Eat your MEAL at the right MOMENT
Eat your MEAL at the right MOMENT
Check out this article from CNN.com about the benefits of eating more of your nutrition EARLIER IN THE DAY.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/10/health/weight-loss-meal-time-wellness/index.html
As our understanding of nutrition has evolved, we’ve learned that eating earlier in the day can be more favorable for shedding pounds, while eating later can interfere with weight loss — and for more than one reason.
For one, eating during the evening often goes hand in hand with mindless nibbling. Think of how many times you may have reached for a handful of pretzels, chips or M&Ms while watching TV or Netflix at night. Evenings can also be filled with unstructured time, which means eating may fill a “void”; if you’re bored, it’s easy to indulge in high-fat, sugary foods when you don’t have to focus on other tasks such as work or errands.
To be clear, over-consuming calories at any time of day will result in weight gain. But many nutritionists, myself included, have noticed that clients fare better when they’re consuming most of their calories earlier in the day. That way, by the time evening rolls around, they’re more satiated and may be less likely to overindulge in a box of chips or cookies, a few too many spoons of ice cream or a few glasses of wine.
And then there’s the fact that more research has shown how our bodies respond to front-loading calories during our waking hours versus consuming them later on….The research suggests that the calories we burn from digesting, absorbing and metabolizing the nutrients in the food we eat — known as diet-induced thermogenesis — are influenced by our circadian system, and are lower at 8 p.m. than at 8 a.m.
Advice for putting these principles into practice:
Try to front-load your calories as much as possible. Don’t skip breakfast, and consider having what you would typically eat for dinner during lunchtime. Think grilled fish or chicken with veggies and quinoa. Then, at dinner, eat half of what you would typically consume, or consider cutting carbs to help downsize your meal.
And if nighttime nibbling is a problem for you, here’s a tip that’s worked well with my clients: “Close the kitchen” at a specific time each evening. You can use your smartphone to set an alarm to remind yourself when it’s time. Then, situate yourself where you can’t see the fridge, and keep yourself busy with other activities that will take your mind off food, like calling a friend, reading a magazine or book, polishing your nails or taking a bath.
If you or someone you know would like to get on the road to healthier eating and learn how powerful food as medicine can be, please contact us today. We have a fantastic team including a Registered Dietitian, Nurse Practitioner, and Behavioral Counselor here to help support the use of whole foods in your diet, investigate laboratory abnormalities, and help you develop lifelong habits for improving your health and well-being. We also have a comprehensive weight management program to try to fully optimize your nutrition and wellness. Call 224.407.4400 or visit compgihealth.com to learn more!