You want to eat healthy and lose some weight, but you’re tired of the different diets you’ve tried that aren’t working for you. Here’s my best diet advice: Eat a big lunch.
According to Ayurveda and chronobiology, your digestion is at its strongest during the middle part of the day, from noon until 2 p.m. That’s when your body is best able to process the nutrients you eat.
On the other hand, when you eat a big dinner late at night, your body can’t process all of that food. Eating late at night disrupts sleep and leads to weight gain.
So yes, I’m telling you that if you want to lose weight and eat healthier, start with eating a small breakfast, big lunch and small, early dinner.
Eating a big lunch nourishes you so you don’t crave snacks mid-afternoon. When you snack between meals you don’t give your digestive tract enough time to digest the previous meal. This can also lead to weight gain. If you’re truly hungry, then yes, it’s super important to nourish yourself. However, most of us who snack in the afternoon aren’t doing it because we’re actually hungry. We snack out of boredom, stress or for comfort.
If you’ve eaten a big lunch then you feel nourished and satiated until dinner. According to Ayurveda and chronobiology, when you fast 3-4 hours between meals and 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast, you keep your digestive tract running smoothly and cleanly. When your digestion is strong, then you’re more likely to lose weight and eat healthier.
And here’s the big bonus – you’ll also sleep way better and have more energy.
Speaking of energy, if you want more of it then I also recommend taking a short rest after lunch. The cultures who have siestas are doing it right! If you lay on your left side for 15 minutes after you eat your lunch, you improve digestion, which leads to more energy.
Lying on your left side allows your food to ‘soak’ in your digestive juices in the greater curvature of your stomach, thereby improving digestion. Resting activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also called rest and digest system. It’s called that because you can eat the MOST nutritious food in the world, but if you’re stressed while you eat it you won’t digest it properly.
That’s my best diet advice: Eat a big lunch, a small breakfast and a small, early dinner. Lay (or lean) on your left side for 15 min after lunch. If you can’t do that, then at least sit and relax for 10 – 15 minutes after lunch. Fast 3-4 hours between meals and 12-14 hours between dinner and breakfast.
How do I know? Because I’ve coached my clients in weight loss for a number of years now. If they follow this formula they lose weight regardless of what they eat (although we work on that too). One of my clients lost 40 lbs following this schedule.
Before even changing what you eat, change when you eat and how much you eat. Enjoy a sweet treat at lunch with your big meal and then skip it at dinner. Give your body the time and space to process what you do eat, and you’ll feel a whole lot better!
If this strategy intrigues you and you’d like more information or guidance, hit reply and shoot me an email. I’m happy to answer you questions and support your health and weight loss journey!
