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During the holidays, many youngsters tend to lose all sense of time and discipline, especially when it comes to meals. This also happens to those who are traveling. They have no idea when to eat what. Irregular meal times can lead to lowering of the metabolism and cause acidity. Also, when the meal is too late and the gap between meals is too long there is a tendency to overeat or you lose control and eat anything you see, especially fatty snacks or sweets, even though you have resolved to avoid these foods.

The ideal time to eat breakfast is between 8 and 9 am. If you wake up very early, you may want to eat breakfast by 7 or 7.30 am. If you have to leave for an early work shift or catch a school bus, you should eat breakfast by 7 am rather than skip it or eat it later at the office or school at 10.30 am, which is too late for breakfast. Knowing when to eat what is very essential.

You would have eaten dinner by 8 or 9 pm, so breakfast should not be more than 12 hours later. When you wake up in the morning, your metabolism comes up from resting or basal state to active state. When you eat, chew and digest food, the metabolism rises further. That’s why it’s important to eat breakfast at the right time and never skip it. Also, the body has been without food for 10-12 hours. This is like a fasting state, so you must eat breakfast and eat it at least by 9 am or 9.30.

Lunch should be after 4 to 5 hours with a fruit in between around 10.30 to 11 am. A good time for lunch is between 12.30 and 1.30 pm; 2 pm should be the latest as most people who go beyond this time tend to develop an acidity problem.

Tea time should be between 4 and 5 pm and even if one is not so hungry at this time, it’s necessary to have a cup of tea or coffee and a couple of crackers or a slice of toast. Those not used to tea or coffee could drink a glass of skimmed milk or buttermilk at this time. The reason: the gap between lunch and dinner could be 7-8 hours. Many who miss this break have no idea when to eat what and thus tend to lose all control by 6 or 7 pm and eat oily snacks, cookies or sweets by this time. Otherwise, they eat nothing from lunch to dinner and eat from dinner till they go to bed without any control on quantity or restriction on fatty food.

At 6 or 7 pm, after your tea and cracker, you should also have a fruit, and if still hungry, a glass of skimmed milk or buttermilk too. This is usually the time when many people get home from work and start indulging in all the wrong food. Dinner is best between 7.30 and 8.30 pm and the latest should be by 9.30 pm. It’s ideal to finish dinner at least two hours before you go to bed. At night, your metabolism is slow and if you eat very late, most of the food will be stored as fat.

Thus having a good understanding about when to eat what makes a person more sensible and far more healthy!