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After a long and busy day, there's something comforting about sitting down to a satisfying meal. However, dietary experts emphasize the importance of maintaining a balanced eating schedule, with dinner being the lightest meal of the day. Unfortunately, our modern, hectic lifestyles often lead us to do the opposite—skimping on breakfast and overindulging at dinner. This unhealthy eating pattern contributes to various health concerns, including obesity, heart disease, and blood sugar issues. A study shows that eating dinner before 7 p.m. can add up to 35% to your life span. Here are 5 reasons why you should do it.
Maintaining a diet that is both nutritionally adequate and moderate in size is a cornerstone of healthy eating habits. We also need to pay attention to when we eat. When we give our bodies the fuel they need at the correct moments, they can perform at their best. Here are some of the most important factors of healthy eating and timing that might improve our health:
Meal Gaps: Eat every three to four hours; longer fasts are bad for your health. Maintaining consistent energy and blood sugar levels throughout the day is easier with this routine. If you have lunch at noon, a healthy snack at 3 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. or later is a wonderful routine to get into. This schedule prevents the long lapses between meals that can lead to binge eating at the next meal.
Better Sleep: Consuming food late in the evening may interfere with one's sleep patterns. Eating a large meal in the hours prior to bedtime diverts our body's attention towards the process of digestion, thereby hindering the smooth transition into a restful sleep. This can lead to a decrease in sleep quality and possibly contribute to the development of insomnia. It is advisable to consume a lighter dinner several hours prior to bedtime in order to enhance sleep quality.
Maintains Blood Sugar Levels: Taking in meals at regular intervals aids in maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Irregular meal patterns, such as skipping meals or consuming large meals, may result in fluctuations in blood sugar levels, characterised by sudden increases and subsequent decreases. Keeping a consistent and well-balanced dietary pattern throughout the day can effectively mitigate these fluctuations, thereby lowering one's vulnerability to type 2 diabetes and enhancing overall metabolic well-being.
Healthy Heart: Heart health might be compromised by eating late at night, especially if you overindulge. Eating a large dinner close to bedtime might raise blood pressure and heart rate because of the extra energy needed for digestion. Heart issues may develop as a result. Choosing to have a lighter, healthier meal earlier in the day can help improve cardiovascular health and lower risk.
Hormonal Balance: Our bodies have a natural cycle called circadian rhythm, and hormones are a big part of it. Hormonal balance can be improved by eating in sync with our body's internal clock. It is suggested that we eat bigger, more energy-dense meals during the day, when our bodies are working the hardest, and smaller, lighter meals at night.
