And now a few words about not eating from the girl who talks about food all day...
"Three square meals" is such a common phrase in our culture that a recent translation of the Bible* changed "Give us today our daily bread" to " Keep us alive with three square meals". A bold plug for Western culture I would say and a departure from the intended reminder to be grateful for just enough food for each day... but there it is.
Meanwhile, the most recent research supports the idea that eating all of your food within an 8 hour window each day could be a good idea. Here's what that looks like:
STOP eating by 6pm / START eating the following day at 10 am
STOP eating by 8 pm / START eating at 12 noon
STOP eating by 10 pm / start eating at 2 pm
This style of eating is referred to as "intermittent fasting" and might be something to try if you struggle to maintain your weight or if you want to slow down the aging process.
In addition, many people are benefiting from eating smaller quantities of higher quality food. The nutrient-density of such an approach is the obvious reason why it's appealing but there's more to it. It turns out that our bodies work on cell-repair (autophagy) when they have a break from digestion. And believe it or not, calorie restriction is the one scientifically-proven link to longevity.
Intermittent fasting as described above is pretty convenient.
It can mean less time in the kitchen everyday with fewer choices to make during the day and ultimately more satisfying meals when we sit down to enjoy them. We digest and absorb nutrition more efficiently when we are in a relaxed state. Have you ever been too busy to eat or think of what to eat? No worries, this may present an opportunity for your body to burn some fat for fuel.
CAVEAT: Intermittent fasting is NOT for everyone. If you have high cortisol levels or blood-sugar regulation issues like diabetes, you may do better with small meals every 2-3 hours to help you achieve your personal health goals.
Work with me to figure out what's best for you.
*The Message Bible - Matthew 6:11
