Eating right is an integral part of staying healthy. While most of us tend to focus on meeting our target macros, especially protein and fibres, throughout the day, it actually involves a lot more. A healthy diet is not just about what we eat, but also when we eat it.
The same is also true for exercise and rest. The body needs the right balance of all three, at the right time, consistently over days. Taking to Instagram on April 18, Deepsikha Jain, a nutritionist and a diabetes educator, shared three things that one needs to avoid doing to get better results for their fitness regimen.
1. Starting the day with carbohydrates
According to Deepshika, one should not start their day with carbohydrates. And that includes fruits, which are healthy foods but loaded with natural sugar. Instead, she suggested having healthy fats first thing in the morning. It is known to improve satiety, provide sustained energy and prevent blood sugar spikes after breakfast, which is common after high-carb meals.
In her words, “I will stop you from starting your day with carbohydrates or fruits and swap them with fats first to have better blood sugars and also gut health.”
2. Working out after 6pm
One should avoid working out in the evening, specifically after 6pm, since workouts result in a cortisol spike in the body. The late release of the hormone can mess with the sleep cycle, since the body naturally has high cortisol levels in the morning when it is time to wake up and low levels at night when it is time for sleep.
As Deepshika explained, “Next, I will stop you from working out in the evenings post 6pm because naturally your cortisol levels are supposed to go down post 2pm. Working out can actually give you a great cortisol spike that is going to make you feel much more energetic and alert, disturbing your sleep.”
3. Having late and heavy dinners
An early dinner is always the healthy option, according to Deepshika. The final meal of the day should also not be too heavy to avoid discomfort and digestive issues. As the nutritionist explained, “Having late and heavy dinners is a strict no because it will give you a great sugar spike, increase your insulin levels, and also increase your cortisol levels, hence creating more inflammation and gut issues.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
