According to experts, the time of day when you eat directly affects your metabolism and your ability to control your weight. Eating at the right time will help your body function optimally in digestion, absorption and energy metabolism. On the contrary, eating at the wrong time, too late or too close to bedtime, increases the risk of fat accumulation and weight gain. Therefore, you should adjust your eating habits regarding both the food you eat and the time you eat.

Breakfast before 9am

After a night's sleep, the basal metabolic rate drops by 10-15%. If you skip breakfast or eat after 9pm, your body will easily fall into "energy-saving mode", reducing the ability to burn calories and even breaking down muscle to create energy.

Therefore, you should eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. Prioritize foods rich in protein (eggs, unsweetened soy milk), complex carbohydrates (oats, whole wheat bread) and fiber (spinach, cherry tomatoes) to maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time, stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings during the day. A nutritious breakfast also helps improve concentration and energy for the whole morning.

Limit eating sweet fruit after 4pm

In the late afternoon and evening, when the body is less active, eating too much fruit containing fructose (especially those with a high glycemic index such as mango, lychee, watermelon) will easily accumulate fat. Excess fructose is quickly converted by the liver into fat that accumulates in the body.

It is best to eat fruit in the morning or right after lunch. If you need a snack in the afternoon, you can choose low-sugar fruits such as blueberries, strawberries, combined with nuts, or drink unsweetened green tea, add dark chocolate (over 70% cocoa) to reduce the feeling of sweet without increasing blood sugar too quickly. Combining fruit with healthy fats helps slow down the absorption of sugar.

Dinner before 7pm

Eating late at night affects the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that helps you sleep well, thereby reducing the quality of your sleep. Prolonged sleep deprivation can be associated with the risk of weight gain. In addition, the body tends to store energy instead of expending it at night, leading to excess calories if you eat dinner too late or too much.

According to doctors, you should eat dinner before 7 p.m. and make sure your stomach has at least 3 to 4 hours to digest before going to bed. Apply the "7-part full" principle: 50% non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, mushrooms), 30% quality protein (steamed fish, tofu), 20% low-glycemic starch (brown rice, sweet potatoes). Cook by boiling, steaming or making salad to reduce fat. Limit fried or spicy dishes that cause indigestion.

Avoid late night eating and control false hunger

Growth hormone is secreted more at night (around 11pm to 2am) to help break down fat. Eating late at night will inhibit this process. In addition, popular snacks before bed such as cookies, cakes, and instant noodles often contain a lot of sugar and fat, causing blood sugar to spike and then drop rapidly, disrupting sleep.

If you feel hungry, drink warm water and wait about 15 minutes. If you still need to eat, you can choose warm milk or unsweetened almond milk. Avoid cakes and cookies because they can cause a sudden increase in blood sugar. You can relax before going to bed by reading a book or taking deep breaths to distinguish between real hunger and stress-induced hunger.

The basic principle of weight control is that the total amount of calories consumed is less than the amount of calories burned. In addition, the diet needs to ensure nutritional balance, prioritizing foods low in fat, low in salt, rich in fiber, protein and healthy fats. To achieve high efficiency, dieters should not eat too much, limit snacks, soft drinks and give up the habit of eating late at night.

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly helps increase the feeling of fullness, thereby reducing the total amount of food intake. Another tip is to eat in order: vegetables, protein, starch. This helps limit the absorption of calories from energy-rich foods.

A sample menu for the day might start with a boiled egg, half a corn cob, 200 ml of unsweetened soy milk and some cherry tomatoes for breakfast. Lunch should be filling with pan-fried chicken breast (with little oil), brown rice, boiled broccoli and a mushroom salad. Dinner should be light and simple, for example steamed sea bass, stir-fried spinach with garlic and half a cucumber.