You may have heard me say this once or twice (or a hundred times 🙃):
It’s not ONLY about the food you eat.
Yes, what we choose to eat matters.
A lot.
But HOW we are eating matters just as much.

Unfortunately, this in an area of education that is not usually available through the latest mainstream media channels that aim to educate about diet and nutrition. You may hear about why you shouldn’t eat that or should eat more of this, what latest diet fads to jump on for weight loss, and how to count your caloric intake to fit into that perfect pair of jeans. But there is a LOT of food education that is missing in the information that’s been put out there on social media or MSM for all to try and interpret. And, as we’ve learned so much this past year, you cannot always trust the information given to us via these avenues.

Let me give you a new perspective.

This is an area that I wind up working on with most of my clients, because, although they may be making many good food choices, and have tried many approaches, they are still suffering pesky symptoms, fatigue, weight that won’t budge, or they simply want to feel better in their body and in their mind and can’t seem to get there.

Here’s the ticket: FOOD RHYTHM.

What does this mean exactly? Well, food rhythm is simply the daily rhythm of how and when you are eating throughout the day. Although a good food rhythm may differ from one person to the next (as we are all unique and must meet our own individual needs), there is a very simple food rhythm style that most people tend to thrive on. And here it is (you may want to sit down for this):

Eat food at regular intervals throughout the day 😲

Ok, ok, you’ve heard it before sure, but hear me out: most people are NOT eating regular intakes throughout the day and most people are not receiving enough nutrients because of it. What happens then? Blood sugars rise and crash many times throughout the day as opposed to staying in a more even range. Picture a squiggly line that goes way up, then plummets, then up high again, then low once more, and so on. What we are looking for with blood sugars, is an even, smooth and steady line, providing a small and regular dose of glucose into the bloodstream throughout the day. When we leave long periods of time in between meals, what results is a plummet in blood sugars that leaves us feeling tired, cranky, and with a lack of ability to concentrate or focus. What happens then is that we tend to choose more sugary foods (refined carbs usually), or caffeine, in an unconscious effort to bring our blood sugars back up in a hurry (picture it: you feel tired and maybe a little grumpy at work, so instead of reaching for the quinoa salad you had plans for, you grab a coffee or a muffin, a croissant or a chocolate bar, at the nearest coffee shop, which works for a little while, but you find yourself feeling low again soon after. And the cycle continues.)

Beyond feeling out of balance, when your blood sugars are on a constant roller coaster, we start to see more health issues overall.

Health Issues Associated with Roller Coaster Blood Sugars

Short Term Fluctuations in Blood Sugar Levels Produce:

Energy spikes and crashes
Disruptive behaviors
Lack of concentration
Emotional upsets: mood swings, anger, irritability
Cravings for sugars and quick-release simple carbohydrates
Fatigue
Symptoms of ADHD

Long Term Effects of Fluctuating Blood Sugars:

Weight-gain
Fatigued adrenal gland function
Impaired mental health and cognitive performance
Insulin resistance/Type 2 diabetes
Osteoporosis
High blood pressure
Lowered immune response

What’s Better?

Planning ahead: aiming to refuel every 2-3 hours, even just small amounts, eating quality foods, and thinking through the macronutrient combinations of your meals for best blood sugar stabilizing effects.
This approach will get you further into the day without a blood sugar dip (or crash), providing more energy, a better mood, increased ability to focus and function, and has positive effects on your health LONG TERM!

Establishing a Food Rhythm That’s Right for YOU

Eat Regularly Throughout the Day: The more you can tune in to your own natural needs for food rhythm, the better. Overall, a good rule of thumb for food rhythm, is an intake of quality food every 2-3 hours. The rhythm I often suggest for clients goes like this: 8/9am breakfast, 10/11am morning snack, 12/1pm lunch, 3/4pm afternoon snack, 6pm dinner. Remember that the volume of your intake does not need to be large, you can go a long way on a homemade energy ball, an apple + almond butter, or an afternoon smoothie. Plan ahead and have some quality meals & snacks on hand - trust me, the preemptive approach can be a total game changer!
Do Not Skip Breakfast: This is the absolute worst way to start your day. The body has been fasting throughout the night (yes, a good 12-14 hr regular fast is beneficial for the body), so by the time you awake, your blood sugars are quite low. You may not feel like food right away, and that’s fine, an ideal breakfast time differs from person to person, but a regular breakfast rhythm, even if it’s a small amount like a smoothie, is a great way to get nutrients out into the cells and the brain, and will provide the blood stream with some glucose to kick start your energy for the day. Eating a good quality breakfast is more beneficial for the metabolism too 😊
ALWAYS Choose Quality Over Quantity: When making adjustments to the diet, no matter what the goals are, it is a fundamental strategy to look at quality over quantity. In the times we live in currently, supermarket food is commonly depleted in nutrition, with most packaged food being null & void. Choosing REAL FOOD: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, & legumes, ensures a much higher quality of nutritional makeup than anything processed. The bonus is that when you begin to eat more real, whole foods, you will actually need less by way of amount. The body will reach satiation & satisfaction sooner because it is receiving high quality nutrition.
Balance Your Macronutrient Intake At Every Meal: We talk endlessly about how many carbs or fats or protein is ideal in the diet, but the truth is: the amounts needed of each macronutrient varies greatly from person to person. As with everything related to nutrition, we MUST individualize the diet to match the needs of the individual. As a general rule, however, ensuring there is some of each macronutrient category (fat, carbs, protein) in your meal or snack, will help to keep those blood sugar levels more stable. I call this the “MAGIC 3 COMBO” - a little of each macronutrient combines to create a slower trickle of glucose into the bloodstream so that you can feel energized and satiated LONGER throughout the day.
Pay Attention to How You Feel: Always, Always, Always, pay attention to what is working, or not working, for YOU. What works for someone else, may not work for you, and that’s 100% ok. This is why fad diets fail. Listen, tune inwards, pay attention to your fullness & satiation signals, to what foods make you feel good and which ones don’t, to your digestion & your elimination, your sleep cycles, your energy levels, etc. The more you pay attention, the more you will learn about yourself, your body, and the better able you will be to establish your own, unique, food rhythm.

Remember: You are in charge of your health. Choose quality foods, plan ahead, make freezer meals & try some batch cooking, and pay attention to your own natural FOOD RHYTHM.

Be well.
Stay well.