Food Binges

[agnes hanks]

So far we've discussed which foods are good for you and which foods
are bad. There's much more than just this to a happy, healthy diet
though. Eating habits are equally as important.
When is it good to eat and what should be considered a bad time to
eat? It's not a good idea to binge eat.
Binge eating is when you deprive your body of food for long periods of
time and then cram in a lot more food than your needs all at once.
This is not good for your health. Your meals should be spread out
throughout the day.
It's easy to fall into a routine of sleeping late, no time for
breakfast before work. Then skipping lunch because you're too busy or
grabbing a coffee and a snack. You end up going home so hungry you eat
more for dinner than you would have had for breakfast, lunch and
dinner combined. You're so full up that you just crash out for the
rest of the evening in front of the television.
Can this be considered the same as eating three satisfactory meals per
day? Eating the whole lot all in one go? No, it definitely is not.
This isn't the way the body was designed to deal with food and digest
it. Your body has been starved all day, you're now overloading it and
it can't cope with it. The danger of bingeing is that you'll pig out
on junk food and other unhealthy stuff, fast food and that which is
high in calories and fat. Anything that's quick, handy and satisfying.
This is because your body is demanding quick gratification because
it's so hungry. More often than not you'll reach for whatever's easily
available and usually this will be something that's unhealthy and not
good for you. It's important to eat all of your three meals a day and
not to skip any; it keeps your body satisfied and hunger at bay so
you're less likely to reach for the junk food. There's no harm in
having an odd snack between meals too as long as you keep it a healthy
snack. It's even recommended by doctors who say it can actually be
good for you. A healthy snack can give your body a much needed energy
boost when you start to snag and perk you up enough to keep you going
until your next proper meal.
It's important though to keep the snacks healthy. Only eat things that
are good for you and not junk stuff full of fat. Eating food laden
with fat will only make you tired and sluggish and make you crave
more. It's essential for a healthy diet to get into the habit of
eating three meals a day so you don't feel the need to binge eat.
Binge eating is dangerous, your blood sugar levels will drop whilst
you starve, you'll feel shaky and hungry, then you'll grab whatever
food you can to stop the craving - again most likely junk food, fast
food, not the healthy diet you should be eating.
If you're having difficulty managing three meals a day a little
planning and organisation may be all that's needed to help you out.
If you always seem to be in a rush in the morning do as much as
possible the night before. Make up your packed lunch and add in a few
snacks to keep you going throughout the day. Some cut up vegetables or
a few pieces of fruit are ideal.
Plan what you're going to have for breakfast the night before and have
everything to hand. Keep some cut veg in the fridge in case you fancy
an omelette. It's a healthy quick option if you're pushed for time.
Decide the night before what you're going to have for dinner the next
day and get as much of it prepared as you can. This way if you come
home from work exhausted you'll have little to do before sitting down
to a healthy meal.
Prepare all the ingredients for a casserole or stew in a crock pot the
night before and set it o slow cook whilst you're at work. When you
arrive home there's a delicious hot meal all ready and waiting.
It's not difficult to get into the habit of eating three good meals a
day. The key to it is preparation and planning. Get yourself
organised, plan ahead. Write yourself out a schedule if you need to.
It's easy if put your mind to it.