Menu Close. HIIT Conditioning Training. Triathlon Coach Certification. Biomechanics Training. Kettlebell Training. Mixed Martial Arts Conditioning. April 5, Share this article. The Basics of Meal Timing and Eating Habits.

The Basics of Meal Timing and Eating Habits Meal habits and timings have been changed a lot nowadays as compared to the past. Based on research, the ideal timing for meals is as follows: Eat a high protein and calorie-dense breakfast.

The ideal time is 7 am and within 30 minutes after you wake up. Eat high-calorie lunch after four hours of breakfast. The ideal time is 1 pm and should not delay 4 pm.

Dinner should one half as compared to lunch and ideally at 7 pm. Eat dinner before 3 hours of sleep. Take snacks based on natural foods in between meals. What Do I Need to Know About Meal Timing? The best way is to take 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. Take meals and snacks during a hour time period in a day.

The ideal hour time period is 6 am to 6 pm. Take a greater number of calories during the daytime meals that include breakfast, morning snacks, and lunch. Evening snacks and dinner should have fewer calories. Eat natural foods and snacks that are nutrient-dense rather than processed or packed foods that contain a considerable number of sugars and fats.

You can consider different approaches according to your goal, like gaining , or maintaining or losing weight. For example, intermittent fasting is a scientifically proven approach for obese, diabetics, and cardiac patients. Medical Considerations When Scheduling Your Meals The timing of meals significantly affects circadian rhythm and metabolic changes in our bodies.

Circadian Rhythm and Metabolism The suprachiasmatic nucleus SCN located in our brain is the main control system of the circadian rhythm. Blood Sugar Considerations The timing of meals affects your blood sugar levels. Benefits of Eating Meals on Time Maintain Proper Routine Taking meals at regular times can help you maintain a better routine.

Improves Digestion Taking meals regularly gives enough time to your digestive tract to properly digest and absorb the meals and nutrients, respectively. Reduce Fat Stores Regular timing of meals helps to decrease fat stores in the body.

Should You Eat Right Before Bed? Take action! Recent Blogs. Recently, researchers have investigated how meal timing can influence your metabolic health —how your body responds to eating.

Here are the best times to eat your meals, according to science. This internal clock affects your hormones, digestion, and more. If you think about it, it makes sense. Your body is more efficient at metabolizing food earlier in the day — the hours that most of us are more active. Food, after all, is what helps your body create energy, which may explain why researchers have found that breakfast eaters are more active in the morning than breakfast skippers.

Other research offers additional insight into the benefits of eating early. A study of 10, adults found that people who ate breakfast early — before a. In other words, making breakfast part of your daily routine may lower your risk factors for heart disease. While there are fewer studies on lunch timing than breakfast and dinner timing, the studies that do exist point in the same direction: Earlier is better.

For one small study , healthy adults underwent four protocols: A 12 p. early lunch, a 2 p. late lunch, and a standardized meal early or late with an apple beforehand.

It turns out that lunch timing made a big difference. After the late lunch, people experienced significantly higher peak post-meal glucose, lower insulin sensitivity, and an increase in insulin resistance. Ever feel absolutely drained by 3pm and ready to take a nap? protein, calcium, iron, fibre.

Or skipping an afternoon snack might result in being overly hungry, eating more quickly, and possibly eating past your comfortable fullness level at dinner time. Regular meal timing also helps to promote regular digestion. Going extended periods of time without eating can increase our likelihood of eating more quickly or eating more than we may need at our next meal, which can negatively impact digestion.

The MMC is an electromechanical wave of muscle contractions through your gut that acts to sweep through leftover undigested food. Consistent meal timing has been shown to promote regular circadian rhythms. Studies have shown that people with irregular eating patterns may have more difficulties processing insulin and may experience increased inflammation.

The average person experiences a fast anywhere from hours each day naturally, without needing to put a restricted time on it. Feeding your body regularly throughout the day helps to reassure your body that you do have access to adequate food. This reassurance helps to build trust between you and your body.

I recommend having something to eat within 2 hours of waking up in the morning. This will break your fast from overnight and provide your body fuel to start the day.

When we wake up and ask our bodies to engage in work meetings, getting kids ready, a morning workout and more, without providing it any fuel to do so, it has to try to get by in its fasted state.