Eating food may sound very in itself but it is the simple mistakes we make that make a huge difference. If you have been believing that the only parameter to good health is a healthy diet and workout routine, don't just stop till that. There is another important factor that often goes unnoticed. Yes, we are talking about meal timings here. Your body requires discipline to be healthy whereby the time and interval are as important as the food you eat since the timing of each meal is the key. But how often do you delay your breakfast or skip your meals after a heavy workout? How often do you eat right before bedtime?
And why does it matter a lot to have meal planning?
Regular meal timing is important because it helps to promote regular digestion. Our body migrates motor complex which is an electromechanical wave of muscle contractions through your gut that acts to sweep through leftover undigested food. When we eat continuously without following the meal timing, it is unable to do its job and stop all the necessary digestion which leads to bloating for certain people.
Here are some tips for you to follow up with your meal timings.
Breakfast - breaks the overnight fasting period and replenishes your supply of glucose to boost your energy levelness and alertness, while also providing other essential nutrients required for good health. (in order to set up your metabolism for the day, consume a well-balanced breakfast with a good source of protein) But when you skip your breakfast, this will increase your cravings in the afternoon, or evening to make up for the lack of energy consumed earlier in the day
- Eat within 30 minutes of waking up
- The ideal time to have breakfast is at 7 am
- Avoid delaying your breakfast later than 10 am
- Make sure you have enough protein in your breakfast
- The right breakfast can be muesli, granola, whole wheat bread with any kind of butter spread
Lunch - provides energy and nutrients to keep the body and brain working through the afternoon which nourishes the body and reduces stress. Skipping an afternoon meal might result in being overly hungry, eating more quickly, and possibly eating past your comfortable fullness level at dinner time
- The ideal time to have lunch is at 12:45 pm
- Make sure to keep a gap of 4 hours between breakfast and lunch
- Avoid delaying your lunch later than 4 pm
Dinner - eating a healthy and light dinner will help your body maintain its level and function. It fuels up your body after a long day full of activities and exertion.
- The Ideal time to have dinner is before 7 pm
- Always maintain a gap of 3 hours between lunch and dinner
- Avoid delaying your dinner later than 10 pm
- Totally avoid eating dinner close to bedtime. This may interfere with the quality of sleep
Workout Meals
- Avoid working out on an empty stomach especially if you're doing weight training
- The right pre-workout meal could be a protein sandwich (with chicken, tuna and etc), protein shake, scrambled egg with whole wheat bread, peanut butter sandwich
Feeding your body throughout the day helps to reassure your body that you do have access to adequate food. With a little mealtime planning and preparation, you can balance your nutrition throughout the day and prevent the hunger that leads to overeating at meals, which can eventually lead to weight gain. This reassurance helps to build trust between you and your body. By not dragging create a meal plan, follow the meal timing to have a better and healthy lifestyle.
