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Can I have... nuts between meals?


KGDublin

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Hi there, 

 

I have always been a grazer and as such I tend to have smaller main meals with grazing stops in between. Before W30 I would generally graze on berries (like a handful at 11am sort of thing). But other times I would dig into a bag of crisps or maybe a slice of toast. 

 

I'm on Day 7 of W30 and I've noticed that I am grazing on nuts (almonds and cashews). So I am eating about two small handfuls per day, split between around 11am, 4pm and 8pm. Sometimes I have berries too. 

 

Is this behaviour ok on W30?

 

I'm not eating them during cravings, I am generally hungry and I consider them part of my main meals, just eaten a little later/earlier! 

 

If I should be cutting them out then I will try. But I'm worried about not getting enough fuel otherwise. 

 

Thanks! 

 

K x

 

 

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Hey there

 

Nuts are an inferior fat source due to their poor omega 3:6 ratio so we would recommend your consumption be limited to no more than a closed handful every other day, max. Nuts can be very disruptive to the gut, can cause diarrhoea/constipation, bloating, cramps, and can be hard to stop eating once you start.

I'd ask you if you are genuinely hungry when you reach for the nuts, or if it's a habit. If you are genuinely hungry then you need to increase the size of your meals - you should be aiming for 3 meals a day, spaced around 4-5hrs apart. If you are constantly topping up on fruit & nuts (which are a lot more carb dense than most people give them credit for with cashews being the highest carb nut of them all) then your body will not learn (or need) to tap into it's fat stores for fuel - which is one of the aims of the program. If you MUST snack try to make it more of a mini meal with at least two of the three food groups - protein & fat being the best option.

If you're reaching for the nuts out of habit then try doing something else instead - have a glass of water, a mug of herbal tea, go for a walk, or clear out your inbox of old emails.... 

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.....sometimes I need a snack since I'm drinking water all day....

I'm not sure I understand.

Maybe you mean sometimes you need a snack because your meals aren't big enough, because that's the more likely reason.

What do a few typical days of eating  look like for you?

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I think what is meant, is that when we are snackers, and now "can't" that we replace the hand to mouth action in the form of drinking water. Somehow we convince ourselves we are putting "something" down our throats. I call it "mind games" with the tummy.

Just my humble opinion.

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I am at the beginning of my Whole30 and wondering the same thing. I am eating a good-sized breakfast and lunch and am getting hungry around 2 or 3 pm. I read about the self-check to do -- am I really hungry or having a craving? If I am really hungry then I would be happy to eat steamed fish and broccoli. If not, it's just a craving. I think I am actually really hungry! I had a little fruit and few almonds and cashews as a snack. I don't see how I can eat a larger lunch! Today I had salmon salad with grapes, almonds, sprouts, cabbage and homemade mayo followed by fruit salad. I am being very aware of drinking enough water, too.

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I am at the beginning of my Whole30 and wondering the same thing. I am eating a good-sized breakfast and lunch and am getting hungry around 2 or 3 pm. I read about the self-check to do -- am I really hungry or having a craving? If I am really hungry then I would be happy to eat steamed fish and broccoli. If not, it's just a craving. I think I am actually really hungry! I had a little fruit and few almonds and cashews as a snack. I don't see how I can eat a larger lunch! Today I had salmon salad with grapes, almonds, sprouts, cabbage and homemade mayo followed by fruit salad. I am being very aware of drinking enough water, too.

If you are legit hungry between meals, have protein and fat or protein and veggies.  Fruit and nuts is not doing you any favours and isn't really correcting your issue, longterm.

 

How much salmon did you have in your salad? How much mayo did you use? What was your breakfast like? Sometimes if the first meal is too small you can end up trying to catch up later in the day.  Did you have fruit at breakfast? If so, try removing the fruit and replacing with veg. Lots of people report late day hunger if they have fruit in the morning.

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Thank you ladyshanny for the tip. I am also finding that I am getting hungrier every day (I'm on Day 12). I've been eating fruit with just about every meal. I have a lot of melon and summer fruit that I want to use up before it goes bad  :unsure:. I will definitely cut out the fruit in the morning. Now it's off to the store for more morning veggies to cook!

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