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Health Which time of day makes sense for large meals?
Have breakfast like an emperor, eat lunch like a king, and have dinner like a beggar. Many people keep this saying in mind when it comes to preparing their daily meals. But does this "golden rule" apply at all? Does it really make more sense to eat less in the evening? Not always, because the ideal food rhythm can be very different from person to person. In an interview with the news agency "dpa" explain how experts in terms of nutrition "tick" and what it pays to pay attention.
How important are fixed mealtimes?
"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day" - this view is widespread and it is therefore important for many people not to leave the house on an empty stomach in the morning. The reasoning sounds plausible: Since the reserves were used up overnight, the body needs new food in the morning to have enough energy for the day. This is also reflected in the famous phrase, when it is said that one should "have breakfast like an emperor". But is this theory correct? Is it actually best for the body to have breakfast as extensively as possible in the morning??
The ideal eating rhythm can vary greatly from person to person. The reason for this is our "internal clock". (Image: BillionPhotos.com/fotolia.com) In part, yes, because apparently the so-called "internal clock" of humans plays a more significant role than previously thought. Above all, this complex system is timed by the light and, in addition to the sleep-wake cycle, also coordinates the activity of the internal organs as well as the metabolism - and thus also the way the body deals with food. "So the same meal is processed faster in the morning than in the evening. It is therefore better to eat a larger meal in the morning than in the evening, "explains Andreas Pfeiffer of the Charité Berlin. However, the composition of the meal does not play a role, according to the head of the Medical Clinic for Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine.
Not without breakfast from the house?
From the perspective of Hans Hauner, director of the Institute of Nutritional Medicine at the Technical University of Munich, it makes sense to look for healthy food in the morning. How extensive the early meal should be, but can not be answered flat-rate. "A healthy breakfast is basically good. But it is questionable whether it must be the largest portion for breakfast. One should therefore also take into account individual eating patterns and preferences, "the expert told the news agency.
Anyone who wants to feed on the so-called "metabolism-based approach" should take a large portion in the morning and at noon and then take the smallest meal of the day in the evening. This sequence corresponds to the expert according to the active times of our metabolism. But for working people, everyday life often looks different: "For many people, it is normal to eat the main meal in the evening after work. It makes no sense to ban dinner. Such a food pattern would not last, "says Hauner.
Radical rules are often meaningless
Accordingly, there is not the one ideal nutritional rhythm that everyone should follow. Too different for this are the daily routines of people and thus also the times when someone feels hungry. This is also confirmed by the ecotrophologist and nutritionist Silke Lichtenstein and therefore advises against strict nutrition plans: "For example, who imposed a strict food ban after 18 clock, who will start at 17 clock without feeling hungry to eat in advance, so he later does not feel hungry , That makes little sense overall. "
However, if you want to eat a healthy diet, you should be careful not to eat too often during the day. Because the constant "snacken" can quickly lead to the problem. "Today, we tend to eat eight to ten times a day. The frequent feeding of food does not consume the energy reserves in the cells, "explains Andreas Pfeiffer. "Anything that is fed further does not end up in our direct energy stores, but as fat in the liver or the blood vessels," says the expert, who also heads the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the German Institute for Nutrition Research. In addition, studies have shown that frequent snacks also lead to an increased total daily balance - therefore, especially after dinner nothing should be eaten, stress nutritionists.
Hunger does not have to be satisfied immediately
Thus, the body is not generally designed to take frequent and regular food. The well-known and firmly established "morning-noon-evening-rhythm" has developed more culturally. "Starvation is healthy, as long as it does not result in malnutrition. Alternating between hunger and food phases supports metabolic flexibility and has a positive long-term health impact, "says Pfeiffer. A growling stomach should therefore not be interpreted as a "warning signal", Lichtenstein adds: "We should separate ourselves from the idea that hunger is something that must be combated immediately." Instead of grabbing a snack immediately, the feeling of hunger should be felt According to the experts, therefore, calm times to endure the body later something "good" to treat.
An exception, however, are people who are affected by severe obesity and can no longer properly assess hunger and satiety. "Fixed meal times can help and reduce temptations between meals," says Hauner. (No)