Most of us have been sucked into the ‘eat small meals more frequently’ advice given out by dieticians, nutritionist and the media in equal order, with varied results. However new research points out that frequent snacking and small meals may be more of a hindrance than a help!
The Metabolic Conundrum of Small Meals
Research indicates that there’s no link between small meals eaten more frequently aiding in a higher metabolism at all. Metabolism basically depends on your body structure and build. The more muscles you have, the more calories you burn which is why to up your metabolism you have to work out to convert that fat into muscles. 3 meals work just fine for the metabolism too… [1]
Small Meals Do Not Equal Lesser Calories
When you keep eating small meals all through the day, however healthy and nutritious your portions may be – you are spoon feeding your body to keep receiving food. This means your body will slowly get accustomed to eating more and more, and more – in effect, you are training your body to keep eating. With plenty of snack food options available in the market, this also means that you will start to make nutrition mistakes, and end up ingesting far more calories than what you usually would on a no-snack 3-meal schedule. [2]
Frequent & Small Meals Do Not Aid in Weight Loss or Blood Sugar Control
When you eat a proper meal that satiates you, and then go hungry till the next with no snacks in between – your body starts to burn the fat stored in it to provide for any energy needs, thus aiding in weight loss.
This way, the body also learns to tolerate famine. But when you keep feeding the body small meals, all its energy needs are met by the carbohydrates you consume (even the fruits and veggies). The body then does not burn any fat to meet energy demands and so weight loss plateaus. Another major rub is that the body also loses the ability to self-regulate the blood sugar spikes and crashes – so if you miss even a small meal – you will feel instant fatigue. [3]
The Digestive Dangers of Grazing
Finally, let’s move on to the fact that the intestine need to be empty for at least 90 minutes for optimum cleansing – when you graze on small meals; you overload the digestive system and make way for far too much bacterial growth within leading to infections and imbalances. [4]. People with constipation and acid-reflux may find grazing to be further detrimental to their digestion, leaving them cramped, bloated and with a lack of appetite.
Featured photo credit: Reader’s Digest via readersdigest.ca
