When You Eat is as Important as What You Eat | Meal Schedule for the Week
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Humans are designed to be creatures of habit.
There is comfort in routine because most processes on the planet are cyclical. Virtually every occurrence in our bodies has a cycle, from hair growth to how we sleep. Studies show that scheduling regular meal times provides optimal support to our digestive organs and provides structure to build an overall productive day.
People who eat at random times every day have higher blood pressure and higher BMI.
An article in Time points to studies published by the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society about the detriment of mindless eating. The studies concluded that irregular eating patterns and eating right before bed were linked to many forms of heart disease, obesity and harmful insulin levels.
What is Chrononutrition?
One key to health seems to be when and how you eat, not just watching calories and food type. Chrononutrition (or chrono nutrition) is a field of study in which researchers are exploring the link between metabolism and circadian rhythms. Your digestive system goes through many metabolic processes in a 24-hour period and needs a consistent environment in which to operate properly.
Gerta Pot, PhD and researcher in the Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences Division at King’s College London, explains -
“We found that adults consuming calories during regular meals—at similar times from one day to the next—were less obese than people who have irregular meals, despite consuming more calories overall... Eating inconsistently may affect our internal body clock.” While there still isn’t enough evidence to directly suggest that scheduling consistent meal times can prevent health problems it’s safe to assume that it can’t hurt.
Your stomach needs to rest.
We understand that consistency in meal times is important, but we must also decide when to eat. Our stomach is where digestion starts, but that’s just one part of a process that has a beginning, middle and an end. As food enters your stomach, it signals the production of digestive fluid to break down the food for the rest of your digestive tract. If you start another digestive process before finishing the previous one, your stomach has to work harder to keep up with the demand. Your stomach needs rest between meals.
How to schedule meals in a 10-12 hour period.
In the world of intermittent fasting, calorie restriction, Paleo life, etc. it’s no wonder we’re all so confused about this simple human process. I’m not a dietician, but I try to pay attention to what makes my body and mind feel the best. Having a healthy eating schedule is a simple and effective way to treat yourself right and eliminate the guesswork that results in skipping meals or grazing.
Breakfast signals to your stomach when to start the 24 hour digestion cycle and your body learns what to expect. The American Heart Association suggests eating breakfast within 2 hours of waking, sometime between 5-10 AM. I recommend trying to tighten the window to within one hour of waking to stay as consistent as possible.
Start the day with protein. Protein in the morning stabilizes blood sugar levels and provides slow burning fuel that’s easiest for your stomach to handle first thing. If you get hungry within a couple hours, choose a small snack that won’t disrupt your stomach too much. Apple slices or a handful of nuts are good examples. If you front load with protein, you won’t be hungry until lunchtime.
Lunchtime!
Lunch should happen 4 to 5 hours after breakfast (ideally between 11 and 12) to give your stomach a chance to do its job and take a break. According to this post, starting a new digestive process before an old one can cause fermentation - the slowing down in digestion that keeps food in your stomach too long. Fermentation causes bloating and creates toxicity throughout your body.
Lunch is a good meal to include complex carbs like brown rice, fiber, and healthy fats like fish and avocados. These types of foods will round out the first half of your digestive cycles with good nutrients that keep you going until dinner.
If you are a snacker, shoot for another small option like a banana 3 hours after lunch. Choose whole foods for snacks. They provide just the right combination of nutrients, don’t require any preparation, and are easy to digest quickly. Skip the energy bar and grab a piece of fruit!
The dinner bell rings at 6.
Make sure you’re eating your last meal of the day no later than 3 hours before you go to bed (somewhere between 5 and 6). According to another article from Time, eating right before bed increases the chances of that food being stored as fat. Registered Dietitian, Tracy Lockwood at F-Factor Nutrition also notes that, “Eating too close to bedtime increases your blood sugar and insulin, which causes you to have a hard time falling asleep. Therefore, your last meal should be the lightest of the day and should be eaten at least three hours before you go to sleep.”
Eat like a king at breakfast, like a queen at lunch, and like a pauper at dinner.
This adage may be beneficial to your health. I always suggest listening to your body and try to follow a healthy, consistent schedule. As you develop patterns that work, you’ll have one less thing to stress about. Count on a good flow of fuel to get through your day and hopefully more restful sleep. That sounds like a recipe for optimal productivity, doesn’t it? It doesn’t hurt that it’s great for your body too.
Do you have additional insight to share and other helpful articles for further reading? Comment below and share your knowledge with us!
Yours in Scheduling,
Melanie
