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Why meal timing is important for your health
Draw a meal plan and set time to eat a snack or a meal. PHOTO | COURTESY
What you need to know:
- Regular meal timing helps to promote regular digestive patterns. Sometimes we fail to recognise hunger early in the morning because the body ceases hunger cues overnight during its resting state.
Creating meals that have the right balance of nutrients is one of the keys to good health, but one of the commonly overlooked element of nutrition is consuming those meals at the right times.
The body also follows a time cycle that needs to be kept in mind while taking any meal of the day.
It is important to note that eating and sleeping behaviours align with circadian rhythms which are consistently disrupted. This has led to increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Daniel Kamara, a clinical and community nutritionist, at Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre, Kampala, says specific groups of people have different dietary recommendations depending on age, health and physical state.
He notes that people can draw a meal plan and set time slots to remind themselves to eat a snack or a meal.
“You can plan to have a heavy breakfast with high calories to keep you for four to five hours. Having a healthy snack in between is a good way to let your brain relax for a moment after long hours of hard work,” advises Kamara.
The benefits
Everyone requires a given amount of energy each day. This energy is harvested from the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that we consume in the food we eat.
Failure to eat adequately throughout the day can be challenging and hard to meet the daily recommended energy and nutritional needs.
After the first meal, depending on its content, Kamara recommends that you have each subsequent meal every three to four hours to prevent rises or falls in blood sugar levels. Basic meals should include a protein-rich food, high-fibre starches, vegetables, fruits, and fat.
Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are essential in providing energy for the body and the timing of these nutrients can have an influence on how efficient this energy is used, as well as where this energy is used.
When exercising regularly, the body runs more efficiently and is clued-up for fat loss or gain as well as muscle gain or loss. Eating the right foods at the right time can enhance efforts in the gym while the wrong foods at the wrong times can decrease performance.
He underscores the value of carbohydrates which are oxidised and used as fuel stored in the muscle and not as fat meaning the body is fueled (with extra energy) for the rest of the day and the next workout.
Adding protein to post-workout carbohydrate meal can increase the rate of glycogen resynthesise.
“Protein consumption immediately after exercise is essential for muscle growth and repair. When working out (particularly weight training), one gets micro tears, and amino acids are essential to rebuilding this muscle tissue,” says Kamara.
It is not just what you eat, but when you eat it according to www.bbc.com.
It debunks the idea of metabolism shutting down at night and therefore late-night eating, drinking, and inconsistent sleep patterns disrupt circadian rhythms (physical, mental and behaviour changes that follow a 24-hour cycle) potentially leading to health issues.
Late-night eating extends the overall window during which food is consumed. This gives the digestive systems less time to recuperate and reduces the opportunity for the body to burn-fat because fat- burning only occurs when organs realise that no more food is coming their way.
Small steps
To overcome barriers challenges when adjusting meal timings, Kamara recommends that you put time on your calendar to meal plan, grocery shop and prepare so you can be sure you have healthy options at your fingertips.
Try to keep a list of quick, healthy meals and snacks so you do not get stumped when you are shopping and cooking.
He says, “Do not try to make too many changes at once. Focus on starting small over time this can be more impactful and thereafter become your lifestyle.”
