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Dinner Diva: Snacking keeps you fat

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dinner diva leanne elyOne of things I used to promote was eating 5-6 small meals a day. That’s right, you just kept that jaw chewing and your body in digestive mode pretty much all day.

Well, guess what?

It doesn’t work!

As a matter of fact, it’s ruinous to your health and will keep your blood sugar levels perpetually up (that means your pancreas is exhausted from constantly pumping insulin-and that eventually leads to diabetes type 2, folks).

Snacking also increases the risk of bacterial overgrowth in the intestinal tract. This is because the digestive waves need time to reset and to move things along. If you’re a snacker, there’s constantly food in there and there’s no time for the reset to happen. Food stays in the system too long and you end up with SIBO (Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth)

NOT everyone ends up with SIBO of course, but it does put you more at risk.

Snacking all day (yes, even healthy snacks!) also puts you at higher risk for acid reflux, especially if you’re a nighttime snacker.

Or how about constipation? That’s a fun one! Snackers are more likely to be constipated because of the lack of peristalsis; larger meals will trigger the nervous system’s reflex, but constant snacking will not.

And finally, it messes up your hormones–leptin and ghrelin are the hunger hormones. Proper leptin levels help you stay in control while ghrelin is the gremlin making you want to strap on the feedbag!

You are constantly stimulating that gremlin and suppressing your leptin if you’re always eating throwing everything out of whack, turning yourself into a food beast!

The solution?

Eat three good meals a day–better, eat TWO good meals a day.  And start your day with a collagen rich smoothie like one of my favorites:

Green Garden Chocolate Smoothie

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 celery stick, chopped
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1/2 apple, peeled
1/2 cup fresh kale, chopped
1 tablespoon flax seeds
2 scoops Perfect Paleo Protein 2.0
1 scoop FiberMender 3.0

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a blender, add unsweetened coconut milk, celery, cucumber, apple, kale, flax seeds, PPP and Fibermender 3.0; blend until smooth and enjoy! It’s ok to add a tad more milk or water, if a thinner smoothie is preferred.

Here’s the deal. We were sold a bill of goods a few years back when it came to eating 5-6 small meals a day.

Yes, eating like this means you won’t ever feel hungry, but you need to know what hunger feels like so you know when it’s time to eat!

And you need to give your poor body a break!

Two tasty, healthy meals a day, one amazing, nutrient dense, keep you full smoothie each day is the ticket to holding on to your health and holding on to a healthy weight.

If you have weight to lose, this formula works well too!

Do your own research. You’ll be surprised at this all-you-can-eat small meal deal has become a relic of the past, it just plain doesn’t work and it keeps your body in a state of stress as well.

And speaking of research, check this out:

In one study, a high protein breakfast smoothie (at least 20 grams of protein) helps you eat less calories (but still get the nutrients you need when you make them our way!).

In another study, high protein breakfasts help cut cravings by 60% and late night snacking in half!

Three more studies–one shows that increasing your protein especially with a breakfast smoothie, helps you to eat up to 441 calories less per day without actively trying to limit your portions.

Love this study–smoothies containing at least 20 grams of protein, decreased hunger by 50-65%! WOO HOO!!

AND, by the end of a 12 week study, participants lost an average of 11 pounds!!

Now THAT is great news!

Making sure your protein rich smoothies are nutrient rich is the key!

PS–We’ll help you dial this smoothie thing in–we’ll send you a FREE smoothie recipe ebook with each order of our Perfect Paleo Protein! (YES, that includes the Kits!)

Leanne Ely is a NYT bestselling author and the creator of SavingDinner.com, the original menu planning website, bringing families back to the dinner table for over 15 years.

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