What to Eat vs. When to Eat

Most probably, you are aware of the fact that what you eat has a major impact on your health and it may help your body to function better, or it may cause it damage. It is important to maintain a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. But did you know that it does not only matter what you eat, but when you eat it? Your food choices determine the level of energy you feel and can also have a considerable influence on your mood.

Maybe you haven’t thought about that yet, but it is quite simple to understand the reasons behind this. As you already know, food contains nutrients, vitamins, minerals and other substances. Some of these are immediately absorbed by your body while for other it is necessary a longer time. Let’s take the case of vitamin C. This vitamin is water-soluble and it does not stay longer than two hours in your body. You cannot expect to eat something with a high amount of vitamin C now and still have it in your body tomorrow. Healthy fats are another relevant example. They are sent from the digestive tract right to your liver to be used as a fuel for your body, and they are not deposited as fats. This way, your energy level will increase soon.

Taking all these into consideration, you can understand that every food has its role and should be consumed at the right time, according to your needs. Let’s see what you should eat in different moments of the day.

Breakfast

The importance of a good breakfast is well known. Despite this, many tend to skip it. But a healthy breakfast will influence your whole day. Make sure you eat enough proteins, fats, and even carbohydrates. A proper intake of these will have a beneficial effect on your mood, and it can keep you away from sweets and fast-food temptations.

Late morning

What you need now is to stay focused on your work. A cup of coffee can help you with this. However, if you already had one before or you simply don’t like coffee, you could try some green tea. It has the same effect, just without the excess of caffeine.

Lunch

Lunch should provide you enough energy for the rest of the work day, but also to release the stress and anxiety you have already accumulated. Vegetables such as spinach, squash, and zucchini are the best choices because they are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber.

Afternoon

You may feel the temptation of eating something sweet or even a small cup of coffee, as long as you still have work to do and you start feeling hungry. Try instead a healthy snack like a yogurt, some nuts – almonds, walnuts – or, why not, a fruit – an apple or some berries are a great choice.

Dinner

Dinner is not the right time to eat a breakfast meal. You have to prepare yourself for sleep so a portion of chicken meat or mushrooms next to a salad can be great options. A glass of milk right before you go to bed is also recommended.