A recent debate questions whether we should eat three meals a
day or five to six meals a day for optimum health and fitness.
Nutritional experts are divided about this, but all of them
agree that skipping meals is detrimental to overall fitness
success.
Individual metabolism seems to be the key in determining how
many meals a day to eat. However, if you eat only two to three
meals a day you are probably not making your metabolism work as
hard as it is supposed to. You may feel tired with a loss of
energy and wind up turning toward snacks, which may not be as
carefully chosen as an actual meal. With five to six meals a
day, you have more opportunities to plan to eat correctly as
opposed to snacking on junk food.
Deciding to eat 5 or 6 meals a day gives you the opportunity to ADA
think about what you are eating and plan meals that include the
four food groups. The portions you serve should equal the size
of your heart, which is approximately the size of your fist.
Exercising portion control and spreading your meals throughout
the day keeps your metabolism working properly, giving you
plenty of energy. Also, smaller portions help you to avoid
overeating and do not make you as sluggish as eating a huge
meal. Having several meals during the day gives you the
opportunity to add more variety to your diet, as well as avoid
pangs of hunger from going too long without eating.
The
deciding how and when to eat:
- Am I hungry? If you are not, wait 20 minutes.
- When was the last time I ate? Meals should usually be about
three hours apart.
- Could a small snack tide me over until my next meal? Of
course, fruit and veggies are preferred choices for snacks in
between meals.
In summary about the debate regarding three meals a day versus
six, Gary Schwartz (researcher at the Albert Einstein College
of Medicine) states, "There's no strong data supporting either
as being more effective. Clearly, there is an emphasis on
reducing caloric intake overall, whether it be by decreasing
meal size and/or decreasing meal frequency."
You can develop a truly effective individual fitness plan by
counting calories, exercising regularly and carefully
monitoring how your metabolism reacts to the number of meals
you eat daily.
About The Author: Ryan Cote is the owner of
http://WeightLoss-Programs-Reviewed.com, a website that reviews
the top 5 best weight loss programs. A large directory of
health tips & articles is available as well.
http://www.weightloss-programs-reviewed.com
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