Eat little and eat early if you want to reach old age. And there is a lot of truth in this phrase as far as good habits are concerned. Studies show that a change as simple as modifying our meal times, especially dinner, and adjusting them to the circadian rhythm and daylight hours can be essential to improve our health. Eating dinner early can become our ally to have a healthier lifestyle and obtain numerous benefits both in terms of weight and in other areas.
In the first place, it should be noted that having a balanced and early dinner is important if we want our metabolism toprocess nighttime calories better. Nutritionists explain that the human body is primed for overnight fasting due to its biologicalclock . A biological clock that is related to circadian rhythms that allow regulating physiological functions based on the presence or absence of light in the environment. It is not, therefore, about reducing the amount of calories – although it is advisable to always follow a good Mediterranean diet – but about respecting the schedules .
Around seven or eight in the evening the body begins to prepare for rest, hence it is more difficult to metabolize food.This translates into a factorObesity inducer, since eating at night makes the absorption of nutrients by the gastric system inefficient due to a low level of activity and low body temperature.
That said, what would be the best time to have dinner The experts speak of six in the afternoon, however -and taking into account the customs in Spain-, this could be delayed until eight.Eating dinner at that time would allow you to digest food better and adapt to nocturnal hormonal regulation.
And doing it this way could bring you many benefits that we tell you here.
BENEFITS OF EATING AN EARLY DINNER
1. Against insomnia
Spain is one of the countries that suffers fromhigher rate of insomnia and, in part, is related to going to bed with a very full stomach or even eating dinner as late as we are used to. This translates into the simple fact that having dinner earlier allows you to feel less heavy and digest better before going to bed. A correct, stable, healthy and restful sleep is part of a balanced diet.
2. Improved insulin sensitivity
The simple fact of modifying our meal times and adjusting them to the circadian rhythm can be the key to improving our health. Eating late can cause blood sugar levels to be higher as it worsens glucose tolerance.
For this reason, bringing dinner forward can help uscontrol our weight because we will process food better and it will not be deposited as fat. In addition, the hormones involved in the control of sugar and fat are less active at night and, therefore, eating dinner before these functions start to slow down can help us control our weight.
3. Avoid metabolic diseases
Eating dinner later could be related to a higher risk of suffering from metabolic syndrome . Bringing dinner forward reduces metabolic risk, due to better absorption of nutrients from our digestive system.
4.Help us lose weight
It is recommended that the last meal be two to three hours before going to sleep so that we give our body time to digest food well and not gain weight. A study published in the Journal of Nutritional Science found that a small gesture, such as modifying our meal times, could help us lose weight in a simple way.
In this investigation they specifically referred to delaying and advancing breakfast and dinner by about 90 minutes without dietary restrictions. In this way we could consume fewer calories and lose more body fat.
For this, it is recommended to fast for at least 12 hours.between the last meal (dinner) and the first meal (breakfast). In other words, if a person routinely has breakfast at 7:00 in the morning, their last meal the day before has to be at 7:00 p.m.
5.Beneficial blood pressure.
Eating late is not only associated with an increase in body weight, but also with a rise in blood pressure, regardless of the food consumed. When blood pressure is high, coronary risk increases, the kidneys are weakened, the brain, eyesight and circulation in the legs are damaged.
