18 Ways Smart Meal Timings Can Improve Overall Health

3. Meal timing may help your digestive system The digestive system is very important. Its health and well-being can have far-reaching ramifications for the rest of… Simi - October 5, 2018

3. Meal timing may help your digestive system

The digestive system is very important. Its health and well-being can have far-reaching ramifications for the rest of your body. From the time food enters your mouth until the time it leaves the body as excrement, your digestive system is hard at work.

In the stomach, acids are released to break the food down. It then travels through the intestines where the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals get absorbed for use all over the body.

If your digestive system is not working correctly, you will be prone to symptoms such as ulcers, diarrhea or constipation. Certain foods may make your situation worse. For instance, if you eat acidic food and you have an ulcer, it will be excruciating.

The digestive system works best when you are eating a balanced diet consisting of all the food groups. It is also preferable not to overwhelm it with lots of food only once or twice a day. Your digestive system is not overloaded if you have set, regular meal times throughout the day. Smaller meals give your digestive system a chance to operate at its best potential.

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2. Meal timing may get you the most out of your food

The food we eat is full of nourishing nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Well, the healthy food is anyway! Our bodies process, store and use these compounds for a variety of reasons. They promote general health and are the reason we have energy and vitality. They play a part in keeping all our organs working optimally and keep our immune system fighting off the bad guys.

Smaller meals allow for the highest absorption rate of food. If you eat at regular times, your body is programmed to absorb nutrients from the food and put them to use.

When you eat a few big meals in a day, or you do not eat regularly, your body doesn’t get to absorb all the nutrients. Before it can do so, they’re being expelled together with the other waste.

Think of it like driving your car with a leaky gas tank. Instead of all the gas going to pump the engine and keep your car moving, a lot of it gets spilled on the road. It’s a waste of a tank of gas. Your body is the same. The nutritious foods you eat do not get adequately utilized if you don’t eat them in small, regular portions.

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1. Meal timing may help your muscles recover

A strenuous workout can leave you stiff and sore. This is a sign of microscopic damage to the muscle that was incurred during the heavy exertion. The muscles heal themselves, and the stiffness and pain go away. If they don’t, it’s a sign that you might have a more serious muscle injury.

An essential food group for the healing of sore muscles is protein. That’s why it is advised that you consume protein before and after a workout. When you combine these two small meals into one that you have either before or after your workout, the effect won’t be the same.

If you only eat before, you’re liable not to be as energetic as you should be as you’re too full. And if you decide to work out on an empty stomach and eat afterward, good luck. You’ll be lightheaded and dizzy before you’re halfway through your session.

You should also include some carbohydrates in your post-workout meal to give you energy for the remainder of the day. Time your meals to coincide with your workouts and try to keep a regular schedule so your body can get into a meal-exercise rhythm.

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