Benefits Of Healthy Snacking:
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Healthy snacking not only promotes good digestive health but is also vital for better weight management and hence healthy snacks for weight loss. Check out ayurvedic eating rules that delve more into the body types and specific eating timings.
Though snacking has probably gained a bad reputation, it is an integral part of a healthy dietary routine. As there is a considerable gap between lunch and dinner, it’s quite common to feel hungry during the evening. During this time of the day, most of us also fall prey to our hunger pangs and reach for unhealthy food options – everything that is quick and easy! So here’s when a healthy snack can come to our rescue.
The many benefits of a healthy snacks include:
- Manages weight
- Regulates acidity
- Prevents binge eating
- Gets you ready for a light dinner
- Helps in boosting metabolism
- Prevents overeating
- Optimizes exercise performance
Healthy Eating Schedule | How Meal Timings Impact Health:
There are many cardio-metabolic health effects on the timing of meals. Moreover, regular meal timings are essential for general well being.
Breakfast:
Breakfast should ideally be consumed within two hours of waking up; skipping breakfast can lead to impaired glucose metabolism and increased incidence of obesity.
Lunch:
Lunch should be ideally placed between the two and not be either too late or too early. Besides, it’s best to time your lunch in such a way that healthy snacking is not ruled out.
Dinner:
You should have your dinner at least two hours before you hit the bed as this two-hour gap allows your body to process the food for digestion.
Essentially, the pre-workout and post-workout meals should be perfectly timed too, for better results and to boost exercise performance.
The Biological Clock:
Inside every cell of your body, there is a molecular/ biological clock that governs the timing of every physiological process like digestion, hormonal secretion, immune response, and circulation. All the cells keep their biological clock in synchrony with each other and any disturbance in your routine can disrupt your biological clock too – for instance when you experience jet lag your digestion goes for a toss.
If you disrupt your meal timings even when you do not experience a shift in time zone, you may experience something called ‘metabolic-jet lag.’
Why Shouldn’t You Eat Before Bed | The Right Time To Eat Dinner:
The best time for dinner varies from person to person and depends on one’s lifestyle and activity levels. Some studies suggest that when you consume calories quite late at night, it tends to get stored in the form of fat.
However, as a general rule, you should have your dinner two-three hours before bedtime as this allows your body to digest the food properly so that you don’t wake up feeling bloated. However, you should be aware that if you consume unhealthy calories even before 8 pm, it will still add inches to your waistline. So not just your meal timings but the type and quality of food intake matters too. Some studies suggest that when you consume calories quite late at night, it tends to get stored in the form of fat. So if your dinner usually gets late, it’s best to avoid something rich and heavy. Additionally, if you eat a healthy snack during the evening, it will prevent overeating during dinner.
Healthy Snacks Recipes:
As mentioned before, there are many advantages to eating healthy snacks during the evening. It helps in improving overall health, curbs unhealthy cravings, helps to maintain weight, prepares you for a light dinner and boosts your energy levels. Healthy snacking also helps in regulating your insulin levels. Also the healthy snacks for weight loss.
So opt for fruits and vegetables during your evening snack as it provides you with essential dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals that boost the overall functioning of your body.
1. Oven Roasted Vegetables:
Cut your favorite veggies like broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini, corn, or tomato and place them over a baking sheet. Sprinkle some mixed herbs, salt, and pepper and bake for a while. Serve hot with garlic-cucumber hung curd dip.
2. Hummus With Pita:
You can make your pita bread using whole wheat or jowar flour. To make hummus, you first need to pre-soak some chickpeas in water for four-five hours. Then cook them in a pressure cooker and blend it to a smooth paste with some spices like garlic, salt, cumin, lemon juice, etc.
3. Nutty Trail Mix:
Dry roast some almonds, walnuts, pistachios with sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds – add your favorite flavor like peri-peri or oregano or plain salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container and consume a handful whenever you feel hungry.
4. Yogurt With Fruit:
Add your preferred fruits like grapes, oranges, apples, pineapple, guavas or cherries to a bowl of unsweetened yogurt and enjoy this delicious evening treat.
