Healthy Eating Habits: Six is for Successful Eating

You'd think that after years of eating, you would have learned a thing or two about munching down on food by now. However, there is one myth that still clouds many a dining room. I'm talking about the one that says you should only eat three times a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner and not eat in between.

If you're in the habit of eating only three times per day and think that you are eating for optimum health, you'd be absolutely WRONG! Eating only three times a day is anything but the right way to go about feeding your body, and you'll actually be surprised at how complex eating really is.

The human body is a magnificent piece of biological machinery that relies on food for fuel in order to keep it going. So, as I'm sure you already know, food is needed for energy. Throughout the day your body uses this energy for daily functioning and to help it perform during exercise and activities. However, unlike a car, you cannot fill your body with fuel (food) until the "tank" is completely full. You need to give it a constant, steady supply of nutrients throughout the day. So instead of three 'square' meals per day, break those down into six smaller sized portions and eat every two to three hours.

Now before you get carried away, don't think that this is your ticket to food freedom where you can chomp down on all the burgers, cookies and fried, fatty foods you want. Eating unhealthy, fatty food will not benefit you in any way, no matter which way you look at it. When I say eat six times a day, I certainly don't mean eating all the junk food you can possibly shove into your mouth. I'm talking about feeding your body with lean proteins such as chicken, fish, lean beef, as well as wholesome, unprocessed, natural carbohydrates such as your fruit and veggies, sweet potatoes and brown/whole wheat rice, as well as a little fat. You can use the formula below to determine exactly how to split up your plate and get in all the nutrients your body needs for optimal functioning.

When you eat a big meal and don't burn it off, your body ends up with an excess of food and more "fuel" than it needs. During this time, your body sends a signal to the brain, telling it that more insulin is needed. Insulin helps to regulate your blood sugar levels and an overproduction of insulin leads to feelings of lethargy (hence the reason you feel tired after a big Sunday lunch), but on a more serious note, an overproduction of insulin can also lead to weight gain and possibly even diabetes.

These excess calories that you shoved into your mouth do not get burned up because you're parking off on the couch watching football, so your body now stores these excess calories for later use. This in return means that your body is storing fat and you are ultimately gaining weight. -Adam Khan