FITNESS: Get metabolism working for you

By Paudie O’Donovan 

I REGULARLY get asked questions about running, cycling, swimming and other different types of exercise.

I get asked about food and supplements and making the right food choices but there’s one thing I never get asked and that’s the time to eat your meals. 

And it’s really important to understand that it’s not just the food that we eat but the time of the we eat it. The timing of your meals can have a striking effect on your body weight, your food plan if you’re trying to lose weight and your appetite. 

We all know what and how much food you eat plays a major role in your body weight and your overall health but now science is saying the times we eat these foods make a huge difference. It’s all about your metabolism. 

Basically, our bodies operate on an internal clock. It know at what times we get up and go to bed so it’s primed to digest food earlier in the day. As the day goes on our metabolism slows down and becomes less efficient. 

It’s been proven our bodies can metabolise a big meal eaten early in the day much faster than eaten late at night. 

So for a person to skip breakfast or not to eat until afternoon it’s so bad for their metabolism.

 Basically it’s better to eat your dinner a good few hours before your bedtime. 

Maybe your food plan could look like this:

Breakfast: (healthy slow releasing) 7.30am

Snack: 10.30am

Lunch: (good dinner) 1pm

Snack: 4pm

Tea: (light meal) 7pm