Diet: what time do you have breakfast, lunch and dinner?

Why shouldn't you eat carbs for dinner?

I would like to say right away that anyone who wants to lose weight or maintain their slim figure should not eat carbohydrates for dinner. Children and people who are actively involved in sports can eat complex carbohydrates for dinner. But let's get back to losing weight.

Carbohydrates are a source of energy. We need it for the functioning of the body (breathing, heartbeat, the work of all organs, muscles, etc.), as well as, strictly speaking, for all our movements, including the work of the brain. When there is a lot of this energy, it is stored as a smell, and when there is not enough, the body draws it from reserves. So, in the evening we do not need to replenish this same energy in the form of carbohydrates. Otherwise, it may turn out that the surplus will be put aside in reserve. But you need to lose weight!

What will happen after 1, 2 weeks of diet, in a month

As a result of a sharp restriction of incoming energy, the body begins to react to this in a way that is not expected from it. In 1 week of the diet, metabolism begins to slow down, water and fat accumulate. The human body does all this “in reserve.”

In the first 2-4 weeks of the diet, weight loss occurs due to a decrease in muscle mass. Decreased immunity, fatigue and loss of attention may also occur. After a month of calorie restriction, fat becomes the body's source of energy.

During this period, weight loss may be insignificant, but the person feels better. Shortness of breath goes away, more energy appears, joints hurt less. The diet for weight loss, a table with examples of dishes by day was presented earlier in the article, should be combined with moderate physical activity. In this case, after 1-2 months you will have more energy and your mood will improve.

For proper weight loss, not only the diet, represented by different diets and tables, is important, but also physical activity.

For long-term results, it is important to develop a balanced diet and physical activity. Consultation with a nutritionist and professional trainer will help you create the right diet and daily routine. Anyone can lose weight and keep it off. It is important to approach this issue correctly.

Why eat vegetables for dinner?

Vegetables contain vitamins, microelements, and most importantly, fiber. A lot has already been said about the benefits of vegetables, but I would like to reveal one more secret. Have you noticed that in the evenings, even after dinner and tea, you constantly crave something sweet? This is because you ate incorrectly during the day or have been in carbohydrate addiction for a long time. So, if in the evening there is a plate of raw vegetables on your table, which is twice the size and weight of the main dish, then the craving for sweets will not come! Vegetables contain coarse plant fiber, which is processed very slowly. It will prevent your blood sugar levels from jumping and certainly will not let you get hungry quickly.

Meal schedule for weight loss in a table for a week

The table shows the diet for weight loss as an example of a weekly menu. This will allow you to immediately buy all the necessary products and reduce the temptation to purchase “harmful” products.

An example of a weekly nutrition schedule is given in the table:

The given example of a diet can be varied by rearranging dishes from one day to another.

Dinner time

You should have dinner no later than 4 hours before bedtime. So figure out for yourself when is the best time to eat. And if before bed you are overcome with terrible hunger, do not take bites, grabbing “something”. Boil yourself an egg and eat the white with peace of mind, leaving the yolk for the morning. You can drink a glass of kefir in small sips. But remember that kefir should not be drunk by those who have gastritis with high acidity.

Author of the article: Alexandra Petrovicheva (psychologist-nutritionist). I help people gain weight, teach them how to eat healthy, how to get rid of addiction to sweets, overeating and psychological dependence on food.

When is the best time to start having dinner?

Research, such as a small 2021 study, shows that many adults have poor eating habits ().
More than half of the 156 people in the study ate during a long window of 15 hours or more per day. Some people stopped eating at 4 pm, while others relied on snacking until late at night ().

So, when it comes to the question of the ideal time to eat dinner, the answer may depend on your personal health goals or health status.

For weight loss

One of the most common approaches to weight loss is to reduce the total number of calories you consume. Because of this, meal timing can be important to achieving your goals.

Some studies suggest that you should have your last meal before your body starts producing melatonin and preparing for sleep.

Your brain begins to release melatonin at night in response to the normal light and dark hours of the day. This is your circadian rhythm, which is closely related to your metabolism (,).

One 2021 study found that eating late at night, when your brain has begun to prepare for sleep, is associated with increased body fat. This was independent of factors such as the amount or type of food eaten or level of physical activity ().

Other studies agree and conclude that eating later can disrupt your body's natural circadian rhythm. This, in turn, may increase the risk of weight gain and related health problems. This is often observed among shift workers who have to eat at non-traditional times (, ,).

Moreover, studies have shown that eating later in the evening is associated with an increase in total daily calorie intake ().

In one older study from 2013, overweight and obese women followed a weight-loss diet for 3 months.

The study found that while everyone had the same overall daily calorie intake, women who ate the most calories at breakfast lost 2.5 times more weight than those who ate the most at dinner ().

That being said, if you get hungry between dinner and bed, opting for healthy snacks can still help you achieve your weight loss goals.

For weight loss, it's best to serve dinner before sunset to avoid disrupting your circadian rhythm. But keep in mind that healthy snacks may still have a place if you get hungry later.

For acid reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a digestive tract disorder in which stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation.

It is most often caused by a weak lower esophageal sphincter and can be aggravated by stress, certain foods, the composition and timing of meals, and other factors depending on the person ().

One older study from 2005 found that people with GERD should have their last meal of the day at least 3 hours before going to bed ().

This allows your body to fully digest your last meal, reducing the risk of acid reflux that may occur at night.

For example, if you have GERD and usually go to bed around 10 pm, it's a good idea to finish dinner by 7 pm.

Generally

Regardless of your health goals, there are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to meal timing.

At the end of the day, weight management primarily depends on the total number of calories you consume. Eating more calories than you need will eventually lead to unwanted weight gain.

Moreover, many surveys and studies have shown that eating late is associated with a higher likelihood of making unhealthy food choices.

Many bedtime snacks are highly processed and contain large amounts of added sugar or fat, making them high in calories and without enough important nutrients ().

Additionally, snacks before bed are often eaten in front of a TV or computer screen, which can lead to unconscious eating. This is when you may end up consuming more calories than you want simply because you are distracted.

Regularly consuming less healthy foods at night can lead to unwanted weight gain and other health problems such as sleep disturbances or indigestion (, , ,).

If this is a concern, you can practice setting the end time for your last meal of the day, making sure you meet all your calorie and nutrient needs by that time.

Conclusion:

If you want to lose weight or prevent acid reflux and other potential health problems, it's best to eat dinner while the sun is setting. Ideally, this will give your body a few hours to digest before bed.

What time do you turn off all displays?

Just 50 years ago, when a person left the living room, it meant he was going to bed. Even in the early years of television, there were very few late night shows. Many television stations went off the air immediately after their primetime broadcasts ended. But today, with social media, television and streaming media players on digital devices running 24/7, you need to know exactly when to leave the virtual party.

After we turn off all gadgets, the brain needs a certain time to relieve stress. Our eyes receive a significant portion of the total amount of light from electronic displays, so turning them off can be considered as the time when all light channels to the brain are blocked.

Porridge with quinoa, pumpkin and seafood

Photo: Restaurant Uhvat

The author of the recipe is Victor Beley, brand chef of the Uhvat restaurant

• 150 ml baked milk
• 80 g quinoa
• 60 g pumpkin
• 70 g scallops
• 30 g crayfish necks
• 50 g cream
• 10 g parmesan
• 10 ml green oil
• Salt and pepper

Step 1. Fry the crayfish tails and scallops in a frying pan until golden brown.

Step 2. Bake the pumpkin until done, sprinkle with sugar for caramelization.

Step 3. Bake quinoa with baked milk in the oven at 170 degrees for 40 minutes.

Step 4. After this, combine the crayfish tails, scallops, pumpkin and cereal and bake in a pot at 110 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Step 5. Prepare the sauce. Heat the cream in a saucepan on the stove and add grated Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until a homogeneous consistency is obtained. Then we beat it in a blender.

Step 6. Serve porridge with Parmesan cheese sauce.

Good nutrition is the key to health

Satisfying hunger is one of the basic human instincts that guarantees the maintenance of life. That is why it is extremely important what we eat, at what time and in what quantities. The foods you eat directly affect your health. Improper nutrition is fraught with damage to both individual human organs and the entire body. Such disastrous results can be caused by food that is defective in its composition, or by its lack or excess. Therefore, it is very important to pay due attention to your nutrition.