The concept of eating three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, has been ingrained in our minds since childhood. Many people believe that a healthy diet is one that: Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper. But modern eating habits are changing and the two-meal-a-day diet has been adopted by many people.
Is it healthy to eat two meals a day?
Eating two meals a day is healthy when balanced with a proper diet. This way of eating can help you lose weight, improve your metabolism and aid digestion. However, it is important to ensure that you get enough important nutrients such as protein, healthy fats, fiber and carbohydrates in both meals to avoid nutritional deficiencies.
Benefits of 2 meals/day diet
Weight loss: A study published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism analyzed both normal-weight and overweight people who followed a 2-meal/day diet (meals only taken within 8 hours) and found that these people lost up to 5% of their body weight within 2-4 weeks.
Better digestion: A diet of 2 meals/day gives the digestive system more time to rest, reducing uncomfortable symptoms. Eating fewer meals, only 2 times/day, helps increase mental clarity and concentration.
Heart health: A study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that following a two-meal-a-day diet (meals taken within an 8-hour window) reduced “bad” LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent in both men and women. Too much “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood can increase the risk of heart disease.
Improve blood sugar: By eating fewer meals, you are giving your body enough time to process and digest food. This helps regulate blood sugar. Excess sugar in the blood can lead to chronic diseases like diabetes and damage many parts of the body.
Less insulin secretion: Insulin is a storage hormone that prevents the body from burning fat. If it is produced in excess, the fat burning process will be inhibited. Every time we eat, it will trigger the release of insulin. Therefore, eating only 2 meals/day will limit the insulin spike.
