Best Times To Eat
In general, we are more concerned with how much and what we eat than the best times to eat. However, it seems that the time of day plays a key role in maintaining optimal health. For example, science has revealed that setting the best time of day to eat can be a strategy to deal with type 2 diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Adopting a certain diet program is part of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, the body has a system of biological timers in each cell that controls sleep, hormone release, heart function and even eating.
Timers are also synchronized with certain signals in the environment that indicate the best time of day to digest food. As you can see, the body is biologically prepared to eat at certain times. Eating at the wrong time can compromise not only digestive health but also general health.
The best time to eat breakfast
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. A group of experts claim that the body’s biological timer is more efficient in digesting, absorbing and metabolizing food in the morning. This is called the active phase.
For example, insulin that regulates blood sugar is secreted more intensely in the morning. Therefore, breakfast helps to determine the right amount of blood sugar, a task necessary to have energy for the rest of the day.
Serve breakfast between 6-10, as this is the ideal time to prepare for the next meal. Eat at least one hour after waking up and include protein, whole grains, fresh fruit and healthy fats in the menu.
The best time to have lunch
Doctors recommend a routine for lunch. Research confirms that serving lunch outside the time set by the biological clock promotes obesity. Moreover, eating after 3 pm prevents weight loss, so the best time to have lunch is between 12:30 and 13:30.
In addition, the time difference between lunch and breakfast should be about 4-5 hours. Serve a snack rich in protein and carbohydrates if you can’t stand it until lunch.
Metabolism reaches its peak at noon and this improves digestive function. Lunch should be easier than breakfast and dinner.
The perfect hours for dinner
Professionals recommend serving dinner 4 to 5 hours after lunch. However, in order not to be so strict with the schedule, take dinner at least two hours before bed to optimize the digestive process. The quality and quantity of food are very important, because too much fat and carbohydrates can predispose you to weight gain.
The best times for dinner are 18 – 19:30. Serving meals between these hours will give the body a chance to focus on rest and tissue renewal, instead of having to work on digesting copious foods.
Moreover, the International Journal of Obesity reminds us that the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar decreases at night. As a result, people who work night shifts gain weight faster and are more prone to diabetes.
In addition, an analysis of the effect of the program on obesity concluded that the best foods for dinner include fish, fruit, nuts and turkey. These foods contain high levels of an amino acid called tryptophan, which helps secrete serotonin and melatonin. These substances are relaxing and induce sleep.
What to keep in mind when choosing the best hours to eat
It is important to note that the response to a particular type of diet varies from person to person. This means that what is good for some may not necessarily be good for others. This is why the best way to establish a health-promoting program is to cooperate with nutrition professionals.
In practice, it is not so easy to balance meals according to a certain schedule. Here are some tips to make everything work smoothly and choose the best time of day to eat.
Let’s take a look at the following recommendations:
