Note on "The Park Avenue Diet Show: What Should I Have for a Snack?"; November 14, 2010

Snack foods have been around since the Paleolithic Era, when cave-dwellers first discovered berries, nuts, and certain vegetables right on their doorsteps--although they lacked doors and steps. These foods provided energy, nutrition, and enjoyment. Ten of thousands of years later, snacking has evolved, or rather devolved, thanks to prepackaged, unhealthy "foods" developed during the Industrial Revolution.

But enough of an anthropology lesson and pseudo-political commentary! Snacks foods, and there are literally thousands of them, need not be unhealthy, fattening, or carcinogenic, especially the ones you choose to sustain yourself between meals. Armed with a full understanding of insulin resistance, you now know that unstable blood sugar levels usually force people to choose unwisely--potato chips, salted peanuts, candy, pastries. Your choice of snack may be related to whatever you had for breakfast--the more sugar in your breakfast, the more likely you will be to pick a sweet snack.

The ideal snack food for people on a weight-loss diet is precisely the one Dr. Atkins taught me: a slice of turkey wrapped around a carrot stick or celery stalk...extremely low-calorie, extremely low-fat, and obviously very nutritious. The relative macronutrient balance (namely more protein, less carbs) keeps insulin stabilized, thus preventing another swing of blood sugar several hours later.

Think about this when you reach for "nutrition" bars at the grocery: these glorified candy bars, containing negligable amounts of vitamins, were primarliy designed for weight-lifters and exercise enthusiasts. Just because a candy bar has 30 grams of protein doesn't mean that you'll be more muscular tomorrow. Ya gotta exercise beforehand, otherwise the protein is metabolized as fuel, just like glucose is---a total waste of time, nutritionally speaking.

Read labels carefully, and avoid artificial sweeteners--these might also over-stimulate insulin even though no calories are involved or somehow attempt to trick one's brain into thinking that a huge amount of sugar has just been ingested--which the body overcorrects later on by doing just that!

Your grandmother told you (and mine told me) that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. She probably also knew that balancing your insulin levels was important so that you wouldn't overdo it at snack time and thereby jeopardize your weight and your health. People who pick the right snacks remove a tremendous obstacle to weight loss. They gain Enlightenment...and Lightenment !