Why you can’t eat one meal a day. Answered by a nutritionist

Adherence to a regimen is the most important principle of good nutrition. The regime of meals ensures the smooth functioning of all organs and metabolic processes. For an adult physiologic need for three meals a day.

President of the Association of Nutritionists and Health Coaches

The human body loves order, so systematic violation of the diet leads to stress. I will tell you about the harm caused by disordered eating and skipping meals without the advice of a specialist.

Transition to the system of interval fasting with one meal is acceptable, but in the short term and necessarily on the recommendation of a specialist. On interval fasting the single meal should be as balanced as possible to provide the body with the necessary nutrients.

The single meal should contain the necessary amount of fiber, vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Despite hunger, a person should not overeat and should get the daily calorie allowance at one meal.

Rational eating supports the natural appetite and the release of digestive juices, which are necessary for the normal digestion of food. Unorganized eating, on the contrary, weakens the body, slows down the metabolism, reduces resistance to colds and viral diseases.

Lack of breakfast several times slows down the metabolism process, because it is the first meal after sleep starts metabolism. At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the rhythm of a person. For example, “larks” feel natural hunger in the first hour after waking up, and “owls” may feel the need to eat only one and a half to two hours after waking up.

How to build the right diet

Nutritionists recommend building a dietary regimen according to the rules:

• eating at the same hours;
• multiplicity of meals;
• observance of “clean” intervals between them;
• quantitative and nutritive qualitative distribution of food during the day.

“Clean” intervals (without snacks, you can drink water or herbal teas) between meals should be at least three and no more than four hours.

Systemic three meals a day helps eaten better digest, satisfies the body’s need for plastic, energy and regulatory ingredients.

The following order of meals during the day is considered to be the most appropriate:

• 7:00-10:00 – breakfast;
• 12:00-14:00 – lunch;
• 17:00-20:00 – dinner.

When switching to a full diet, learn a useful habit: after waking up or 20 minutes before breakfast, be sure to drink one or two glasses of warm water to start the metabolism, the process of bile secretion and replenish moisture in the body.

Note that breakfast should be protein-fat – it perfectly satiates, reduces appetite and helps to control hunger in the second half of the day. At lunch, favor complex carbohydrates and protein to replenish energy stores. The ideal dinner is predominantly eubiotic, with plant fiber and fermented foods.

Digestion is subject to the laws of rhythmic work of the body, so the diet should be based on the daily rhythm of the digestive organs.

At night and early morning digestive system is in a state of natural rest, so at night it is not recommended to overeat, and the first meal after waking up should be within an hour. The activity of the digestive organs increases in the morning, reaches a maximum in the afternoon (ideal time for lunch) and then decreases again closer to dinner.

Eating once a day provokes a state of hunger, which prevents the production of bile, and it, in turn, activates and enhances the action of lipase – an enzyme of the pancreas (dissolves a large number of fatty acids, promotes the absorption of fats and has a positive effect on peristalsis and intestinal motility).

Why you can not eat once a day

If a person systematically violates the regime and often eats once a day due to lack of time, he may soon discover problems.

First, metabolic disorders will manifest themselves: the body will go into economy mode and all incoming calories will be stored in the fat depot. This mode increases the risk of gaining weight rather than losing it, especially if instead of a full meal, a person snacks on caloric sweets with a drink. Incomplete snacks are harmful to the liver and provoke insulin spikes in the blood, which causes the development of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Secondly, prolonged fasting will eventually lead to breakdowns and overeating, which is also fraught with gastrointestinal disorders and weight gain.

Third, the lack of a regime and semi-starvation state can provoke the development of eating disorders. The exhausted body will demand food in excess (this is how bulimia begins) or will refuse to eat at all.

In no case should not eat once a day people who already have problems with the gastrointestinal tract. One meal can provoke an exacerbation of ulcers and gastritis, which require a fractional diet.