1) the difference between eating and snacking, (2) how eating affects insulin and (3) what happens to the body when we stop snacking, especially for health benefits?

First, snacks are not meals, are generally smaller in portion size, and happen in between meals. Sometimes, I am driven to put something into my mouth because I am emotionally stressed or going through a temporary craving. Craving is fleeting, it can go away fast if we go out for a walk, do some gentle exercise or water a plant. The attention is re-directed to other leisure activities.

Each time we eat, especially carbohydrates, the digestive system breaks down the digestible ones into sugar, which enters the blood. As blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that prompts cells to absorb blood sugar for energy or storage. For those who are managing diabetes, relying on main meals for important nutrients are really important. If the body can't make enough insulin or not use the insulin it makes properly, a person can gradually become vulnerable to diabete (type 2).

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How often matters

"It's not just about what we eat that matters to our health – it's also how often we eat and when," longevity expert Luigi Fontana, MD, PhD, FRACP, tells the Sydney Morning Herald. "Our ancestors didn't have the luxury of three meals a day and snacks. The way we eat has changed, and our eating frequency has increased for no physiological reason. People snack even if they're not hungry." 

Studies show that constant snacking all day long can lead to increased inflammation. "What we do know is that not only does snacking increase your likelihood of elevated inflammatory markers, but eating excessive calories also leads to weight gain," says Jenna Macciochi, PhD, via The Conversation. "Eating late has also been linked to elevated cholesterol and glucose and can make you more insulin resistant. This leaves you feeling more hungry the following day."

(You can read a full research here.)

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Eating less often means a lot when you are sick

When we are sick we need a lot of nutrients, so in the main meals, we pay attention to selecting the freshest, high quality foods and diversify the menu to reap the best effects. Giving the body ample time to rest, digest, and recycle old cells in the body on the one hand and eating healthy main meals on the other hands.

This can reduce the burden of preparing for meals and still support one to recover in the long term.

Take in liquid forms of nutritions/antioxidants when you don't eat like mushroom tea/herbal teas, etc

Don't rely on a few dishes but try to diversify your menu to make sure you have enough nutrition.

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How to get used to main meals only?

It is not easy to stop snacking. If you still like snacking, incorporate them into your eating time frame or main meals as a side dish/starters.

My recommendation for easing yourself into main meals are as below, you can choose what suits you:

route 1: small breakfast, big lunch, small dinner

route 2: no breakfast (only water/tea), big lunch, small dinner

route 3: only a big lunch and tea in morning & dinner

eat diversified, fresh, seasonal foods dense in nutrients..

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You can find a lot of inspirations for diabete-friendly meals here:

19 Diabetes-Friendly Lunches That Aren’t Salads

These diabetes-friendly lunch recipes, like cauliflower taco bowls and chicken sandwiches, are packed with nourishing ingredients for a tasty meal.

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