“The Right Time for Meal Time”
by Candy Sagan
Do you typically skip breakfast? Snack until the wee hours? Skimp on lunch, then gorge on late dinner? How we time our meals and snacks may have a big impact on our health including risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiac diseases.
A new scientific statement from American Heart Association, published in the Journal Circulation, is a snapshot of current evidence examining the health effects of skipping breakfast, intermittent fasting, meal frequency and the timing of meals.
What scientist found is that we metabolize food differently at different times of the day, thanks to our organs internal clocks. For example studies find that those who eat breakfast within 2 hours of waking have lower heart disease risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, compared to those who Skip breakfast. Those who don’t eat until lunch also have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes.
But scientists cautioned that the studies on timing meals are strictly observational, meaning they didn’t establish any direct cause-and-effect. That makes the evidence difficult to translate into hard and fast rules. The scientist even shied away from declaring that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. After all studies that didn’t look at whether breakfast eaters had other health habits that cause their lower cholesterol.
Still the report offers these eating guidelines for reducing your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Eat more during the day less at night. It’s easier for your body to process glucose sugar earlier in the day.
Fast overnight that’s when your metabolism is the slowest. During the day your metabolism is at its Full Throttle.
Stick to a meal routine. Don’t just eat one ever that’s bad not only for your heart but also for your waistline.
Schedule your snacks this can help you manage your hunger and control your portions, and it can also keep you from relying on junk food and empty calories.
