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By Olivia Janisch

If you snack like a hungry ogre it can lead to weight gain, lack of energy, poor skin, hormone imbalances and mood swings. If done right, snacking can give us a boost of energy and tide us over until the next meal. Spending time in between meals eating things from the gas station is a poor choice for a few reasons:

1. Because you’re not getting any nutrients you’re actually not satisfying any craving and it’s way too easy to overeat this way. And that’s what makes people fat.

2. The rush of refined sugars and carbohydrates throws the body into shock and leads to spikes and crashes in blood sugar. Constant fluctuation in blood sugar levels can lead to hypoglycemia and/or insulin resistance, both of which can result in weight gain, exhaustion, and moodiness. See: grumpy tired blob.

3. These refined ingredients leave us with a groggy or hazy feeling so instead of breezing through those expense reports we end up spending twice as much time on one task as we would otherwise.

4. Refined sugars and carbs have a very negative affect on the hormones that regulate everything in our body from sleep to weight to sex drive. It’s very important to respect and take care of our hormones with clean and nourishing foods.

Low blood sugar is a dirty demon and can lead us to make really poor choices, that’s why it’s important to be prepared for when hunger strikes. This means packing healthy and tasty snacks in your gym bag, car, and office. It also means eating nutrient dense meals three times a day so that you stay satisfied for longer and so that nutrient deficiencies don’t manifest in weird cravings for sugar, salt and/or carbonation.

When you do need to grab a bite on the go, try and get something with the least amount of sugar and the least amount of ingredients, like pretzels, nuts, or dark chocolate.  Make sure you’re drinking enough water also, as oftentimes thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

Be prepared. Eat right when you can. Don’t give in to the massive bright humming vending machine.

Photo by: Vee-O

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