Mealtime Matters ⌚

Eating healthy food, getting enough sleep, and managing stress help us stay healthy. There is another important aspect that we sometimes don’t consider seriously, which is ‘Mealtime’. We prioritize many things in life, but a regular mealtime is not something that is considered a priority in today’s busy world. As much as we opt for healthy eating, we must also choose to eat on time, for only when these two factors are combined, that our body stays healthy.

Eating at irregular intervals has its own consequences, which can be avoided by proper planning of everyday schedule that includes regular mealtime. Eating nutrient-rich food at the right time is essential for the proper functioning of the body. Maintaining disciplined eating schedule/ mealtime contributes greatly to our health. There should be an ideal gap between meals. A long gap between meals can cause acidity, to avoid which we need to include a snack time and consume healthy snacks as well as drink enough water.

A well-functioning digestive system keeps us healthy and also helps us sleep well without digestive problems at night. Going to sleep soon after meals is not a good idea, as this can cause sleep disruption due to heartburn, acid reflux, and sometimes indigestion. Enough gap between dinner and bedtime helps avoid disturbed sleep as digestion is not affected.

Eating at the right time gives our body enough energy and nutrients throughout the day, which makes us less vulnerable to craving junk/unhealthy snacks. It also helps us stay focussed on our work, as hunger is taken care of before the spike. There are numerous benefits of maintaining a proper mealtime.

What we eat is important and ‘when we eat’, is equally important. As we’ve entered the New year, let us take some time to make a schedule for mealtime amidst our busy days. Maintaining a healthy body is crucial for being able to complete our tasks and enjoy sound sleep after a busy day.