Meal regimen is the third principle of rational nutrition. Proper diet

When we're talking about about a normal diet - you need to understand that in addition to the adequate frequency of meals, breaks between meals play an equally important role. The sad thing is that many people are chasing slim figure, this issue is often forgotten.

Like any muscle in the human body, the gastrointestinal tract requires a balanced work/rest regime. Physiological pauses between meals are the basis healthy eating and must be observed as strictly as any other rules of the various.

The influence of breaks between meals on the state of the body

It has been scientifically proven that proper alternation of meals has a beneficial effect on general condition central nervous system.

breaks between meals should be the same

The fact is that immediately after the stomach is full, it sends signals to the main brain about its filling, which reduces the conditioned reflex activity of a person. Simply put, he wants to sleep after eating.

At this time the following sensations arise:

• Apathy;
• Drowsiness;
• Decreased alertness and concentration.

During this period it is better not to do much difficult work, as performance is somewhat reduced. The break between meals lasts on average 4-4.5 hours until healthy is restored.

What is the most physiological diet?

When a person seriously thinks about what he eats and how he does it, he begins to look for information about the rules of healthy eating.

The least you can do:

“Don’t miss the opportunity to cleanse your body of all toxins and harmful bacteria, as well as restore your immune system and normal flora gastrointestinal tract.

• Eat often and in small portions(5-6 times a day);
• Drink enough water (up to 2 liters per day);
• Perform dosed.

To answer them, it is worth understanding the physiology of the digestive organs. It is believed that the optimal moment for absorbing the next portion of food is the period of complete release from the previous one. At the same time, a person cannot know exactly what is happening in his intestines, so one can only approximately understand when it is worth eating again.

the main thing in breaks between meals is rationality

The gastrointestinal tract, like any other organ in the human body, requires rest. That's why constant use food can provoke disorders in its work. Maintaining the correct intervals will help maintain a good appetite and functional activity of the digestive organs.

How long should the pause between meals be?

Several important factors influence the establishment of an adequate diet.

These include:

• Age of the person;
• His profession and nature of work;
• General condition of the body;
• Working hours schedule.

The fact is that physical or mental labor makes some adjustments to the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and physiological breaks between meals may differ from those under other circumstances. If a person works 6 hours in a row, then he physically will not have time to eat. However, you should try to bring your diet back to normal as much as possible.

It is believed that the optimal break between meals is 4-4.5 hours. This is due to the speed of passage of the food bolus through the gastrointestinal tract and its digestion. With adequate functioning of the stomach and intestines, a person will begin to feel a characteristic sucking “in the pit of the stomach,” which will indicate the onset of hunger.

Sleeping at night significantly prolongs the physiological pause between meals. Basically it increases to 11-13 hours, but sometimes it can reach 16 hours. This necessitates breakfast. Many workers mental work limit themselves to only a cup of tea or coffee in the morning, which has an extremely negative effect on the condition of their stomach and intestines and reduces their performance.

Rules for food distribution

In addition to what kind of break a person gives himself between meals, it is important to correctly distribute the amount of nutrients for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The main thing for health is to correctly distribute the volume of food intake throughout the day

On average, an adequate 4-meal diet should look like this:

• Breakfast – 25% of the total diet;
• Lunch – 35%;
• 2nd lunch – 15%;
• Dinner – 25%.

If a person does not want to do big break between meals in the morning and afternoon, he is recommended to introduce a second breakfast around 12.00, which should account for approximately 10% of the nutritional value of the total diet.

Thanks to this distribution of substances and nutrients, it is possible to maintain a balance between the amount of food that enters the body and the energy that is used in the process of work. Many people ignore the rules rational nutrition. As a result, the number of patients with gastrointestinal diseases increases every year.

In any case, it is necessary to understand that breaks between meals are as important as their regular use. You can't ignore them. The main thing is the physiology and balance of the diet.

Modern people are forced to constantly think about everyday things. problems, many of them have a catastrophic lack of time for classes physical exercise and compliance healthy image life. Therefore, reception medicines they consider it the most in a fast way treatment, which makes it possible to improve your well-being and not be distracted from everyday worries. You can’t be so careless about your health, much less take all the drugs that are advertised as the most effective, without a doctor’s prescription and in large quantities in order to get immediate results.

Each person bears his own responsibility for your health. For successful treatment for any disease, do not take medications, following only the instructions included with the drug. Be sure to consult with your doctor and check the dose with him. If the doses indicated in the instructions and those prescribed by the doctor differ significantly, then check with the attending physician again about the correctness of its prescription. To successfully treat the disease, you should trust doctors and not self-medicate; perhaps the doctor has good reason to prescribe you a dose that is not indicated in the instructions. You can check the dose of the medicine from an independent source of information, for example, from a reference book medicines Vidal, Mashkovsky, Compendium or Trinus, which today can be easily found on various sites.

For many people, their diet is regulated by appetite. What is appetite and how to treat it?

Hunger

Everyone is familiar with the feeling of hunger, which signals that the human body needs proper functioning it is important to receive a new portion of food that carries energy, plastic substances, vitamins and minerals. The physiological and biochemical essence of this feeling is as follows. It is assumed that in the cerebral cortex there is a so-called food center, which is excited by various impulses: a decrease in the concentration of glucose (sugar) in the blood, emptying of the stomach, etc. Excitation of the food center creates appetite, the degree of which depends on the degree of excitation of the food center. However, as a result of the inertia of excitation of the food center, appetite persists for some time after eating. This is due to the fact that digestion and absorption of the first portions of food lasts 15–20 minutes. After they begin to enter the blood, the food center gives a “lights out”.

The feeling of hunger is characteristic not only of man, but of everything living on earth; there is no doubt that man inherited it from his wild ancestors. Since the latter could not always count on luck in finding food, certain advantages in the struggle for existence were received by those of them who, having found food, consumed it in large quantities, i.e. those who had increased appetite. Increased appetite apparently arose during the evolution of the animal world, became established in the offspring and was inherited by humans.

Currently, in developed (we repeat - in developed) countries, the problem of human nutrition has lost its former severity, and in connection with this, increased appetite has also lost its biological meaning. Moreover, he has become a kind of enemy of man, the culprit of systematic or unsystematic cases of overeating and even gluttony. And this means that you should not be guided by appetite alone, although you cannot ignore it either. Indeed, our appetite signals us not only about the need for required quantity food (he signals this incorrectly), but also about its quality.

We all know the feeling when after long absence When eating a product, a strong desire to eat it suddenly appears. This fact is explained in to a certain extent and the fact that this particular product contains a significant amount of one or another essential component, which is lacking in other products, as a result of which our body begins to feel the need for this product. IN in this case appetite gives exactly the right signal, and we, of course, must follow it.

Appetite

The question often arises: how to suppress appetite? Shown, that fractional meals (5-6 times a day) suppresses the excitation of the food center. In this case, sometimes one apple or a glass of kefir is enough. In order not to whet your appetite, you should not eat spicy or salty foods and you should completely avoid alcoholic beverages. Alcohol not only poisons the body, but also has a strong, appetite-stimulating effect.

So, increased appetite can be harmful to health, but its complete absence is also undesirable. This often affects young children, whom loving mothers and compassionate grandmothers endlessly stuff with something “tasty.” As a result, the child loses his appetite, and frightened parents, instead of coming to their senses, try to feed him continuously.

Eating with appetite is always a pleasure. It takes time for appetite to develop. Eating breaks are absolutely necessary. IN childhood they should be shorter than in a mature one.

What should these breaks be? How much and what should you eat during a particular meal? In other words, what should an adult’s diet be like? healthy person.

The diet is based on four basic principles.

Regularity of nutrition

The first principle of proper nutrition is regularity of nutrition, i.e. eating at the same time of day. Each meal is accompanied by a certain reaction of the body. Saliva is secreted gastric juice, bile, pancreatic juice, etc., and all this happens right time. In the process of digestion, conditioned reflex reactions play an important role, such as the secretion of saliva and gastric juice in response to the smell and sight of food, etc. In the chain of conditioned reflex reactions important belongs to the time factor, i.e., a person’s developed habit of consuming food at a certain time of day. The development of a permanent stereotype in the diet has great importance for conditioned reflex preparation of the body for receiving and digesting food.

Divided meals during the day

The second principle of proper nutrition is fractional nutrition during the day. One or two meals a day are impractical and dangerous to health. Studies have shown that with two meals a day, myocardial infarction and acute pancreatitis occur much more often than with three and four meals a day, and this is explained precisely by the abundance of food consumed at one time with two meals a day (and even more so with one meal).

A practically healthy person is recommended to have three or four meals a day, namely: breakfast, lunch, dinner and a glass of kefir before bed. When conditions permit, you can introduce one or two additional meals into your diet: between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner. Naturally, additional meals do not imply an increase in total number consumed food products per day.

Rational range of products

Physiological distribution of food quantity according to its intake. What should be the breaks between meals?

The fourth principle of proper nutrition It is the most physiological distribution of food quantity according to its intake during the day. Numerous observations confirm that the most beneficial regimen for a person is one in which he receives more than two-thirds of the total calories at breakfast and lunch. daily ration, and at dinner - less than one third.

The time of day for breakfast, lunch and dinner, naturally, can vary within fairly wide limits depending on a person’s production activity. However, it is important that the time between breakfast and lunch was 5–6 hours And the time between lunch and dinner was also 5–6 hours. Based on the research, it should be recommended that 3-4 hours pass between dinner and the start of bed.

Correct mode nutrition is especially important for normally developing child's body. It is recommended to feed newborn babies with a 3-3.5 hour break between meals.

Changes in diet

Diet should not be viewed as a dogma. Changing life conditions can make their own adjustments to it. Moreover, some dietary changes need to be made from time to time specifically for the purpose of a specific workout digestive system . In this case, as with other processes of enhancing adaptation capabilities, it is necessary to remember that changes in the diet should not be too sudden, i.e. they can represent physiologically permissible fluctuations without being gross violations of the diet.

However, violations are very often observed, and sometimes serious ones.

Dietary disorders

Most frequent violation is the following nature of nutrition during the day: a very weak breakfast (or almost no breakfast - only a glass of tea or coffee) in the morning before leaving for work; inadequate lunch at work, sometimes in the form of sandwiches; a very hearty dinner at home after coming home from work. Such actually two meals a day can, due to its systematic nature, cause significant harm to health. Firstly, eating a lot of food in the evening significantly increases the possibility (in other words, it is a so-called risk factor) of myocardial infarction, gastritis, peptic ulcer, acute pancreatitis. The more food eaten, the stronger and more long term the concentration of lipids (fats) in human blood increases, and this, in turn, as evidenced by numerous studies, is in a certain connection with the occurrence of changes in the body that lead to the development of atherosclerosis. Too much food causes increased secretion digestive juices: gastric and pancreatic. In some cases, this can gradually lead to disruption of the stomach, most often expressed in the form of gastritis or gastric ulcer (or duodenum), or the pancreas, which is expressed mainly in the form of pancreatitis. IN scientific literature For example, the phenomenon of a significant increase in the number of cases of myocardial infarction and acute pancreatitis in people celebrating Maslenitsa is described.

In the evening, after a day of work, a person’s energy consumption is usually small. They decrease even more during night sleep. That's why generous reception Eating in the evening leads to the fact that a significant proportion of consumed carbohydrates, without undergoing complete oxidation, are converted into fats, which are stored as reserves in adipose tissue. Thus, eating disorders, expressed in shifting the main share of the diet to the evening hours, also contribute to the emergence and development of obesity.

A relatively common violation of the diet, especially among women, is the replacement of a full lunch with a meal (or even two or three meals with a short break between them) of confectionery or flour products. Many people make do with cakes, muffins or buns instead of lunch. This serious violation proper diet, since in this case the human body, instead of a rational set of nutrients it needs, receives mainly carbohydrates, some of which, in conditions when almost no other nutrients enter the body, are converted into fats, creating the preconditions for the development of obesity. Confectionery usually contain a large number of easily soluble and quickly digestible carbohydrates ( simple sugars), which, entering the blood in the form of glucose, significantly increase the concentration of the latter in the blood within a relatively short time. This is heavy load for the pancreas. Repeated stress on the pancreas can lead to its disruption endocrine function with subsequent emergence diabetes mellitus. All of the above discussions about rational nutrition relate to a practically healthy person. Nutrition for patients - special care nutritionists and therefore we do not touch on this issue.

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Often, among different recommendations on weight loss there is this: “eat in small portions, but more often.” Just one unnoticeable phrase among a stream of advice, many of which we remember by heart. So we ignore it, reasoning approximately like this: “You can’t get enough of small portions! It’s better to eat 1-2 times a day, but more thoroughly. The daily total calorie content of what you eat is the same...”.

That is why we do not lose weight (and often even accumulate excess weight), completely trusting the teaching about the calorie content of foods and knowing nothing about what our body actually needs.

So, here's a secret that nutritionists don't bother to inform us about: the break between meals should not exceed 5 hours! Before this time expires, our stomach must wake up and acquire food. Moreover, it doesn’t even matter whether the food is fatty or dietary, our body just needs to know that there is enough food, it is supplied constantly, so there is no need to accumulate fat “in reserve”.

What do we do if we have not received such valuable instructions from our dear nutritionists? We try to eat as little as possible; We rejoice if, due to lack of appetite or urgent matters, we skip lunch, or we find the strength to refuse dinner, because someone voiced the thesis: “after 18 o’clock you can’t eat, and in general dinner should be given to the enemy.”

How does our body react in such a situation? After 5 hours of “downtime,” the stomach begins to ring all the bells and, in upset feelings, telegraphs to the body: “Hunger is coming! Let’s stock up!” When, after long break food is finally received, our body squeezes out of it maximum amount calories. After all, it is necessary to provide energy not only for urgent needs, but also to put at least something else “in reserve”, just in case, because hungry times have come!

Undoubtedly, people with normal metabolism do not experience such difficulties, but people who are prone to obesity, due to circumstances, need to treat the whims of their neurasthenic body with due respect. Feed him constantly, at least every 4-5 hours, and he will calm down, sighing with satisfaction: “The hungry days are over!”

By acting in this way, we kill two birds with one stone: we calm the body and, if we like to eat tasty and a lot, reduce the feeling of hunger. It is ravenous hunger and the appetite that develops as a result of infrequent meals that forces us to eat unnoticed. large quantity food than we need.

One of the questions that interests separate meals- meal interval. To determine the time when to eat, a person must focus on the feeling of hunger. The natural call of the body must become a criterion when building a rational diet.

Physiology: hunger and satiety

Physiology human body clearly provides an answer to when feelings of satiety or hunger occur. In the digestion of food, there is consistency in the actions of all parts of the gastrointestinal tract. This coherence in work digestive tract is ensured by uninterrupted control of the food center. The absorption of food begins in the mouth. Food irritates the receptors of the tongue and palate, which transmit stimulation to the brain, namely to the food center. Out of him nerve impulses spread to all other organs of the digestive tract.

The feeling of satiety is determined by separate meals - the time of digestion of foods. While food is being digested in the body, blood is supplied nutrients. The food center will be inhibited until a certain concentration of substances necessary for normal existence is maintained in the blood. At this time, the person will experience a feeling of satiety.

Over time, cells consume nutrition from the blood and it becomes depleted. The inhibition of the food center is removed and it resumes work. The man is hungry. The stomach begins to produce juice necessary for the rapid absorption of food. And the person understands that he needs to eat. And the food will enter the prepared stomach and immediately begin to be absorbed.

The feeling of hunger directly depends on the temperature of the body. This is because the food center is sensitive to blood temperature. If a person is cold, his blood cools down and his food center works more actively. During heat or fever, the blood also heats up, which means that the food center will not provide a stimulus for hunger.

In addition, the amount of food eaten also affects the feeling of fullness. Its receptors determine the degree of filling of the organ with food and transmit impulses to the central nervous system. In order for the food center to get involved, it needs to be stimulated by conditioned reflex actions. Namely:

• visually, that is, decorate the dish and table beautifully and brightly;
• olfactory, food must emit pleasant aromas;
• tactilely, food should cause a pleasant sensation in the mouth.

Meal interval in separate meals

When adhering to separate meals, the interval between meals should be:

• minimum 3.5-4 hours
• water can be consumed within 20 minutes. before meals or 1.5-2 hours after meals;
• tea, coffee, juices and drinks should be consumed 1 hour before meals;
• fruits can be consumed either 40 minutes before the main meal or 2 hours after it;
• milk, melons and desserts are a separate meal;

Separate nutrition and time of digestion of food in the stomach

In order to know the amount of food that should be consumed at one time, you need to take into account that the stomach produces approximately 2 liters of gastric juice per day. If we talk about separate nutrition and the time of digestion of food in the stomach, then it becomes clear why the digestive organs cannot cope with mixed food.

If you divide all the food eaten four times, it turns out that approximately 0.5 liters of juice immediately digests the entire contents of the stomach. If only meat enters the stomach, then the gastric juice only processes it. If there are other products in the stomach with meat, for example, bread or potatoes, the gastric juice will primarily absorb carbohydrates, and some of the meat will remain undigested. And this part of the meat will end up in small intestine in the form of a food bolus that will not be digested. From this it follows that for the normal functioning of the stomach and intestines, food from proteins and carbohydrates must be consumed separately.

Eating should only be done when you feel hungry

When eating rationally, you need to separate hunger and appetite. Hunger signals the need to replenish the body's energy. Appetite brings satisfaction. Proper nutrition is driven by hunger; incorrect nutrition is driven by appetite. In the second case, there is a violation of the measure when eating food, since appetite can be deceptive. Inadequate eating behavior which leads to excess weight.

To overcome the feeling of hunger that arises in a situation where you cannot eat, there is a simple technique. It consists of tightly tightening your abdominal muscles and slowly counting to 10, then relaxing.