A few simple changes to your routine can make all the difference in avoiding caloric overload and falling into unhealthy habits. Photo / Getty Images
A few simple changes to your routine can make all the difference in avoiding caloric overload and falling into unhealthy habits. Photo / Getty Images
We’ve all experienced that afternoon dip when your brain feels mangled and hunger whines away in your tummy. A hearty snack seems to be the solution, but it isn’t quite that straightforward, and could even be doing you more harm than good. A recent survey for Waitrose Food and Drink claimed 43 per cent of people who work from home opt for snacks throughout the day, with 29 per cent of those choosing crisps and 22 per cent chomping on cakes and biscuits.
First off, it’s important to be clear about what’s going on with your body. When energy levels dip and the munchies hit, often around 3pm, your body is responding to significant physiological behaviours. While the ups and downs of our glucose levels are entirely normal, a typical afternoon decrease is affected by your internal circadian rhythm (body clock).
When it drops, it incites ghrelin – or the “hunger hormone” – escalating the drive to eat something as our body tries to recoup energy.
Other factors can also exacerbate the afternoon diet danger zone: having an earlier lunch (the gap to 3pm is longer), what you ate for lunch, if you’re dehydrated, how much exercise you’ve done and even the quality of your sleep the night before. Introducing a few simple changes can make all the difference in avoiding an overload of calories and slipping into unhealthy habits.
Winter can make us hungrier. Nutritionist Mariya Barwaniwala says: “The shorter days disrupt our body clock, intensifying hunger signals [in the] late afternoon. Plus, the changes in daylight affect melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone. Early darkness prompts an earlier release of melatonin, potentially shaping our sleep patterns and afternoon cravings. And then there’s the toll of reduced exposure to winter sunlight on our vitamin D levels, which can leave us feeling sluggish. Then to cap it all off, less sunlight means less serotonin - the neurotransmitter which boosts your mood. When we feel at a low ebb, there is more desire to eat comfort foods, like, say, chocolate.”
When we get our blood pumping, it doesn't just benefit the brain - every cell and tissue in the body gets a boost. Exercise can therefore be a useful and healthy distraction. Photo / 123rf
A simple solution is to get outdoors, even if it’s for a daily 20-minute walk. Not only are you boosting the good stuff, exercise acts as a distraction, taking our mind off eating. Even so, you might want to be canny with your exercise timetable. More intense activities mean your body needs more energy, and that means more food. Working out later in the day can also push you to grab a post-workout snack. Yet we all have a unique metabolism, and a 2020 study of almost 1000 adults discovered individuals, even identical twins, respond differently to the same meals depending on their metabolic rate, sleep schedule and gut microbiome. So it’s helpful – and it may be trial and error - if you have some understanding of the eating and exercise routine that works best for you.
Drink more
Our bodies can misinterpret thirst for hunger. Stay hydrated by drinking water and other fluids like herbal tea, low-fat milk and sugar-free drinks. Tea and coffee are okay but, of course, contain caffeine.
Drinking alcohol can have a detrimental, unsettling impact on your sleep, which in turn contributes to energy levels. We all know that when we feel tired, we crave stodge and sugar. While both will give you an immediate boost, it can overload the body, kick-starting insulin production - the hormone that manages sugar levels. As a result, your blood glucose drops, energy levels crash and you can end up feeling dizzy, irritable, even anxious.
When we are tired, we are more inclined to snack. And that 3pm slot is when our energy levels become even more depleted if sleep has been of poor quality. Getting a decent night’s rest enables the body to produce leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that control appetite. If they are disrupted, your body starts to crave more calorific foods. There have been studies linking lack of sleep and obesity, and it’s not difficult to appreciate the fact that when you are dragging your feet with exhaustion, you will make less healthy food choices and duck out of doing any exercise. Prioritise a restful night and you will soon realise the benefits.
Getting a decent night’s rest enables the body to produce leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that control appetite. Photo / 123rf
Opt for a protein-laden lunch
A high-protein diet reaps high-energy rewards. Not only does protein help repair and build tissue and muscle, it is made up of a chain of amino acids which activates the metabolism, helps digest food and provides slow-burning energy. It also works on leptin and ghrelin to leave you feeling more satiated. Dietitian Aisling Pigott says: “Eating something protein-based at lunchtime is more likely to keep you off the snacks later. But I’d also add that if you are genuinely hungry at 3pm, you might actually need more food. It’s never good to ‘over-restrict’ yourself - just make sensible choices about what you consume. A handful of nuts or a piece of chicken or fruit and yoghurt are all healthy options. Just keep an eye on portion sizes.”
Mariya Barwaniwala believes a nutritious snack can boost productivity and cognitive function if you are feeling lacklustre as the day wears on. “A 2019 study found that healthy snacking between meals can actually stabilise blood sugar levels,” she says, “Plus it can prevent you from overeating at main meals, and help to meet the daily recommendations of food groups and nutrients.”
Chicken lettuce cups are perfect for a protein-packed snack. Photo / Babiche Martens.
Eat consciously
Be aware of what you consume. It may sound obvious, but when we wolf down a meal or absentmindedly snack while chatting on the phone, the brain doesn’t take note of what’s going on, and so you are more likely to overindulge or fall into less healthy habits. Food can also be associated with a sense of needing a treat, or step in as a salve for emotional distress.
Mariya Barwaniwala recommends, “The next time you reach for a snack, ask yourself, ‘Am I really hungry? Is my craving a physical or emotional need?’ If you have a physically demanding job, then yes, you may need extra sustenance. But if you notice that you snack whenever life gets stressful or upsetting, you could try introducing non-food rewards like 10 minutes of stretching, chatting with your co-worker or getting outside for some air. It’s about breaking the link between the 3pm slot and the need for a snack-based reward.”
