What’s the Best Way to Optimize Your Eating Schedule?
In our fast-paced world, it’s common to skip meals, fuel with snacks throughout the day and eat a late dinner. We know that what we eat has a significant impact on everything from weight management to disease prevention, but what about when we eat? A large and growing body of literature points to the importance of the timing and size of meals in managing weight. If you are struggling to optimize your body composition, it may be time to rethink the timing of your meals.
A recent study published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found two distinct eating habits associated with a lower body mass index (BMI), a measurement for weight status based on body weight and height. While BMI is seen as a somewhat outdated measurement for individuals, it is still commonly used in the research setting. These habits associated with a lower BMI included maintaining a longer overnight fast and eating breakfast in the morning.
Ultimately, researchers believe that eating earlier in the day is better aligned with human circadian rhythms, allowing for more efficient calorie burning and appetite regulation. These study findings are consistent with previous research that found that those who eat their main meal earlier in the day and a smaller meal after 3 PM maintain a lower weight more easily. Ideally, lunch should be a larger meal and dinner should be a lighter meal, which is the reverse of many Americans’ typical eating routine.
Excerpted from the Los Angeles Daily News
