July 26 , 2018 | Britney Kennedy
Why is it that some of us lack the motivation to keep up with tasks that allow us to reach our goals? Is it because these goals are unrealistic or overshot? It’s hard to say for sure, but one thing that’s certain is that everyone can better their health by simply improving their diets! This doesn’t mean you should jump on the newest diet craze, but instead tweak your current regime. By following some simple rules, you can turn the tables on your health, and who knows, you might even lose some weight along the way!
Eat within an Hour of Waking
It’s important to remember why we sleep. Sleep is used to recover and repair our bodies not only from physical wounds, but to recuperate from the day, allowing us to fully function as we should. When we sleep, our bodies slow down: our heart rate drops, we have longer, deep breaths, and our metabolism slows so the body can efficiently repair other systems that are less active while we are awake. Upon waking, our heart rate and breathing recovers from the night, but it’s not until foods pass through our digestive system that our metabolism kicks fully into gear. This is why it’s important to eat within the first hour of waking! If there isn’t time for a full breakfast, grab a healthy snack until there’s more time to consume a balanced meal!
Eat every 2-3 hours
Keeping your metabolism in check by consuming foods on a regular basis throughout the day is an important part of a healthy diet. Fueling your body with a constant supply of nutrient intake allows you to continuously burn energy in the form of calories throughout the day! Not only is it important to eat every 2-3 hours, but what you’re eating makes a difference as well! Processed foods containing high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat are not efficiently used by our bodies. Instead, focusing on high quality, nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy options will allow your body to continuously burn calories and work for you!
Avoid foods 2-3 hours before bedtime
Because the digestive system is somewhat linear, let the force of gravity work in your favor! By sitting straight up during meals and even a few hours after will prevent the back flow of foods in the digestive tract. This will allow you to curb GERD symptoms and even help prevent heart burn! The digestive process is one that takes a few hours to complete, as food stays in our stomachs for a while, and slowly heads to the small and then large intestines. Because of this, eating too closely to your bed time can affect your weight in a negative way! Remember, sleep is a time that the body is in a more restful state where all systems (including metabolism) slow down. Create an environment where your food may be metabolized quickly and efficiently by avoiding laying down or heading to bed soon after a meal or snack. Allow 2-3 hours for a meal and 1-2 hours for a snack to digest before calling it a day!
