Eat 3 times a day. Is it true or myth that you need to eat often and in small portions. Math Lesson: More is Better

25.08.2020

People, especially those suffering from frequent urination, may wonder how many times a day an adult should pee (urinate) and whether there is any standard or volume for this. Let's try to answer these questions.

First, a little about urine itself. This is a biologically active fluid that is produced by the kidneys, secreted and descends through the ureter down to the bladder and urethra. Together with urine, the body excretes the final products of metabolism. If the body becomes ill, pathological metabolic products, as well as drugs and foreign substances, begin to be excreted in the urine.

The process of urination quite healthy person occurs freely, painlessly and without any effort. After completing urination, a person has a pleasant feeling of completely emptying the bladder. If pain occurs when urinating or the process occurs with effort, these are signs of an inflammatory process in the urinary system. In this case, urgent treatment is required.

Normal amount of urine produced

Fine per day for an adult can vary from 800 to 1500 ml, depending on age and other factors. The entire volume of urine excreted by a person per day is called daily diuresis. A healthy adult urinates 4-7 times a day and no more than 1 time per night. Daytime and nighttime diuresis are correlated within 3 to 1 or 4 to 1. Each portion of urine averages 200-300 ml, sometimes up to 600 ml (usually the largest amount occurs in a portion of morning urine after waking up). If more than 2000 ml or less than 200 ml are released per day, this is already considered a pathological amount.

The total amount of urine per day depends on several factors: age, liquids drunk, including soups, compotes, etc., the presence of diarrhea, the amount of sweat produced (urine excretion noticeably decreases when a person sweats excessively), body temperature, water loss from the lungs and other factors.

It is important for a sick person to know- what is the total amount of urine excreted in one day and what is its ratio with the liquid taken during this time. This is water balance. If the amount of fluid consumed far exceeds the amount of urine excreted and is accompanied by an increase in the patient’s weight, then there is reason to believe that the patient has . If a person excretes more urine than drinks liquids, this means that there is a diuretic effect from the medications or herbal infusions being taken. In the first case this is called negative diuresis, in the second - positive.

The concept of “diet mode” includes:

quantity and time of food intake during the day
distribution of the daily diet according to its energy value, chemical composition, food set and food for breakfast, lunch
intervals between meals
time spent eating

The human body is extremely complex. The harmonious balance of this complex system, under constant influence of the external environment, is what we call health.

The rhythm of nutrition plays an important role in maintaining the normal functioning of the body and its health. The human body is designed in such a way that at a certain time the entire digestive tract prepares itself for food intake and signals about it. A person accustomed to a certain diet can check his watch based on signals from his stomach. If for some reason the next meal does not take place, the body is forced to rebuild, and this entails negative consequences.

At the hour allotted for eating, or some time later, when thinking about food, gastric juice begins to flow into the stomach, which has great digestive capacity, and if at that time there is no food in the stomach, the secreted juice begins to act on the walls of the stomach and duodenum. Frequent eating disorders lead to the formation of ulcers, gastritis and other diseases gastrointestinal tract. To avoid such consequences of a violation of normal nutrition, it is recommended to eat something during normal meal hours if it is not possible to eat normally.

Human nutrition is regulated by the central nervous system. This is controlled by the so-called food center (appetite center) in the brain. And for normal and proper operation For this center, proper nutrition is extremely important. You need to eat a certain number of times during the day and at certain, strictly established intervals, if possible, correctly distributing food for each of the meals (both in volume and calorie content, and in the composition of nutrients).

As mentioned above, a person who is accustomed to a developed diet begins to feel hungry at a certain time and develops an appetite. But you need to know that hunger and appetite are not the same thing. Hunger is a physiological state when the amount necessary for the normal functioning of the body ceases to enter the blood. nutrients. Appetite can appear at the mere sight or even at the memory of tasty food (although the physiological need for a new portion of food in the body is this moment No).

It also happens the other way around - there is no appetite, although the body already needs the next portion of food. Both increased appetite, not caused by physiological necessity, and its absence are a painful condition, most often caused by a systematic violation of the basic rules of nutrition. A normal food reflex is developed from childhood, when the body is formed and eating habits (including harmful ones) are formed. You need to know that in children the food center (reflex) is especially easily excited not only by the sight of food, but also by the mention of it. Satisfying every manifestation of appetite that is not justified by physiological necessity will inevitably lead to disruption of proper digestion and overeating.

The question of how many times to eat a day, at what intervals and what caloric amount of food to take during each meal is one of the problems that is carefully studied by specialists, including the Institute of Nutrition of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Research by scientists has shown that one-time meals are generally unacceptable: with such nutrition, the human body is under tension, not only the digestive system, but also all other systems and organs of the body, especially the nervous system, do not work properly. Eating two meals a day also makes you feel unwell. A person with such a diet experiences severe hunger, and the digestibility of the most important part of the diet - protein, on average, is no more than 75 percent of what enters the body. With three meals a day, a person feels better, food is eaten with good appetite, and protein digestibility increases to 85 percent. With four meals a day, protein digestibility remains at the same 85 percent level, but a person’s well-being is even better than with three meals a day. In an experiment, scientists proved that with five and six meals a day, appetite worsens and, in some cases, protein digestibility decreases.

Conclusion: for a healthy person, it is most rational to eat 4 times a day; Three meals a day are also acceptable. As for therapeutic nutrition for obesity, gastritis, colitis and other diseases, the diet and diet are prescribed by the doctor.

Now about the intervals between meals. Ideal from a physiological point of view, it would be to start the next meal only when the digestion of the food eaten at the previous meal has finished. To this we must add that the digestive organs, like every other organ of the human body, need periods of rest. And finally, digestion has a certain effect on all processes occurring in the body, including the activity of the central nervous system. The combination of these conditions leads to the fact that a person accustomed to a measured diet develops a normal appetite at the right time.

One of the indicators of the duration of the act of digestion is the time it takes for food to be removed from the stomach. It has been established that with normal functioning of the stomach and other digestive organs, the process of digesting food lasts about 4 hours. Each meal leads to a more or less pronounced change in the state of the central nervous system. After eating, especially a large one, some apathy sets in, attention decreases, the will relaxes, the person tends to sleep, that is, in the language of a physiologist, conditioned reflex activity decreases. This state of the central nervous system, which occurs immediately after eating, lasts, depending on the abundance of food taken, for an hour or more. Then all these sensations smooth out, and finally, by the end of the fourth hour, the food center returns to its normal state - appetite reappears. And if a person who is accustomed to the regime does not eat in a timely manner, he becomes weak, his attention decreases, and his performance decreases. Moreover, in the future, appetite may disappear. If you are systematically late with food or eat on a full stomach, the normal activity of the digestive glands is disrupted and digestion is upset. A longer period between meals occurs during the period of night sleep, but it should not exceed 10-11 hours. The general rule is the following: the intervals between small meals can be short (2-3 hours), but it is not advisable to eat food earlier than 2 hours after the previous meal. On average, breaks between meals should be 4-5 hours.

The distribution of the daily diet, that is, the preparation of a menu, is of great importance. This combines issues of the quantity of food, its quality composition and the sequence in taking individual dishes.

The total amount of food consumed by a person per day, together with liquid dishes and drinks, is on average about 3 kilograms. Breakfast is the first meal after sleep. During the night's sleep, everything eaten the day before was digested, all organs of the body, including the digestive ones, rested and favorable conditions were created for their further work. Scientists involved in nutrition issues are unanimous that it is necessary to have breakfast, regardless of whether a person is engaged in physical or mental activity. We can only talk about what part of the diet should contain breakfast. It is believed that if a person is engaged in physical labor, then breakfast should contain approximately 1/3 of the daily ration, both in volume and nutritional value. If a person physical labor eats a small amount and nutritional value breakfast or, worse, starts work on an empty stomach, then he cannot work at full load, and his performance drops significantly. It has now become fashionable, especially among knowledge workers, to limit themselves to a cup of coffee or tea for breakfast. They refer to lack of time and appetite. Both are the result of an incorrect lifestyle, general regimen, including diet. Putting things in order in your diet (as, indeed, in your entire lifestyle) is entirely within the power of a person, and anyone who wants to can overcome the bad habit of eating poorly, and by the way, give up bad habits such as alcohol abuse and smoking.

Some experts advise eating at least 5 times a day, others say that you should never eat more than 3 times. Still others insist that two or even one meal a day is enough for a person. So which one is right? Let's try to figure this out.

5 times a day

Many modern nutritionists say that you should eat 5 times a day. A prerequisite is that the portions should be small. Thus, at each individual meal, the stomach has to cope with less food compared to three meals a day, which should reduce the load and improve digestion.

In practice, the conditions for reducing the amount of food are often not met, or two snacks are added to the three main meals. However, it is difficult to blame people for this: the same theory states that in no case should you bring your body to extreme hunger, otherwise you will be at risk of overeating at the next meal.

Some nutritionists and fitness trainers go even further, advising to eat 6 times a day, i.e. approximately every 2 hours.

Thus, considering hunger as a terrible enemy, a person does not allow himself to become completely hungry. . A The digestive system, instead of receiving relief, is in constant work . However, some nutritionists and fitness trainers go even further, advising to eat 6 times a day, i.e. approximately every 2 hours.

3 times a day

Three meals a day became a classic long before five meals a day became popular.

With three meals a day, the interval between meals is approximately 5 hours, but in fact 4, since you spend an hour eating food.

Your workday is broken only once - during lunch; the rest of the time you can concentrate on business and forget about everything else.

If you can’t do this and within an hour after eating you feel hungry again, this is not a reason to think about switching to five meals a day - the problem lies in your menu. Most likely, this is an excess of fast carbohydrates, which are rich in white rice, pasta, potatoes, confectionery, and bread.

Another reason to be careful about dieting with small gaps between meals is the loss of control over hunger. In just two hours you simply won’t have time to get really hungry. You may feel like you're hungry again, but most likely it's psychological hunger. If you allow yourself to eat 5 times a day, it will be very difficult to refuse another meal, even if you don’t actually need it. In addition, if you have not prepared food for the whole day in advance, you will always be thinking about what to eat, and this will only increase your appetite.

Three meals a day makes be more critical of your diet, because you know that if you eat something that does not give you a feeling of fullness for a sufficient period, then you will have to suffer from hunger until the next meal. Considering that products that have this effect are harmful to both your figure and your health, the need to limit them will only benefit you.

If you allow yourself to eat 5 times a day, it will be very difficult to refuse another meal, even if you don’t actually need it.

Short-term hunger in itself does not cause any harm. When the digestive system has finally finished digesting food, the body switches to cleansing mode. If skipping one meal results in overeating, the reason should be sought in your diet. What gives you such an appetite? These are hardly fresh vegetables and fruits.

2 times a day

Until the beginning of the 19th century, people ate 2 meals a day. The first meal took place at about 10 o'clock in the morning, and the person woke up at sunrise. We had dinner at about 6 pm. Thus, there was quite a long period of time between meals.

In the morning they ate only whole grain bread with water, and in the evening it could be the same. Incompatible types of food were not mixed with each other and what was eaten was natural. This is another confirmation that with the right diet, food is absorbed effectively, and a person does not need to consume it non-stop.

1 per day

The ancient Greeks and Romans ate once a day. You can verify this by studying historical sources. Ancient Persia and ancient Israel were also characterized by such nutrition.

However, it cannot be said that people in those days were fat. But this is exactly what, according to nutritionists, threatens those who eat “not often enough.”

To be fair, it should be said that ancient people, as a rule, ate food in raw, accordingly, these were mainly fruits, vegetables and nuts. And products such as meat were very rarely present in the diet of ordinary people.

What conclusions can be drawn?

Not only the number of meals per day matters, but also what exactly you eat.
A moderate number of meals makes you take your diet more seriously and makes it possible to use up what you ate last time, while with 5-6 meals a day you will not have time to get hungry.
Don't be afraid of a strong feeling of hunger. If skipping one meal leads to overeating, this is a reason to think about your diet.

How many times a day do you eat?
Vote

How much, often and what exactly we eat is influenced by many factors - from family and country traditions to genetics. Recent research suggests a partial genetic influence on individual meal frequency.

How many times a day should you eat, according to scientific research?

The statistics say unemotionally: among adult residents US over 20s 65% are overweight or obese and there are no signs of a significant improvement in this situation. In Russia this figure is not much better - about 51% of people(data: 2010) we weigh more than necessary and the dynamics are also not encouraging.

We will not list the obvious harm from excess weight in this text. Let us dwell on just one of the frequently discussed topics - how body weight and composition changes depending on the frequency of meals.

(Hereinafter, we will cite as an example studies of mainly Americans, since a Russian person is essentially exactly the same, only his bonds are slightly different, and there is practically no data and research on Russia).

How many times a day do people eat?

Children have a natural need to eat small portions (“peck” food) throughout the day. However, after reaching a certain age, the child gets used to consuming food in a certain way.

How much, often and what exactly we eat is influenced by many factors - from family and country traditions to genetics.

Recent research suggests a partial genetic influence on individual meal frequency. According to the National Food Consumption Survey ( Nationwide Food Consumption Survey - NFCS, 1987 - 1988

), the average meal frequency among 3,182 American adults was 3.47 times per day—that's when all snacks, including high-calorie drinks, are taken into account. If we discard intermediate meals up to 70 kcal (for example, tea, coffee, drinks), then the number of meals was reduced to

3.12 per day.

Actually, this fact is confirmed by the traditionally common 3 meals a day: those same breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Even though nutritionists and trainers often recommend eating small meals more often throughout the day to gain metabolic benefits, people are hesitant to follow them.

Some scientists believe that eating infrequently, but in large portions, increases the risk of obesity by increasing synthesis and storage (lipogenesis or “deposition” of fat) after eating.

However, scientists have not come to a consensus: the debate continues, since research data is contradictory.

How many times a day to eat: Does meal frequency affect your body? Over the past few years, researchers have been looking into the effects of meal frequency. Here are the results of some of the most interesting ones. In some early studies.

In some experiments, a similar connection was discovered. Others refute the effect of increasing the number of meals on weight and body composition.

Some studies show an inverse relationship between food frequency and body composition/weight - i.e. the more meals you eat, the less weight you gain(other things being equal - for example, with the same number of calories).

However, these data are questioned: in addition to the obvious genetic differences of the subjects, there are other factors that can influence the results and conclusions.

For example, experiments that use self-reported data to compare total daily energy expenditure often underestimate food intake.

Several studies have found significant underestimation of calories consumed by overweight and obese people, as well as older people, who tend to underestimate what they eat.

The source notes rather positive influence more frequent meals on weight and body composition, even considering the possibility of underestimating people who are restricting food/dieting. However, this difference is insignificant and is not confirmed by many other studies.

Confounding factors aside, most studies show that increasing meal frequency does not make a significant difference in weight loss/body composition changes.

Experimental studies: differences in the number of meals for ordinary people No

Most experimental studies involve overweight and obese people.

One study found: when the total daily calorie intake is unchanged(but at the same time with a lack of calories - for weight loss), no difference in weight loss is found, even when the frequency of meals per day is increased from one to nine.

Roughly speaking, you can eat your, for example, 1500 kcal at least in one meal, even divided into 9 meals - there will be no difference - you will lose the same weight.

In 2010, Cameron and his colleagues evaluated the effects of an 8-week hypocaloric diet on obese men and women.One group of subjects consumed food 3 times a day (low food frequency), the other group had 3 main and 3 additional snacks ( high frequency food). In both groups, caloric restriction was similar (minus 700 kcal/day from normal).

As a result, a similar decrease in body weight (about 5% of the original), lean mass, fat and total BMI was recorded. There were no significant differences between groups with different eating frequencies in any of the obesity characteristics.

In addition to the experiments on fat people, several studies have been conducted on people of normal body weight. In terms of optimizing weight and body composition, the results were similar to those found in overweight/obese people: increasing meal frequency did not provide any benefit.

Even on a low-calorie diet or when caloric intake helps maintain current body weight, increasing meal frequency from 1 to 5 or from 1 to 3 did not improve weight loss.

How many times a day to eat: exceptions to the rule - children and athletes

An exception is the work of Fabry et al. The researchers showed that the increase in skinfold thickness in 10- to 16-year-old boys and girls was significantly greater with 3 meals a day compared to 5 or 7 meals. At the same time, no significant differences were found between girls and boys aged 6-11 years.

Interestingly, many of the reports of improvements in body composition with increased eating frequency were obtained when the experimental group consisted of athletes.

Thus, based on this limited information, it can be hypothesized that increasing meal frequency in athletes may improve body composition.

A small number of studies involving athletes have demonstrated these benefits from increasing meal frequency: Reduced dry matter loss muscle mass with a hypocaloric (lack of calories) diet, a significant increase in lean muscle mass and anaerobic power, a significant increase in “fat burning”.

Meal frequency and effect on cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin in the body

There is much less literature in the scientific literature regarding the effects of changes in meal frequency on “health markers” such as blood lipids and glucose, blood pressure, hormone levels and cholesterol.

Gwinup et al were among the first to undertake several descriptive studies assessing the influence of nutrition is similar to “herbivores” (frequent and few) compared to “carnivores” (rare and many).

Five hospitalized men and women were prescribed to consume low-calorie foods for 14 days in a crossover manner according to the following scheme:

one large meal a day,

10 doses per day, every 2 hours,

Three meals a day.

Food similar carnivores (one meal per day) led to an increase in serum lipids compared to 3 meals a day. Food by type herbivores (10 times a day) caused a decrease in serum lipids: phospholipids, esterified fatty acids and cholesterol.

Later, in studies involving obese and non-obese people, there was also a significant improvement in total cholesterol when low-calorie foods were consumed in 8 versus 1 meal and 17 snacks versus 3 meals a day.

In a cross-sectional study that included 6,890 men and 7,776 women aged 45–75 years, in the general population, mean cholesterol concentrations decreased significantly with increasing meal frequency, even after adjusting for the confounding variables obesity, age, physical activity, and dietary intake.

After adjusting for these variables, total and LDL cholesterol levels were about 5% lower in people who ate more than 6 times a day, compared with those who ate once or twice a day. Similar results were obtained by other researchers.

A recent cross-sectional study of the effects of meal frequency on health outcomes in humans compared traditional 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) versus consuming all of these meals in one serving. Each test subject adhered to one of the nutritional plans for 8 weeks with an 11-week break. When eating once a day, there was also a significant increase in total blood pressure.

Scientists reported that increasing meal frequency has a positive effect on glucose tolerance. Specifically, when subjects consumed 4 small meals at 40-minute intervals, rather than one large meal containing exactly the same number of calories, lower insulin secretion and glucose levels were observed.

When comparing low-calorie diet intake of 17 small meals per day (versus 3 per day), serum insulin levels were 27.9% lower.

However, there are several experiments involving healthy men, healthy women, and overweight women that did not show any benefits on cholesterol and triglycerides.

Although research on health markers such as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and glucose tolerance has been mixed, increasing meal frequency appears to have a POSITIVE effect.

However, it is noted that the experiments that found the benefits of increasing meal frequency were relatively short-term, and nothing is known about whether similar positive adaptations would occur in a long-term study.

How many times a day to eat: protein is better absorbed with a more even distribution in the diet

It is widely believed that the body can only absorb a limited amount of protein in one meal and it is necessary to distribute their consumption throughout the day for the best effect, for example, when increased protein nutrition is needed for muscle growth. And there is a scientific basis for this.

Based on recent research,muscle protein synthesis in response to a serving of food is optimal when consuming 20-30 grams of high-quality protein or 10-15 grams of essential amino acids - that is, this amount is absorbed as efficiently as possible in one meal.

Research has shown that the typical American diet has an inadequate distribution of protein intake, with little protein at breakfast (about 10-14 grams) and the bulk at dinner (about 29-42 grams). Thus, the American diet optimizes protein synthesis only once a day - during dinner.

An animal study found that an equivalent distribution of protein between three meals (16% protein per serving) resulted in greater total protein synthesis and muscle mass, compared with suboptimal intake (8%) at breakfast and lunch and greater than optimal intake (27%). during the dinner. That is, protein is theoretically absorbed better if consumed more evenly throughout the day.

To observe a true relationship between meal frequency and protein status, it is necessary to use experimental models in which protein synthesis is optimized by consuming 5-6 rather than three servings.

This was demonstrated by Paddon-Jones and colleagues, who found that mixed protein synthesis was approximately 23% higher when three large 800-kcal meals (containing about 23 g protein, 127 g carbohydrate, 30 g fat) were consumed supplemented with three small meals. 180 kcal servings with 15 g of essential amino acids, compared to consuming three large 850 kcal servings.

Combining the results of several studies, we can conclude that if protein synthesis is optimized, increasing meal frequency can have a positive effect on protein digestibility.

In addition, experiments with meal timing show the importance of protein intake before, during and after physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

For ordinary people who are not burdened with sports achievements and activities, for people with excess body weight, the frequency of meals does not matter. You can eat 1 time a day, you can eat 9 times a day - the result will be the same, it all depends on the number of calories consumed per day, and not on the number of meals.

However, increasing the frequency of meals still has a positive effect on the normalization of blood pressure, cholesterol levels and surges in blood glucose and insulin levels.

Increasing the frequency of meals (or rather, a more uniform and frequent distribution of protein across meals) also has a positive effect on the digestibility of protein, which is required in increased quantities, for example, for muscle growth.

Some studies have shown positive impact of increasing nutritional frequency on body quality in athletes: reduction in loss of lean muscle mass during “cutting” (hypocaloric diet), a significant increase in lean muscle mass and anaerobic power, a significant increase in “fat burning”.

A controversial topic is how many times a day to eat when trying to lose weight. Nutritionists tend to consume food at least 5 times a day, otherwise they will lose excess weight it'll be hard. Is it true that in the morning you are allowed to eat whatever you want, but in the afternoon you need to strictly adhere to calories?

How many times a day should you eat to lose weight without harming your health?

Research on this topic has shown that it matters total number calories consumed from food during the day. Be sure to watch how many times you eat, as well as what kind of food you eat.

Beware of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index. These are confectionery products, baked goods made from premium flour, and sweets.

These products quickly raise blood sugar levels, and their decrease also occurs in a short period, so a deceptive feeling of hunger arises. And this, in turn, encourages extra snacking.

Do you think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, having a direct impact on metabolism? There is no scientific evidence for this fact. Therefore, it’s okay if for some reason you missed several breakfasts. This will have little effect on the weight loss process.

Intermittent fasting is a revolutionary new and increasingly popular trend in weight loss. Its meaning is that you refuse breakfast and eat only from 12:00 in the afternoon until 20:00 in the evening. The body fasts for the remaining 12 hours. Advantage this method Losing weight is that you don't need to count the calories you consume. Whether this method of getting rid of extra pounds is correct and safe for health is up to you to decide.

Do you feel like a victim of hunger and powerless against it? The more you eat, the more you want to stuff something into yourself? The reason for this irrational behavior is in the products you prefer. More fiber (vegetables) instead of simple carbohydrate foods (sweet tea and a sausage sandwich) will relieve hunger for a long time.

Still, how many times a day should you eat?

For proper nutrition divide your daily diet into 7 meals in small portions. This is the ideal nutrition plan. But how to bring it to life? Make snacks every 2 hours, but not everything you can get your hands on. Prepare food for each reception in advance. Of course, this is quite a troublesome task and takes a lot of time! This schedule also has its drawbacks: due to the fact that insulin is constantly at a high level, fat burning occurs extremely slowly or stops altogether. If the stomach is stretched, then overeating cannot be avoided.

You can experiment with 4 meals a day. This type of diet allows you to avoid overeating and control the number of calories consumed every day. By eating 4 times a day, you will allow fat reserves to disappear faster. Insulin will not be produced after food is digested, and its absence will provoke the breakdown of fat. Over time, the body will get used to this diet, so that the feeling of hunger will arise closer to the time of the planned meal. There is also a disadvantage of eating 4 times a day: food entering the body in large quantities at one time is poorly absorbed.

How many times a day to eat in order to lose extra pounds without harm to health is determined purely individually. If you are afraid of overeating and are not sure that you can control the amount of food you eat at one time, then eat 4 times a day.

What foods should you not eat for breakfast?

Many people recognize breakfast as the most important meal of the day. By eating the wrong foods, you provoke chronic fatigue syndrome (overeating) and at 11 am you will want to eat again.

We have prepared a list of products that are absolutely not suitable for breakfast:

Low-fat yogurt is not at all suitable for breakfast. Although it is low in calories, it contains many chemicals and little protein. And it is protein that prevents you from starving for a long time.

Bagels and other baked goods. One rich bagel is equivalent to 4 (or maybe more) pieces white bread! This does not mean that you don’t need to eat the baked goods at all. Choose whole grain baked goods and eat with protein-fortified foods (eggs, cheese, salmon). Just don’t grease the baked goods with butter or melted cheese!

Pancakes are a source of fast carbohydrates, so they are not suitable for breakfast. And pancakes sprinkled with syrup and jam will definitely give the body a blow from an excess of sugar. But hunger will still come quickly!

Energy bars made from cereals and dried fruits are a bad way to start a new day. Typically, bars contain a lot of sugar and chemicals. Therefore, there is no benefit from them!

Freshly squeezed juices are very healthy, but they are not suitable for breakfast. A glass of freshly squeezed juice is good to drink between meals, for example, instead of an afternoon snack. Still, this is a source of carbohydrates, and you need proteins for breakfast!

Muesli is also healthy, but not suitable for breakfast. The reason is the same: low protein content and a huge amount of carbohydrates. It's better to eat yogurt with raw nuts.

Fast food is everyone's favorite but unhealthy food. Absolute harm and no benefit from fatty, overcooked food!

Why is it rarely harmful to eat?

The reason lies in the fact that the habit of eating rarely, but in large portions, makes you gain much more calories than during frequent small snacks. With the second option, it is possible to constantly maintain a feeling of satiety in the body.

The dependence of hunger on blood sugar levels is known. If you eat rarely, your sugar level drops, you feel unwell, lack of strength, and whenever possible you pounce on food. Since the feeling of fullness occurs only 15-20 minutes after the start of eating, you eat much more than you should, swallowing in chunks.

If you are on a diet, you should maintain your sugar level at approximately the same level throughout the day. Do not allow a strong feeling of hunger (when you suck in the pit of your stomach). The rate of metabolic processes slows down within 5-6 hours after eating. That is why when losing weight you should eat little and often (4-6 times a day). It is also good to count calories to eliminate the possibility of overeating. Chew your food thoroughly and slowly. This is necessary so that as little food as possible fits into the stomach before the feeling of fullness sets in.

The three- or four-meal eating model is suitable for those who cannot control the portions of food eaten at a time and cannot snack every 2 hours.

If you lead an active lifestyle, regularly exercise according to a special program, then you can eat 5-7 times a day.

Whichever meal option you choose, remember the meaning balanced nutrition. Give up fast carbohydrates in favor of slow ones. Eat more vegetables, fruits in moderation, protein and be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water per day.