If you’ve ever sought out new health programs, you’ve likely seen tips about the benefits of going to bed at the same time every day. You know that having a regular sleep schedule is beneficial to your health, but you’re unsure of whether the same applies to your food intake as well. Many of us eat sporadically, waiting until we’re hungry to eat.
But whether or not we have a good reason to be skipping our meals or eating in an untimely manner, this practice is not beneficial to our health. So to ease your mind, here are some reasons you should eat regularly every day.
If you eat meals at different times every day, you confuse your body. If it doesn’t know when its next meal is coming, your body goes into “stress mode,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz. This results in high levels of cortisol, spikes in insulin and inflammation. Skip the discomfort and eat regularly!
And when you’re not eating enough, WebMD says your body also goes into “starvation protection” mode. At this time, it tries to conserve calories, store fat and burn muscle (not fat) for energy. So not only will you be stressed, but you may end up running out of steam.
Skipping meals isn’t going to help you lose weight because you’re more likely to make up for it by eating more at your next meal. Instead, just cut down the size of each of your meals, says Lifestyle.
People who eat regularly tend to eat less than those who eat irregularly. You’ll be less likely to binge if you fuel your body consistently throughout the day. Since people who eat routinely have a lower calorie intake, they are more successful when it comes to maintaining or losing weight.
When you regularly eat low fat meals, bad cholesterol (LDL) is reduced in your body. Your body will also be less resistant to insulin. Together, these factors play a significant role in reducing your chances of getting heart disease.
Not only that, but the fact that regular eating promotes smaller portion sizes helps your heart health. “How much you eat is just as important as what you eat,” says Mayo Clinic. Overloading your plate, returning for seconds and eating until you’re in a food coma, naturally leads to eating more calories than you should. So regular eating not only shapes your waistline, it also shapes your diet.
If you eat periodically, you’re less likely to have any extreme feelings of hunger. When you don’t eat normally, your body will want to fulfill this strong sense of hunger by binge eating. And most of the time, you end up consuming unhealthy food. Thus, it’s much healthier to eat snacks throughout the day and give your body a constant flow of energy.
There are a number of ways for you to get into the habit of regular eating. Get Fit suggests planning ahead. If you have days when you know you’ll get home late, have your ingredients ready and prepped for a meal that is easy to cook, such as pasta with tomato sauce. You can also cook in bulk and store the leftovers for a later time.
Keep in mind that everyone’s body is different. If you requires different levels of nutrition each day, eat regularly rather than on a schedule. Don’t force yourself to eat at designated times if you aren’t hungry.
