Dr.A
05-24-2011, 08:13 AM
While each body is unique, there are some general patterns in human body rhythms. For one, our temperature drops during the night and early morning and then raises again when we wake up. Temperature and metabolism go hand in hand and when our temperature is higher our body is literally burning “hotter”. So when exactly should we eat to help fuel our metabolic fire?
Upon waking the body is starting to heat up and therefore needs some fuel to help the metabolism get going. Without a good breakfast, the body gets confused and thinks “Huh, I thought I was getting ready to go for the day, but there’s no food. I should probably store any calories I do receive as fat and forget about building muscle since we’re in a famine”. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s definitely true when it comes to revving your metabolism up for a day of full-power operation.
Metabolism peaks at around noon (or technically whenever the sun is highest in the sky) and accordingly, this is when we should be eating our biggest meal of the day. The period that follows (between about 2 and 5 pm) is often marked by drowsiness or fatigue. This is a natural part of the human body’s rhythm (and many other animals’ as well) but most of us fight against this natural metabolic slow down with caffeine or other stimulants in order to power through the day. Many European and Latin American countries, on the other hand, seem to be more in touch with these rhythms (at least they were traditionally) and have tended to eat their biggest meal at lunchtime followed by a break for siesta.
The body perks up again sometime between 4 and 6pm (British tea time) and indeed, if you are going to caffeinate this is when you would want to do it since the body is picking up again on its own anyways. Dinner should ideally be the lightest meal of the day and preferably several hours before sleeping. In fact any activity that raises body temperature (eating and exercising are the two biggest offenders) should be done several hours before bed so as not to interfere with sleep rhythms. Eating a big meal before bed forces the body to divert the energy that would normally be used for detoxification and rebuilding into digestion.
Today’s Aspiration: Learn your body’s rhythm and choose to play with, instead of against, it. To recap the basic steps, eat a good breakfast (not just coffee) to support your metabolism in warming up for the day. Eat your biggest meal of the day at lunch when metabolism is at its hottest, then allow yourself to rest in the afternoon when the body naturally slows down. This doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping, even taking a 20 minute break to rest and relax can be really beneficial. Finally, eat a light-ish dinner at least several hours before sleeping and try to avoid other stimulating activities before bed. Our bodies are genius choreographers – you know the steps, so just follow along!
Upon waking the body is starting to heat up and therefore needs some fuel to help the metabolism get going. Without a good breakfast, the body gets confused and thinks “Huh, I thought I was getting ready to go for the day, but there’s no food. I should probably store any calories I do receive as fat and forget about building muscle since we’re in a famine”. They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that’s definitely true when it comes to revving your metabolism up for a day of full-power operation.
Metabolism peaks at around noon (or technically whenever the sun is highest in the sky) and accordingly, this is when we should be eating our biggest meal of the day. The period that follows (between about 2 and 5 pm) is often marked by drowsiness or fatigue. This is a natural part of the human body’s rhythm (and many other animals’ as well) but most of us fight against this natural metabolic slow down with caffeine or other stimulants in order to power through the day. Many European and Latin American countries, on the other hand, seem to be more in touch with these rhythms (at least they were traditionally) and have tended to eat their biggest meal at lunchtime followed by a break for siesta.
The body perks up again sometime between 4 and 6pm (British tea time) and indeed, if you are going to caffeinate this is when you would want to do it since the body is picking up again on its own anyways. Dinner should ideally be the lightest meal of the day and preferably several hours before sleeping. In fact any activity that raises body temperature (eating and exercising are the two biggest offenders) should be done several hours before bed so as not to interfere with sleep rhythms. Eating a big meal before bed forces the body to divert the energy that would normally be used for detoxification and rebuilding into digestion.
Today’s Aspiration: Learn your body’s rhythm and choose to play with, instead of against, it. To recap the basic steps, eat a good breakfast (not just coffee) to support your metabolism in warming up for the day. Eat your biggest meal of the day at lunch when metabolism is at its hottest, then allow yourself to rest in the afternoon when the body naturally slows down. This doesn’t necessarily mean sleeping, even taking a 20 minute break to rest and relax can be really beneficial. Finally, eat a light-ish dinner at least several hours before sleeping and try to avoid other stimulating activities before bed. Our bodies are genius choreographers – you know the steps, so just follow along!