Eating Well -- The Importance of When and How Often You Eat - By: Jay Benjamin

It's the level of glucose in your body which has a big effect on when you eat. A drop in blood glucose signals an empty feeling, which makes you want to eat. Many people for cultural reasons and out of habit, eat three large meals a day, rather than eating smaller meals more often. Studies have shown however, that the body benefits from having five or six smaller meals spread throughout the day, for example breakfast, a midmorning snack, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner or supper. This has the effect of keeping your glucose levels more consistent through the day, reducing the up and down hunger and satiety cycle.

Eating regular small meals will improve your overall sense of wellbeing and also has the added advantage of reducing body cholesterol levels. One study carried out over a two week period showed that people who ate three larger meals had nearly 14% more LDL (bad cholesterol) in their bodies when compared to another group of people who ate identical food, but spread out over several smaller meals.

Another important point to note with eating fewer but bigger meals, is that the tendency to feel hungry when glucose levels decline between eating may cause you to eat an unhealthy, fatty or sugary snack between meals. For this reason, many diets stress the importance of regular small meals to help you lose weight and eat more healthily.

It's commonly said that eating late at night will cause you to out on weight. It appears, however that this is simply a myth and that there is no relationship between obesity and eating shortly before you go to bed. Though one should bear in mind that it's not a good idea to eat spicy or very fatty foods at this time as they may reduce the length and quality of your sleep, leaving you tired the next day.

The basic rule is, if you're hungry, then you should eat (within reason of course!).

About the Author

The author has been writing articles on health and other issues, both on- and offline for a number of years. She also has a website about using surround sound wireless speakers and 7.1 surround sound systems.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Jay-Benjamin/62567

Additional Articles From - Home | Health & fitness | Nutrition