The correct approach to healthy eating relies on a number of principles, and eating little and often is one of the most important of these.  Fuelling up frequently keeps the metabolism ticking over evenly and supplies you with a steady energy supply.

Many people come from a “three square meals a day” background and are nervous about eating between meals.  They worry that if they eat five times a day they will eat far too much – a concern that stems from a history of denial and excess.  With my approach, however, the danger of over-eating is reduced as you will be eating the traditional three meals a day, but dividing them into five smaller meals.

Avoid the insulin rollercoaster

Eating mid-morning and mid-afternoon is vital to keep your energy levels constant and avoid the “lows” leading to cravings and poor food choices.  When you’re hungry, for example, rather than drink coffee, which will raise blood-glucose levels and suppress the normal hunger response, you could have a simple snack that will supply nutrients and slow-releasing energy instead.  It doesn’t have to be complicated, nor does it have to be traditional or hard work.

Snacks can be as simple as a cracker or two with unsweetened nut butter, or a piece of fibrous fruit, such as an apple or pear, with some nuts or seeds.  Eating a small palmfull of seeds with a piece of fruit will supply minerals, nutrients, essential fats and protein, while the fruit offers fiber and yet more nutrients.  Perhaps of more relevance to weight loss, the combination of protein, essential fats and fiber is one that is broken down slowly by the body so you will limit hunger, and let blood-glucose levels rise gently to avoid triggering a surge of insulin.

Pre-made foods from the deli counter can make ideal bases for good snacks, such as hummus with some celery or a carrot.  It doesn’t have to be beautiful, your don’t need plates, no tables need laying – you just open the tube of hummus and scoop some up with the vegetables.  Left-overs also make great snacks, for example, if you have some chicken and vegetables for a main meal, make a little more and leave it for snack-time.

For more information on nutrition visit my web page or contact Jacky on 07958 442382