LOSE WEIGHT AND TIMING OF MEALS

Good nutrition is of great importance if you want to lose weight and stay healthy. What exactly is meant by healthy eating is described in previous articles. The question that lives with many people is whether the timing of meals has an effect on our weight? And if so, when can we best eat and not eat?

Timing of food seems important
The human body has a cycle of 24 hours. This is also called the sleep-wake rhythm. Connecting power well with this 24 hour cycle seems to be important.

Scientific research shows, for example, that people who place the center of gravity of their diet in the morning lose weight (weight and waist circumference) than people who eat a substantial meal in the evening. The research in question was carried out.

It turns out that in addition to weight loss, there are other health benefits to be gained when you start the day with a hearty breakfast. It has been shown that hearty breakfasts have a lower glucose and insulin level throughout the day. This means lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease as well as type 2 diabetes .

However, other studies have also been made from which no conclusive evidence has yet been presented. There are many countries that consume a heavy meal late at night. Think of Southern European countries. In other countries the emphasis is precisely on lunch. Researchers are not yet sure what the effects are. They do indicate that a heavy meal in the evening can lead to obesity. However, more research is needed to prove this scientifically.


The evidence that meal times are important
To determine the impact of meal timing, research was done among 93 women with obesity. The women were divided into 2 groups. One group of women ate 700 calories at breakfast, 500 calories as lunch and 200 calories at dinner.

The other group ate breakfast 200, 500 lunch and 700 calories dinner. It should be noted that breakfast with 700 calories and dinner with 700 calories contained exactly the same diet.

The women ate the same average amounts of carbohydrates and fats in both groups. The power supply was therefore as far as possible equal to exclude this as possible distorting comparison factor. The study was conducted for 12 weeks.

What are the research results?
After the women had followed the diet for 12 weeks, the researcher collected the results. It turned out that the women in the solid breakfast group had lost about 8 kilos on average. The other group had lost 3.2 kilos on average.

This shows that a significant difference has arisen where the hearty breakfast group has lost much more than the other group.

Also the loss of waist size was much greater in the hearty breakfast group. Furthermore, it appeared that the women with the hearty breakfast had much less of the hormone in their body.

Regular food is important for good health
With timing of meals you can look purely at the time of nutrition. The question is whether it is also important to eat regularly. In other words: provide your body with nutrition at set times. Research has also been conducted in this area

For example, there are studies that address the question of whether regular eating affects, for example, risk factors. With risk factors you can think of an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, increased BMI or a metabolic disorder. Examples of such studies have been carried out by Gerda Pot. She is affiliated with the VU and King's College in London. These studies were published in June and November 2016 in the major journal  Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.

This shows that people who eat irregular food are more likely to have type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders. It is also concluded that there are major differences between cultures and countries which require further research.