Snacking

[rosegold]

Some places I read that snacking is bad because it interferes with your previous meals' digestion. In other place I read that 5 almonds every 30 to 60 minutes will keep your brain focused:

Generally speaking, foods like:

- sodas
- bagels
- white rice
- "fruit juice"

Especially large portions of those foods -- these will quickly
be turned into glucose inside your body and cause the "sugar
crash".

On the other hand, natural foods like:

- nonstarchy vegetables
- real fruit
- nuts
- some legumes

These provide a steady, "slow-releasing" supply of glucose,
since these nutrients are broken down more slowly inside the
body. These are great foods for maintaining energy levels.

Here's what I do.

I keep a bag of organic almonds or walnuts at my desk. I eat
about 5 every 30-60 minutes. I do this while I work in between
meals. It provides a steady supply of energy without the crash.

If you do this, your brain will love it.

If it can keep a chess master focused on his game, then imagine
what it can do for you.

(From sleepwarrior.com subscription mail)

[rosegold]

By the way I don't know how to control my eating of almonds to just 5 every 30 or 60 minutes. My tendency is to keep eating until I get a sickening feeling or until the bag is empty.

[rosegold]

I read here that nuts are bad for sleep, because it is fat.

2. Eat Light

A Raw food diet high in nuts, seeds, and other plant fats would make me sleep more. These foods would slow me down. Instead of 4 hours, I would need 6. Still 100% raw, but not as vibrant and totally on point and awake in the morning. Just because we are 100% raw doesn't mean that there is no longer any room for improvement. A diet high in juicy fruits and leafy greens always gave me the best results, especially if I combined these two items together in a green smoothie. We Like It Raw - Raw Food Goodness: The Joy of (Less) Sleep

[rosegold]

I read that soaking seeds/nuts will make them alive and hence better for your health.

* Enzyme inhibitors get neutralized.

* The amount of vitamins your body can absorb increases.

* Gluten breaks down so digestion is much easier.

* Phytic acid, which inhibits the absorption of vital minerals, is reduced.


Benefits of Soaking Nuts and Seeds

[rosegold]

By the way, is there something special about almonds? Why not peanuts or sunflower seeds?

[rosegold]

Organic Nuts and Seeds | Almonds, Cashews, Pecans, Hunza Walnuts, Pistachios, Pumpkin Seeds

There is no better snack or easier way to add extra nutrition, flavor and crunch to a meal than by adding a handful of nuts. Nuts are an extremely nutritious food if properly prepared. Traditional people always soaked their seeds and nuts before they were eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest and their nutrients are more readily available if they are first soaked overnight in water and then dried. This method imitates the Aztec practice of soaking pumpkin and squash seeds and drying them in the sun before eating whole or grinding them into a meal. Soaking the nuts and seeds in water neutralizes the enzyme inhibitors and can increase the vitamin and mineral content.

Soaking nuts and seeds stimulates the process of germination, not only increasing the vitamin C content, but also increasing Vitamin B content and carotenes (pre-vitamin A). Most importantly, this soaking neutralizes phytic acid, a substance present in the bran of all grains and seeds that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc. Soaking also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. Complex sugars are broken down from soaking and a portion of the starch in the seed is transformed into simpler sugars. Aflotoxins are also inactivated.

[Dan.Linehan]

Hey rosegold, I am moving your thread to health fitness, because nutrition posts generally go there.

[mlc82]

Originally Posted by rosegold

Some places I read that snacking is bad because it interferes with your previous meals' digestion. In other place I read that 5 almonds every 30 to 60 minutes will keep your brain focused:



(From sleepwarrior.com subscription mail)

Snacking on the foods listed at the top (the sodas, etc) is a bad idea due to the effect it has on your blood sugar- such snacks can cause you to "crash" a brief period after eating/drinking them, and the feeling can totally (temporarily) wreck your day. Snacking on almonds, or any whole foods made up of primarily protein with fat or fiber won't cause the same effect and should be fine, nor should they screw up the digestion of a previous meal.

Not sure about the almonds every 30-60 minutes part, I think I'm allergic to them as I puff up (especially my eyes!) any time I eat more than a few of them. Almonds every 30-60 minutes would make me feel horrible, though shouldn't if you don't have the same problem.