WHAT you eat can promote your health – but also when you eat it.
We said yesterday that the least harmful thing to do is to drink a glass of wine with your meal.
But meal times, the order of the dishes and coffee breaks are also important.
Emma Pietras examines the science behind…
EAT YOUR VEGETABLES BEFORE THE REST
Swallowing these items before putting other things on your plate can help you feel fuller longer and lose weight.
This is because vegetables contain fiber, which helps regulate blood sugar.
Nutritionist Carolyn Williams says, “If you start with vegetables and eat fiber, you may find that you consume fewer carbohydrates.”
DRINK A CUP TOMORROW AROUND 11 AM
WAIT a few hours before drinking your first cup of tea until the cortisol hormone levels in your body drop and you feel a drop in energy.
Sleep expert Dr. Deborah Lee said: “For example, if you wake up at 7 a.m., you will get the most benefit from having your first coffee at 10 a.m.”
Eat your dinner early at 5pm
EARLY dinners can improve digestion and weight loss.
Overweight people were asked to eat the same meals at different times. Nina Vujovic of Harvard Medical School said that eating dinner at 5 p.m. “makes a significant difference in how we burn calories and store fat.”
EAT FRUIT BEFORE THE MAIN MEAL
Similar to vegetables, many fruits contain a lot of fiber and are therefore best eaten before a meal – and not after, as we often do.
This is especially true for apples.
A high-fiber diet increases the production of the appetite-suppressing hormone peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) in a part of the small intestine known as the ileum.
Dr. Aygul Dagbasi said: “We now understand how fiber is associated with reduced hunger compared to a low-fiber diet and that certain fibers and amino acids stimulate PYY.”
WOMEN SHOULD EAT BEFORE SPORTS
HOW MUCH fat you burn while exercising depends on whether you eat before or after your workout. For women, the former is best, for men, the latter.
According to one study, women performed better when they consumed a high-carbohydrate drink before exercise, while men performed better when they drank the drink later.
Men tend to have more muscles that store energy in the form of carbohydrates and will not burn these fats if they have consumed a drink that already provides them with these fats.
Dr Adam Collins of the University of Surrey said: “Men get better results when they exercise quickly (not eat) as the muscles burn more fat.”
