Best Time To Eat

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by Bob Hannum June 26, 2013

    Table of Contents  – The Latest Research  – The Trick!  – Listen To Your Body  – Another Trick!  – References

You have heard that “we are what we eat”. We can say the same about “when” “how much” and even “why” we eat. Many aspects of eating have a critical impact on our health. Let’s look at what I believe may be the most important factor of all – “when” we eat. Let’s explore in this short article perhaps the easiest and most effective action anyone can take to control weight gain. It’s all about the best time to eat!

There is a great deal of on-going research on this topic. And it’s fascinating because the preliminary results are all over the map! Some studies show that eating breakfast is associated with weight loss and better health, while another shows that skipping breakfast altogether is healthier in certain ways. Other studies show that eating late at night is associated with weight gain, while another contradicts this! And if you’re in training for an athletic event, the best meal time gets even more complicated, varying with whatever athetic event you are training for! I’ve cited some of the more recent debates at the end of this article.

In any case, I can say from experience that if you’re struggling with weight issues and hate the feeling of going to bed feeling bloated – and you’re not an athlete in training – there’s something simple you can do that will make a huge difference! Here it is: refrain from eating late at night. Oprah swears by it. The Irish even have an ancient saying for it, “Get up a little sleepy. Go to bed a little hungry.”

Pick a time – say 7pm – and just say “No!” to eating anything past that time. I said it was simple, but it’s not easy! Resisting any habit is difficult, particularly at first. Eating late at night is one of my biggest weaknesses. I crave that box full of crackers before bed or while I’m watching a baseball game on TV! It not made any easier by all the commercials showing delicious pizza, subs, and entres! But take heart, as with anything, it gets easier with practice, and what wonderful benefits, such as weight loss, an appetite for breakfast which is the most important meal, and more energy for your morning Pilates workout!

We are a culture of eating the biggest meal in the evening which happens to be opposite of what our body is designed to do, since the digestive system is in peak performance by mid-day, and slows down from then on. By late at night all our bodily functions, including digestion, just want to sleep, not work. The later we eat the more food is converted into fat rather than muscle or energy.
Interestingly, monks who meditate all day find that their bodies settle into a comfortable rhythm of eating the biggest meal at mid-day, followed by no food or only a light snack in the evening. By the way, studies show that people with the worst weight problems tend to skip breakfast! Here’s another interesting idea: intermittent fasting! A fascinating study on rats was just confirmed with another study on monkeys. These studies revealed that periodic short fasting dramatically increased their lifespan! Long fasts did not have this effect. Maybe this is why nearly every religious tradition encourages some kind of fasting. So try skipping meals altogether one day a week or month and drinking only nutrient-rich juice (free recipes and the best-selling juice recipe ebook at Juicing-Secrets.com).

So the earlier you eat in the evening the better. Pick a time each night when you “Just say No!” to food. It makes a big difference in my weight and how I feel before bed – no more feeling bloated and stuffed. Try it and let me know how it goes for you.

For further reading:

  • http://mylifemybody.com/2010/06/skip-a-few-meals-to-burn-fat-or-build-muscle
  • http://mylifemybody.com/2011/07/what-is-the-best-time-to-eat
  • http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/best-time-to-eat
  • http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/ask-diet-doctor-best-time-eat-weight-loss
  • http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517131703.htm
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