Let’s thank Kristin for reminding us how to think about hunger and to honor it by including lean protein when we build meals and snacks. —Dina
Here are some answers, can you guess the question?
You are more likely to overeat
You are more likely to grab refined, “quick” carbohydrates (drinks or snacks)
You may not recover from workouts as well
Muscle building and repair may be inhibited
You’re hungry
If you thought, “What happens when you go too long without a balanced meal or snack” then DING, DING, DING, DING, DING, you’re our winner!!!
I work with a lot of clients who feel that something must be “wrong” with their bodies because they feel hungry (or hangry) after 5 or 6 hours since their last meal or snack. Can you imagine thinking that needing to go to the bathroom was wrong? It’s bonkers right? Yet that’s how many people feel about their perfectly normal hunger. We have been conditioned from a young age to believe that hunger equals weakness or our body failing us.
Remember the Tony the Tiger ads from decades ago telling us that eating a huge bowl of sugar-coated ultra-refined Frosted Flakes would tame our hunger? And when that big bowl of sugary carbohydrates caused the inevitable blood sugar crash most of us internalized that something must be wrong with us or our bodies when we found ourselves starving again an hour later. How insidious is that?
It makes me cringe to think about the unsound and unscrupulous claims food companies made back then (and still make today!). My friends, there is NOTHING wrong with your hungry body, except maybe you need to eat!
Honor your hunger and balance your meals and snacks with lean protein to support muscle repair, growth, immunity, and satiety, complex carbohydrates for antioxidants and restoring muscle glycogen, and healthy fats for vitamin absorption, energy, and aiding hormone production.
And athletes, it’s especially important to get regular “hits” of lean protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to support your training.
Here is my latest go-to bowl that’s packed with protein, complex carbohydrates, and plant-based fats. It keeps me going and it’s super easy to throw together. Enjoy for breakfast or any time of day or evening.
Let the Sports Dietitians at The Nutrition Mechanic help you sort out what’s sound from what’s Oscar Meyer*. Email me any time or schedule your free 20-minute session here and let’s see how to get you feeling better and fueling better.
Happy fueling,
Kristin
*Bologna (baloney)