You grab a “healthy” snack to stop the 2 PM crash… but what if it’s secretly the reason you’re hungrier an hour later?

I used to have a 2 PM problem. I'd get hungry, so I'd grab a handful of "healthy" trail mix—peanuts and raisins. I thought it would tide me over until dinner.

But 90 minutes later? I was starving again. Actually, I was hungrier than before I ate the snack.

I thought I just had a fast metabolism. Turns out, I was on a glucose rollercoaster.

Snack Science...

Here's what was happening inside my body. The raisins in my mix are incredibly dense. Because they're dried, you consume a massive amount of sugar in a tiny handful. This creates a high Glycemic Load, hitting your system all at once.

My brain loved it for about 30 minutes... I felt energized. But then my insulin rushed in to clear that sugar out. It did its job too well.

My blood sugar crashed. And when your blood sugar crashes, your brain panics. It thinks you're starving. It sends out powerful cravings for more sugar.

Round Two...

So I'd eat again.

I wasn't eating because I needed calories. I was eating because my last snack failed me.

The Experiment...

I decided to run a little experiment on myself. I cut the raisins out. I just ate the nuts (almonds and walnuts).

The result? No spike. No crash. And crucially... no hunger 90 minutes later.

I stayed full all the way until dinner. It wasn't a willpower issue. It was a biology issue.

My Test Results

I'm still testing different snacks to see what works best.

Some days I test yogurt. Some days I test hard-boiled eggs. I even tested 2 Oreos with 1% milk (sadly, not the winner).

But the difference is, now I'm not guessing. I have a little sensor on my arm that tells me the truth instantly.

It's become a bit of a game for me... finding the foods that keep me full and my energy stable.

If you're tired of the 2 PM crash, it might be fun for you to try this experiment, too.

See if Levels is right for you here.