How To Stay Fuller and Have More Energy After Meals
HOW TO STAY FULLER + HAVE MORE ENERGY
In this post, I’m going to be sharing a few quick tips on how to stay fuller for longer, and how to have longer lasting sustained energy after meals. This is actually an extract from my book (page 48), but I really wanted to share this with you on the blog today – because these are 2 questions that I get asked a lot (how to stay fuller for longer, and how to have sustained energy).
Have you ever eaten a meal and felt so tired (with zero energy) afterwards? Or have you ever been hungry again 30 minutes after finishing breakfast or dinner?
I bet that most people have been able to answer “yes” to these 2 questions at one point or another – But, the good news is that when you know how to build your meals like a pro, you can begin to feel fuller after meals and have longer lasting sustained energy.
And, even better news – there’s only a few simple tricks that you need to know to start bulding your meals “like a pro”.
Liezl Jayne XO
THE GENERAL RULE
As a general rule, it’s always good to build each meal so that it contains protein, healthy fats and some carbs. All 3 food groups are equally important for good health, sustained energy and weight-loss.
If you like to eat larger meals then it’s generally a good idea to build your meals with a base of low calorie vegetables – or even whole grains. These will help to bulk up your meal.
However, while the whole grains and low calorie veggie will bulk up your meal initially (and fill you up), they will be digested by your body quickly and will not keep you full for hours after a meal.
It is the protein and fats that will keep you full for hours after a meal, because they take the longest to be digested by the body. Therefore it is a good to eat all 3 food groups together at each meal so that you can have long lasting sustained energy and feel good throughout the day.
GOOD FEELINGS + GOOD HEALTH
And it’s not just about feelings of fullness – all carbohydrates (even good carbs like veggies, fruit and whole grains) are broken down in the body as a type of sugar called glucose. Have you ever experienced a “sugar rush” after eating sweets, dessert or even a lot of fruit? A “sugar rush” is usually caused by eating too much sugar or too many carbs without getting enough fats and protein.
Fats and protein help the body to process sugars and carbohydrates in the body. Fibre also helps the body to process carbs and sugars, that’s why it’s always best to eat whole grains instead of processed grains.
So you see, eating a balanced diet (whole carbs with good protein and healthy fats) is not only about staying fuller for longer after each meal – it’s also about building a healthy body every day, so that you can be your healthiest self and feel great with sustained energy.
WHOLE CARBS + GOOD PROTEIN + HEALTHY FATS = BALANCED MEAL
TOP TIPS FOR FULLNESS + ENERGY
• Carbs, fats and protein are all essential for healthy weight-loss! It is never a good idea to exclude one of these important food groups from a diet.
• Eating healthy carbs such as vegetables and whole grains will help to fill you up initially after a meal – but adding healthy fats and protein to a meal will help to keep you full hours after eating a meal. A nourishing meal contains, healthy fats, whole carbs and good protein.
• Remember that combining healthy fats and good protein with whole carbs will keep you fuller for longer with longer lasting sustained energy. A well balanced meal will provide your body with the essential nutrients that it needs for everyday health as well as long term health.
• A healthy, balanced diet boosts the metabolism and promotes fat-loss! When your body is getting all of the nutrients that it needs (carbs, fats and protein) then it has the potential to turn into a fat-burning machine.
BALANCED MEAL = FEELING FULLER FOR LONGER + SUSTAINED ENERGY
Feeling tired after meals?
If you’re feeling very tired after a meal with no energy, you also might like to keep in mind that (surprisingly I know) eating too much at once can leave you feeling tired.
Here’s why: When you eat a large meal or eat a lot of food in a short space of time, then your body has a lot of food to digest. With your body dedicating a lot of energy to processing the food that you have just eaten, it is possible to feel sluggish and tired after a meal – leaving you wanting to take a nap, or leaving you feeling like you want to eat to get more energy (but this can actually make it worse).
If you often eat big meals and feel tired after your meals, why not try eating smaller meals instead?
Many studies have shown that eating smaller 400 calorie meals might be the best way to get optimum energy – as the body doesn’t have a huge amount to digest at one time. You can try eating anywhere from 350-500 calories at each meal and seeing what works for you, keeping in mind that 400 calories is said to be “ideal”.
You can also try having smaller snacks between meals, for example eating 200 calorie snacks between meals – this will not be too much for the body to digest at once.
Always remember that eating whole foods (whole grains, vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, etc.) will give your body the nutrients that it needs and leave you feeling good (long term and short term).
Photos by Ross Charnock for liezljayne.com – styled by Liezl Jayne
