36 - How Frequently Should I Eat?

On today’s episode, I focus on clarifying two important aspects of healthy eating I often receive numerous questions about: meal timing and snacking.   When it comes to eating, timing does matter. Studies have shown that rather than eating bigger meals later in the day, as most families in the U.S. do, it’s actually healthier to frontload your calories and eat larger meals earlier. Eating your biggest meal later in the day isn’t conducive to healthy eating because these calories often get converted into fat and are stored, leading to an increased risk of high cholesterol, diabetes, and other metabolic problems, especially for women with PCOS.    Therefore, I recommend eating a lighter meal at night, something that I know isn’t conducive for every lifestyle. Because of this, I encourage listeners to flip-flop lunch and dinner 2-3 times a week in order to begin practicing better meal timing in an easier way.    The second half of today’s episode then focuses on snacking. Eating 1-2 snacks a day can help with appetite control and can prevent against overeating. However, if you are someone who uses snacking to help manage hunger, I recommend being strategic about your snacking in 3 specific ways. These include: Making sure your snacks are pre-portioned Making sure your snacks are pre-planned so that you know what time of day you’re going to be eating which snack Making sure your snack always contains a protein   By following these guidelines, you’ll be able to begin building better eating habits concerning meal timing and snacking, just in time for the new year. Begin 2020 by getting healthier and healing your body, a journey I hope to continue with you throughout the year. So please, make sure to subscribe and leave a review, and let’s start this new decade off together!    What You’ll Learn in This Podcast Episode: Meal suggestions for smaller dinners, bigger breakfasts, and healthy snacking How managing meal timing contributes to healthier eating habits  The importance of managing insulin for women with PCOS Why eating three healthy meals a day is better than eating several small meals a day   Helpful Links: Questions, or interested in becoming a client? Email me at: [email protected] Visit me on IG to check out my IGTV video on snacking for more tips: @pcosnutritionistdafna