There are so many blogs, specialists and nutritionists who keep telling us what to eat and what not to eat. There are also diets for weight loss, fitness diets and sports nutrition. On the other hand, there are plans being prepared for diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure. However, the fact is that listening to your own body’s need is more important than all of the aforementioned things. If we are aligned to ourselves, we will know what suits us.
Important Aspect Of Eating
The more important aspect is however, lesser known; when to eat. We generally eat two to three times a days. Some dietitians and doctors say that it should be six or seven times a day. There is no logic to any of these. However, the best timings and frequencies to eat are well researched in Yoga and Ayurveda and are best suited for the body. By following this, you can make a big impact on weight loss and improve health.
What determines “when you should eat?”
There are some broad guidelines that should be realized to know exactly when to eat.
Eat four times a day
Eat only enough to make you feel hungry in three to four hours. This is because it takes two to three hours for the food to get digested and absorbed. If you eat light, the energy generated from the previous meal would be consumed by the body.
What happens when you eat four times a day?
When you eat four times a day, the body does not go into ‘starvation’ mode at any time. If there is a long gap, the body will try and store more fat and glucose at the next meal anticipating a long gap. If this happens frequently, you put on weight and increase blood sugar.
When To Eat?
– Eat in the morning within a short while of waking up. This is because the body has not got anything to eat for seven to eight hours when you were sleeping. So you have to provide energy in the morning. This is the reason why breakfast is considered important.
– Eat breakfast before 9 a.m. 7 to 8 a.m. Is the ideal time.
– Have lunch at around 12 to 1 p.m.
– Have a healthy snack at around three to four p.m. This is the time when the body
– Have light supper or dinner at around 7 to 8 p.m. This is because there has to be a gap of at least two to three hours between your last meals and before you go to bed. If you eat and sleep quickly, digestion remains incomplete causing weight gain. If you stay awake till late, even then digestion is impacted.
Things to become aware of
If you at times eat heavy at a particular meal then do not force yourself to eat again unless you are hungry. However, do not make this a habit as you may either put on weight or become prone to high blood sugar.
If between these meals, you feel hungry, you can have some fruit, lime juice, smoothie, milk or buttermilk. You can also have milk or a fruit before you go to bed if you feel very hungry.
Another important tip is to eat when you feel naturally hungry and not before that.
Also make sure that you do not eat much later than when you are hungry. You may land up starving and then suddenly eating more. If you are at a meeting, excuse yourself and have some biscuits or take a short snack break. Work is never ending, your body is not.
Sometimes we avoid eating when we are outside because we think the food is not healthy. It is better to have something light and apparently unhealthy than go hungry. So have biscuits, fruits, or a sandwich.
Follow these guidelines on when to eat in order to remain healthy. This will also help you to manage or lose your weight through the Yoga way of eating. Once you are aligned to this, then you can focus on other aspects of eating or exercise. If you want some assistance in figuring out a balanced diet plan, do get one from wellzee and take an online yoga program for weight loss.
