Snacking

When you focus on eating well balanced, nourishing meals, you may find that your desire to snack in between them may decrease. This can be beneficial for you as it allows the migrating motor complex (MMC), which acts like the housekeeper in your Small Intestines by clearing out bacteria, indigestible food, and cellular debris, out and down to the Large Intestine. When we snack in between meals, we stop the MMC from doing its job. Though it has been suggested that eating every few hours increases your metabolism, scientific evidence does not support this. Several studies conducted returned no backing to meal frequency having no significant effect on how many calories burned so check out PMID 1905998. In TICM, snacking is not something that is emphasised. This is due to the emphasis placed on the importance of well balanced and consistent meals. You are not tempted to snack because your body is receiving what it needs to optimally function. Cravings arise when organs are feeling an imbalance, through taste the body can communicate with you those needs. For example when you are craving a salty snack, it means your Kidneys could use a little TLC. Perhaps you have been over working and over extending yourself, and your Kidneys could be needing an energy boost. Eating a salad for a meal will most likely leave you hungry soon after, as I have many patients telling me that they had salads for lunch but then find themselves craving sweets, caffeine, or snack foods only an hour later. Eating a meal with fibre, carbohydrates, protein and vegetables and some soup or broth on the side will leave you feeling full and energised. Some days you may find yourself hungry in between meals and that is okay. Listen to your body always. Many times, excess hunger is masked dehydration and malnutrition for essentials. Make sure you are hydrated with ginger powder tea and warm water throughout the day. Magnesium deficiencies can also result in cravings.