Reader Question: I’m thinking of trying the ‘grazing’ method of eating that everybody says is healthier than three regular meals a day. Is this healthy?

Answer: Plain and simple – unless you are working out 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, I do not believe grazing is a healthy eating option. There are many reasons behind my thinking, but the top two are: you stop the release and working of the hormone GLUCAGON, which is the fat-burning hormone, and you are causing the hormone INSULIN to be released and in your bloodstream non-stop throughout the day.

Why is this bad?

Insulin is a hormone responsible for food metabolism. It’s also known as the ‘fat-storing hormone’.  When you eat, the pancreas releases insulin to metabolize and store the food you consumed. It quickly sweeps sugar inside cells, turns fatty acids into fat and converts amino acids from protein into muscle. If your liver and muscles run out of room for sugar to be stored, sugar will be converted to triglycerides and then will be stored as fat.

Again, whenever you eat, insulin is secreted and invading your bloodstream to do it’s job. If you are eating every 2.5-3 hours, you will always have insulin at work. Especially if you eat a lot of the wrong type of carbs along with a low-fat diet, this becomes dangerous. This can overwork your pancreas to a point it becomes strained and will not produce enough insulin or will stop producing insulin altogether. Enter in Type 1 and 2 diabetes. This is not good.

Glucagon, the fat burning hormone, goes into your tissues and pulls out fat cells and allows your body to use it as energy (therefore, burning fat). It literally melts fat. How wonderful, right?! Unfortunately, glucagon cannot be in the bloodstream at the same time insulin is in your blood stream. They are night and day hormones and can’t work at the same time since they perform jobs that are opposite of each other. One stores fat, one melts fat. So, if you are grazing and constantly having insulin floating around your blood, then glucagon will stay locked away and will never be allowed to come out and tap into your stored sugar and fat for energy.

If you eat three good meals a day, about 4-5 hours apart, you give your body a chance to release glucagon since blood sugar will begin to drop and glucagon will kick in, grabbing stored sugar and fat to raise your blood sugar level and to give you energy. Fat-burning and weight loss/maintenance will occur.

The only time I would recommend snacking between meals or eating smaller meals throughout the day are if you are diabetic and need to keep your blood sugar levels stable or if you are working out hours and hours a day (body builders, trainers, etc.). In those situations, your body either needs the food to avoid upsetting blood sugar levels or you are burning so many calories a day, you need to keep replenishing your body.

Tip: Eat nutrient dense meals containing healthy fats, good protein and complex carbs and you won’t be hungry to eat every couple hours. You will be satisfied and your food will take longer to digest and you won’t have insulin spikes and plummets (which causes cravings) and you’ll end up benefiting your weight in the process – whether that means weight loss, weight gain (if your body needs it) or weight maintenance. It’s a winning choice all the way around!

Have a question? Feel free to ask in the comments below!

Live on purpose!

xo Kari