Why is eating on time everyday, important?

Normally when we think of a healthy life, we place utmost importance on highly nutritious meals, including a proper workout routine and getting sleep. No doubt, they are all important. But one thing that most of us overlook when it comes to wellness, is the timing of all our activities. In that aspect, I feel sleep gets more attention than food. While it comes to food, nutrition hogs the spotlight compared to timing. Eating meals on time is as important as going to bed on time. Let us dig a little deeper on this much needed awareness about eating on time.

Circadian rhythm

The circadian rhythm or the biological clock is the internal clock attuned to help you do things on time. The rhythm follows a 24-hour cycle and directly impacts your metabolism. At an optimum level, this is responsible for signaling wakefulness, sleep and hunger patterns. The human body can digest meals completely roughly every four hours, which means if you are able to regularly take food at this time interval, you will be at your most active levels throughout the day. It is much easier to monitor and be aware of meal times when you are free. The real challenge is sticking to a proper routine with food even when you are extremely busy.

Eating on time

Our nutrition comes from a variety of foods we consume on a daily basis like carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, vitamins and minerals. By taking these foods on time, the circadian rhythm and your intake are in sync reducing problems in metabolism. But if you are not eating on time, then the body has to make do with stored fat to give you the necessary energy levels.

The body digests better during the most active period in a day and when there is light.

So how should you take your food?

Eat heavier meals in the first half of the day – when there is light and when the body anticipates high levels of activity.

So there are two aspects to food here

• What you eat to maintain your nutrition levels?
• How often do you eat such foods?

Eating on time is necessary for digestive balance. You can avoid digestion related problems just by maintaining similar eating time patterns. For instance, it is impossible to eat at the same time everyday amidst work or travel. That is perfectly alright. What you can aim to do is to fix to a time range.

Breakfast timing is important

You should have breakfast preferably within two hours of waking up. Your body has been on a long fast the previous night and is fully geared to digest any heavy meal you have in the morning. That is why you should have a nutritious breakfast for a healthy day ahead. It also sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.

How many days have you had a late lunch because you had a late breakfast? So messing one meal timing has a domino effect and higher chances of messing your meal timings throughout the day. Also many people have difficulty recognizing hunger pangs especially in the morning.

Coffee in the morning?

Many people drink coffee first thing in the morning. For some people, coffee along with a light snack is the only breakfast. Coffee is not a substitute for a healthy breakfast. In fact, breakfast is the greatest opportunity for you to pack as much nutrition as possible before you rush off to tackle your busy day ahead. Coffee interferes with the hunger pangs and lessens hunger. So if possible, take it a little later and not as the first meal of the day.

Energy levels

Blood sugar levels at any given time, decide your energy levels and by spacing your meals every four hours roughly, you will retain good energy levels throughout the day. Eating on time is as important as having wholesome foods in your diet. Eat when you naturally feel hungry and sleep when you naturally feel sleepy. Your food and sleep are interconnected. If you have varied meal timings everyday throughout the week, chances are your sleep quality also is also heavily compromised.

Why is eating on time important?

Good metabolism

By eating on time, your body gets enough nutrition on regular intervals. Your blood glucose is maintained and digestion process is smooth. You greatly reduce the chances of digestive disorders. This becomes acutely important as you grow older.

Good nutrition

If you skip meals, it almost automatically leads to excessive snacking at unhealthy hours. By eating on time, you can still incorporate atleast two snack times (mid morning & early evening). These are actually healthy compared to simply substituting a meal time with snacks. You won’t feel satiated and your hunger cues will continue if you let snacks take over your meals.

Lesser health issues

Dinner must strictly be before 8 PM. There are cultures which promote taking dinner as early as 6.30 PM. The earlier you have dinner, the better your digestion and sleep quality. During day time, your digestive juices are flowing to accommodate high levels of food intake. But at night, if you eat late dinner or worse, late heavy dinners, it is a strain on your system. This almost guarantees illness in the long term.

Better sleep

Sleep and food have a close connection. If you are sleep deprived, you will notice your appetite going down. You have a healthy appetite when you are well rested.

Conclusion

Not eating on time can actually cancel out any health benefits you can get for consuming a healthy diet. Eating on time is not something we focus on compared to what we eat. But it is a very important part of our health. Even after you eat on time, if you still feel hungry, you should eat. Some days, depending on our levels of activity, our necessity for intake increases. The only concern should be about the quality of your supplementary snacks. Include fruits and nuts in your snacks and you will feel great. Fruits and nuts have many micronutrients necessary for the body. Do not ignore hunger pangs. They are signals from the body that it needs more fuel to function. If repeatedly ignored, they may cause serious troubles like ulcer in the longer run. So take cues from the body and make eating on time a priority.