Anybody who spends an ounce of time in the gym should know this. I started out at 145 pounds and right now im. Seanzilla: In the last article we did for BodyTalk (October-December 2003 issue), we covered benchpress training up to a 315 pound max benchpress. The contents of this article can be located here. If you're currently wondering what on earth ketosis even is, then you're in. Dangers of Frequent Eating . For them, it was feast or famine. Our very presence as a species is due to the fact that humans were able to endure long periods of time without food. What happened? With food on every corner, have we lost our ability to tolerate missing a meal? In this article, I will share the risks and potential dangers of eating 6 meals a day and the amazing benefits of eating 3. Please read on as I ruffle some feathers in the Grazing Camp!
What Kind of Fuel is your Body Burning? When we talk about burning fat, what we are actually referring to is the process of using fat as our fuel, our source of energy. But fat is only one kind of fuel that can be utilized by our bodies, and carbohydrates . When your body has both available, it will burn the sugars first (because they burn fast) and the fat second (because it burns slow). Fat- Burning Benefits. As it turns out, burning fat has a plethora of benefits beyond weight management. Fat is the most precious source of fuel for the body. It burns slowly and steadily, providing energy for many hours straight. By contrast, sugar burns quickly. Sugar and carbohydrate fuels provide quick bursts of energy that often end up in a crash. Burning fat detoxifies us and neutralizes excess acids that build up from stress. The problem is that many of us have lost the ability to burn fat effectively and are chronically storing fat and gaining weight. Note: I am not saying we should only burn fat. Humans thrive when we burn a balance of fat and carbs. Meals a Day for Weight Loss and Consistent Energy? When the body is fed every 2- 3 hours, it will burn fuel from those meals, rather than from its fat stores. So instead of burning stored fat between meals the way we were designed, the body enjoys having meals delivered every 2- 3 hours. If the meals are small, frequent and healthy, the body won. Why should it bother digging out the fat stores for energy when it is being spoon- fed all day long? When you eat 3 meals a day and have ample time between meals, the body is forced to burn that stored fat. Once the fat is restored as an active fuel supply, you will see better energy, more stable moods, greater mental clarity, better sleep, less cravings and natural and permanent weight management. Our Pilot Study. I did a study based on my book, The 3- Season Diet, in 2. We had the group eat 3 meals a day with no snacks and measured weight loss and a host of psychological factors. Within two weeks, their moods, cravings, sleep, exhaustion after work and fatigue were all significantly improved. They lost an average of 1. You can read the full study in my FREE Ayurvedic Weight Balancing e. Book here. How to Burn Fat All Day Long. Eating breakfast, lunch and supper with no snacks in between will provide a natural fast in between meals that will encourage fat metabolism. When I was growing up, all the kids on my block had an early supper around 5: 3. PM. After supper, we played for a while and then came inside and went to bed. There were no bed time snacks . We would wake up and have breakfast around 7. AM and then walk 1. But that was 1. 3 hours straight with no food. We slept through the night, . This allowed us to maintain normal blood sugar, stable moods and overall greater health than what is created by the cultural habits I see today. What About Healthy Snacks? If you have a healthy snack, like a carrot, in between breakfast and lunch you will burn the carrot, but you will not burn any stored fat between those two meals. From supper to breakfast is a critical time to burn fat, lose weight, detox and reboot a stable nervous system to handle the stress of the next day. Many folks have a major blood sugar crash between 3 and 6. PM. They crave chocolate, a nap, chips or coffee. This blood sugar crash can be balanced with a shift in how we eat. Take time to have a large relaxing breakfast . Then, make lunch the main meal of the day and see how much food you need to get to supper without a snack. Make supper count and see if you can eat nothing after supper until bedtime. Then, wake up and break the fast with breakfast. The Risk and Danger of Frequent Meals. Experts touting 6 meals a day, or what some call the 3- hour diet, say eating every 3 hours will rev up your metabolism, control blood sugar, decrease hunger and create weight loss. Fortunately or unfortunately, experts are having a hard time finding any studies to support these claims. The Theory Behind 6 Meals a Day. One of the main themes in support of eating 6 meals a day posits that it will keep the body. There are many studies disputing this notion. In 1. 99. 7, the British Journal of Medicine did a thorough review of all such related studies, and found no evidence that eating 6 meals a day increases metabolism, thermogenesis, or weight loss. This may help some dieters control hunger and calorie intake. However, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) advises that the more frequently one eats when just slightly hungry, the higher the risk for overeating, suggesting that this as an unreliable strategy. Finally, and perhaps the . If you open a medical text book and look up . It also suggests that once the blood sugar is brought back into balance, one would return to eating 3 regular meals. America has been diagnosed with epidemic blood sugar issues and prescribed 6 meals a day as a medicine. The problem is, we are not being told how to get off the medicine and return to the healthier 3- meals- a- day plan. Folks who have blood sugar issues tend to eat poor quality meals and snacks full of simple carbs, sugars, stimulants, processed fats and comfort foods. True, eating frequent small meals a day will curb the highs and lows of the blood sugar and help them feel more stable, in the short term. I have many patients who report initially feeling great on the 6- meals- a- day plan. They started losing some weight, their anxiety levels, energy and cravings were improving. Then, within 6- 9 months the results often slowed down. They soon started feeling hungry all the time, the weight came back on, and the anxiety and mood sensitivity were all of a sudden worse. Two vs. Six Meals a Day. As you become a better fat burner, you will naturally reduce the amount of food you consume. This will not be due to will power or starvation, but as a result of burning your fat . Both groups ate the same amount of calories. The results were surprising. Eating only breakfast and lunch reduced body weight, fatty deposits in the liver, fasting glucose, and increased insulin sensitivity. These results suggest that, for blood sugar health concerns, eating larger breakfasts and lunches may be more beneficial than 6 smaller meals throughout the day. The body will lose its built- in ability to tolerate missing a meal, and the blood sugar will crash, and often crash hard. In 2. 00. 2, the New York Academy of Sciences published a report stating that all- day grazing can put you at risk for type- 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The risk increases when insulin levels spike after eating foods that have high- glycemic values. If you eat only 3 meals a day, (even high- glycemic ones), your insulin levels have time to even out, says Victor Zammit, head of cell biochemistry at Hannah Research Institute in Ayr, Scotland. Conversely, if you eat high- glycemic foods between meals, your insulin levels stay dangerously high. Transitioning from Many Small Meals to 3. Most cultures around the world still practice 2- 3 meals a day without snacking. For most westerners who have become accustomed to snacking, having 3 meals a day will be a transition. Our western diet is loaded with short- chain carbs, sugars and fast- burning processed foods. Give yourself some time to make this transition. You can even start with 4 meals to make it easier. Remember, we are making you into a good fat burner once again. This will balance your blood sugar and stave off a host of degenerative and inflammatory concerns. Here are some tips to make the transition easier: Drink lots of water between each meal. When you eat: relax and dine. Enjoy the meal before you. Start with 4 meals a day and work down to 3. Make each meal count and try to make lunch the main meal. Avoid late night meals. Eat whole foods, rather than processed foods.
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