Most modern people live in a very chaotic rhythm. As a result, the first meal can only be at lunch, and dinner can happen at midnight. In such a frenetic pace of life, thoughts about changing some nutrition habits. One option is to follow a clear and correct eating schedule. How does this affect our health and how can such a habit be developed and made into a daily routine? We will discuss this topic in more detail in today’s article.

Eating Schedule is… Chrono-nutrition!

Chrono-nutrition – that’s what is scientifically called the observance of the eating schedule. But this is not a diet at all. This is a nutrition system developed by French scientists Alan Delabau and Patrick Lecomte. The principle that underlies chrono-nutrition is that any food is healthy and well absorbed if eaten at the right time of day. And time is calculated from individual human biorhythms.

Patrick Lecomte studied the hormones and enzymes that the human body produces during the day. And based on the results of the study, he compiled a list of products that perfectly interact with the enzymes of the human body. Following the chrono-nutrition system and this list, a person at a specific time of the day eats only what his body can really digest, and what his body actually needs. At the same time, the metabolism is optimized, useful substances from food are absorbed as completely as possible – this means that there are no fat reserves left. Thus, any person at any age can lose weight using the chrono-nutrition system without exhausting himself with diets.

What Is The Essence of Chrono-nutrition and How to Implement It in Everyday Life?

The human body uses calories at different times of the day in different ways, because each time of day produces specific hormones that distribute nutrients differently. In the morning, for example, most cortisol is produced. This hormone is responsible not only for stress but also for the regulation of the digestive cycle. Together with other substances, it ensures the delivery of nutrition to all organs of the body: glucose for the brain, protein for muscles, fat for cell membranes, etc.

So, in the morning, during the “cortisol peak”, the body produces those enzymes that are necessary for the breakdown of fats. So, you need to eat fatty foods for breakfast. According to the same scheme, but with the participation of other hormones, proteins will be best absorbed by a person by noon, and carbohydrates by evening.

The whole system of the correct eating schedule is based on strict discipline with minimal restrictions on the choice of products. And if you also use a calorie calculator, then the effect on your figure will be even better. There should be exactly 4 meals per day in the exact period allotted for this:

• Breakfast from 6:30 to 9:30. Breakfast according to the chrono-nutrition system “starts” the whole body, and the intensity of metabolism during the day depends on how nutritious and healthy it is.

• Lunch from 12:00 to 13:30. By this time, the nutrients received at breakfast still support the body, so there is no need to make first, second, and dessert for lunch. One meal rich in animal proteins and starchy vegetables is enough.

• Afternoon snacks from 17:00 to 18:30. During this period, the amount of insulin in the body is at its peak, so it’s time to eat sweets: they will be converted into energy very quickly, and the energy will relieve the accumulated fatigue. In addition to sweets, nuts, and dried fruits can be included on the menu.

• Dinner an hour before bedtime. Dinner should in no case be heavy because if the body is loaded with the need to digest food at night, it will not rest. It is recommended to include fish, white meat, seafood, and light vegetable salads in the menu.

Basic Rules of Chronological Nutrition

Since the level of sugar in the body is lowered in the morning, it is not recommended to have breakfast with sweet foods: sugar will then rise sharply, and you will immediately feel tired. It is also better to exclude alcohol from the menu in general, especially strong, rich in calories. Chronological nutrition allows two glasses of dry red wine per day for women, and three for men, but no more. By this token, you can check out the list of modern and healthy superfoods.

All meals during the day should consist of one dish of some kind, but not every meal of several. And since one of the basic rules of chronological nutrition is compliance with the measure, you need to pay special attention to the side dish: there are no more than 9 tbsp. spoons a day. In addition, for a successful result in the case of using a proper eating schedule, the following mandatory recommendations must be observed:

• in no case violate the chosen meal schedule – whatever the circumstances, you need to eat strictly at the same time every day;
• the use of dairy products, bananas, carrots will have to be limited;
• under no circumstances should overeating be allowed, therefore it is necessary to carefully observe the dosage of food.

Some More Recommendations

If breakfast turned out to be too dense, and there was no hunger for dinner, you should not force yourself to eat. But the next day, breakfast needs to be adjusted, preferably by cutting back on bread. You should drink plenty of liquids during the practice of chrono-nutrition, however, you will need to ensure that drinks do not contain sugar and sweeteners.

Twice a week you can allow deviation from the meal plan, but only for one meal. For example, Tuesday for lunch and Friday for dinner. At this time, you can eat any food, but in moderation, without overeating. If chrono-nutrition is used as a diet for weight loss, then after losing weight, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of the nutrition system for some time to consolidate the result. In addition to all of the above, we advise you to read the material about the benefits of a meal schedule on The Guardian website.

Conclusion

Summing up, I would like to say that the correct eating schedule involves not only controlling how much and what kind of food gets on the plate. It also includes an understanding of what hours a person should and can afford a snack, how many times a day you need to eat, how to deal with hunger. We will not argue with the fact that it is far from always easy to establish a diet. But it’s worth it if you want to improve your relationship with food and make your life brighter and balanced. After all, we eat to live, not live to eat!