Circadian rhythms are endogenous cyclic processes that occur with a periodicity of approximately 24 hours. In the brain we have a region that is like an internal clock activated by natural light. This clock synchronizes the cells, organs and everything we have inside us, so that within 24 hours our body repeats certain processes, and it would be better to pay attention to them if we want to be well.
Relatively recently, the impact of circadian rhythms on nutrition began to be studied, and it was found that appetite, the way we eat, digestion and metabolism itself are influenced by them, but the reverse is also true, that is, the way we eat works as a regulator of the circadian clock, i.e. for example the liver, gastric juice secretors and the intestine are forced to work when we eat, regardless of whether it is their resting time or not.
We don’t need much theory to know that if it’s day we’re active, and if it’s night we should be sleeping, not eating, working or bingeing on Netflix. Likewise, we shouldn’t be too surprised that studies say that bad health, overweight and obesity are deeply influenced by not respecting this internal clock, that if we don’t eat in the morning when we wake up, during the day we eat on the run, and in the evening when we gather at home, tired and agitated, clean the fridge, we will end up as fat as malnourished piglets (malnourished does not mean skinny, but “poorly fed”, that is, you can be skinny, obese, or of normal weight and have nutritional deficiencies). Maybe when we’re young our bodies can withstand such abuse, but as we get older we start to creak through the essential parts. The sooner we establish a clean eating routine, with everything I’m lecturing you about and respecting our internal clock, the healthier we will be in the age of wisdom.
And yet, how many times a day should we eat?
Well… it depends. If you have a disease such as diabetes, gastritis or ulcer, it is recommended to have 5-6 meals a day, equal caloric, only at the last meal you eat less, maximum 2 hours before sleep. Here it is clear. And the rest of humanity? Opinions are divided, starting from 3 main meals and 2 snacks, passing through the classic 3 meals, to 2 meals separated by an interval of 4-8 hours, to one meal a day. I made it clear, didn’t I? Getting serious, each of us is unique and unrepeatable, we don’t have to follow a universal pattern. As with everything in life, there are some rules to follow regarding the number and frequency of meals.
One: we don’t eat at night. At night, our whole body rests, so the stomach, liver, intestines also deserve their rest period. We eat the last meal 2-4 hours before sleep.
Two: We don’t snack during the day. If you eat a peanut it is still called a meal. The plant called the digestive system turns on for that poor hazelnut. It starts the secretion of gastric juices, uses a small part of it to digest the hazelnut and the rest stays in the stomach and then we wonder why we got gastritis or why we are so hungry. No matter how many meals we eat a day, we stick to them and eliminate snacking.
Three: we leave at least 3 hours between meals. That’s how much the stomach needs to digest the previous meal and breathe a little before we put it to work again.
Four: we adapt the meal schedule to our activity. If we are away more, we don’t suffer from hunger, but plan to have the food with us, and if we are at home more, we don’t go through the kitchen every 5 minutes to get something to eat. We adapt the meals to the seasons and activity level.
Five: relax, it’s not that hard. As long as we cultivate our self-respect all of this should come naturally to us. To respect and honor our Being, doing the best for it, feeding ourselves properly with all that is necessary: food, rest, fresh air, movement, thoughts, feelings, relationships.
Let’s put mealtimes in our daily agenda, along with appointments and business meetings. Let’s take time to prepare our food. Let’s choose the healthiest ingredients. Let’s cut back on processed foods. Let’s not drink carbonated, alcoholic and so-called “natural” drinks that sit on the shelf for years. Let’s not snack between meals. And other stuff I’ve been bugging you about for years.
