With obesity becoming more of a common around the world, you may have heard about the importance of eating small portions.
No matter if you are concerned about your weight, your energy level or
nutritional deficiencies, eating small portions can help maintain
optimal health.
Decreased Calorie Intake
One of the most important reasons that you should eat small portions
is that by doing so, you are decreasing the number of calories you are
putting in your body each day, thereby reducing your chances of
developing obesity. While you may believe that it doesn't matter how
many or what size meals you eat, but rather the total amount of food you
eat each day that contributes to obesity, research has actually found
that people who eat only two to three large meals per day are much more
likely to become overweight than those who eat more frequent, smaller
meals.
Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
Eating smaller portions more frequently throughout the day will also
help to maintain constant blood sugar levels. Your blood sugar helps to
give you energy throughout the day. Therefore, a low blood sugar makes
you feel tired, sluggish and slow. Each time you eat, your body releases
blood sugar from the food. If you eat small meals frequently, you will
receive a steady stream of blood sugar, thereby preventing blood sugar
"crashes." In contrast, if you eat larger portions only once or twice
per day, your blood sugar will spike much higher after eating these
meals, and similarly will crash a short while later. This can be
especially dangerous to people who suffer from diabetes or other
insulin-related conditions.
Prevent Metabolism Crash
Another reason why it is important to eat small portions more
frequently is that by doing so, you will help to keep your metabolism
running strong. Your metabolism is a function of your body that works to
digest food. By eating frequently, your metabolism will be working
regularly, and therefore will maintain its ability to do work. In
contrast, when you eat large meals at a more infrequent rate, your
metabolism experiences large chunks of time when it is not active. When
this happens, your metabolism begins to the slow the pace at which it
works. This can result in substantial weight gain, and many potentially
even lead to the development of obesity.
Prevent Nutrition Imbalances
Eating small portions several times per day will help to prevent
nutritional imbalances. Research has found that people who eat several
different meals through the day tend to eat different things at each
meal, thereby getting a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, fiber, lean
meats and dairy products.
