Patricia Thompson - NUTRITION TALK WHEN PERSONS think about eating healthily, they rarely give consideration to when they eat. We have grown so accustomed to the traditional eating pattern of breakfast, lunch and dinner being at certain times, that a person often says 'I don't eat breakfast' merely because they did not eat 'food' sometime before 9 a.m. in the morning. They neglect to realise that whenever they break their overnight fast, then that is breakfast.
Lunch may be at varying times depending on our work schedule. Some persons even boast that they could go all day without eating because they are so engrossed in their work. Because of the many activities after work, dinner may actually be eaten in the car without even realising it since we 'buy a patty' or 'a fast food' to 'hold us till we get home' to eat dinner again. Then, what about those who work on shift especially starting in the afternoon or during the night and ending next morning. Because of the perception of 'breakfast time' many shift workers eat and go straight to sleep in the morning, yet during the night at work they pick all night because they do not normally eat a 'meal' so late.
Where is this all leading to? Is there any significance to eating at specific times or for that matter planning a specific schedule for eating?
HEALTH BENEFITS OF
SCHEDULED EATING
Persons who eat at irregular times i.e. whenever it is convenient and/or follow an inconsistent pattern from day to day, are usually the ones who eventually suffer from chronic ailments and disorders. Ulcers result when excess acid erodes the walls of the stomach and intestines, secreted in the expectation of having food to act on and in its absence will turn on its own 'house'. Anxiety and over-involvement not only affects acid secretion but there may be hyperactive movement of the intestine leading to an irritable bowel or even constipation.
A person in an agitated state from lack of food will also lack concentration and productivity will be lowered. When eating is delayed, the blood sugar level starts to fall and the brain is deprived of its main source of fuel. In addition, low blood sugar results in the onset of cravings for extra sweet foods. Irregularity leads to confusion between real hunger and an uncontrolled appetite since the body signals now respond to external cues to eating rather than to internal stimuli. When eating finally occurs, this lack of control is expressed in overeating. Such persons are prone to overweight and the chronic disorders associated with this.
APPROPRIATE EATING TIMES
There are no set times for eating appropriate to all persons, although hunger like all other body functions such as sleep, follow a biological clock. Hormones secreted on a diurnal basis determine the frequency with which we should eat. The day time interval is usually about every 4 to 5 hours depending on the size and composition of the meal eaten while the overnight fast is about 12-14 hours. This would mean a four meal per day pattern. Large size meals and those high in fat take longer to digest than smaller meals high in carbohydrate. A vegetarian with a small appetite may actually eat every 2-3 hours. For this type of structured eating, we speak of eating episodes, during the morning, afternoon, evening and night rather than specific meal times. The body responds best when we respect this biological clock. If meal intervals should extend beyond five hours, then it is appropriate to have a snack. A single portion of fruit will only maintain the blood sugar level for 1 hour however. Persons should try to blend their daily work and rest schedule with appropriate meal intervals. Good nutrition not only involves what you eat and how much but also when, where and why you are doing your eating.
Patricia Thompson M.Sc.
Registered Nutritionist
The Nutrition Centre, Eden Gardens
