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Time To Eat

We asked two clinical nutritionists what they think about eating according to a schedule versus choosing to eat when you're hungry.

This is what they had to say…

JILL FRASER-HALKETT

Eat According To A Schedule		 SALLY-ANN CREED

Eat When You’re Hungry
‘When you were a baby, you were often fed on demand, as your parents presumed you were hungry earlier than expected. Some parents, on the other hand, stuck to the accepted four-hourly feeding interval. Feeding infants is different for every single mother and child, so what happens by the time we’ve grown up? Why should we eat according to a schedule? Let’s look at what happens if we don’t eat according to a schedule:

Goodbye, Energy
Nowadays, life is stressful and many people skip meals without even noticing. This is because cortisol and adrenaline are produced when we are stressed and they interfere with natural hunger. Digestion uses energy and when you’re in flight-or-fight mode, you need all of your energy for the tasks at hand.

Junk In Your Trunk
While we’re at work, we often get hungry and tired by 11am. So, the first thing you do is head down to the vending machine or cafeteria and buy a fizzy drink and a chocolate bar. Or you fool yourself into believing a bran muffin is a healthy choice. This only sends your sugar levels soaring – and you’re still under-nourished. The modern diet contains far too much sugar in many different guises – fructose in fizzy drinks being the biggest culprit. All these sugars make us feel briefly satisfied, without giving us any nutrients at all.

Super Structure
Here are three reasons why you should eat according to a schedule:
• Eating five times a day (a healthy snack twice a day and three main meals) will help balance your sugar levels.
• Your body will learn how to be hungry naturally.
• By eating good fat and protein with every meal and snack on a regular basis, you’re more likely to lose weight.’		 ‘Eating when you are hungry can work well with those who don’t have blood sugar problems, who eat well to begin with and who don’t have very high metabolic rates. If you decide to follow this method, you need to train your body to eat only when you feel hungry.

Breakfast Power
Make sure that you eat a high-protein breakfast, with at least one complex carbohydrate and some fat. This will prevent a sugar rush and keep you full for hours. It will also provide adequate nutrition and satiety, so that you can in fact wait until you are hungry again before you eat.

Drink Up
Make sure you are well hydrated and always drink a glass of water with your meals. Drinking a lot of caffeine during the day will prevent you wanting to eat, but it will also dehydrate you and impair your health. Plenty of water is a good idea, and this in turn, has a way of staving off fake hunger.

Brain Train
People who only eat when they are hungry can train themselves to either eat two good meals a day, or multiple smaller meals. The best method is two good meals, and if there is hunger in between, it’s generally because you haven’t eaten a good enough breakfast that’s high in protein, or you’ve eaten sugary junk along the way.

Keep It Balanced
A high protein intake together with complex carbohydrates and healthy fat (such as olive oil instead sunflower or canola oil and butter instead of margarine) is the best way to ward off fake hunger. Eat a decent amount of food, but be careful not to over-eat. When you eat your second meal, it should also be balanced, but this time, add plenty of vegetables and/or salads to the protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Not only will this balance your blood sugar, but you’ll be able to go several hours without feeling hungry.’
 

Author: Lindi Brownell
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