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Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are the building blocks of any diet. What you eat, and how much, has a massive impact on your energy levels and body composition. But have you considered the impact of when you eat? Metabolism is extremely complicated. It is constantly changing due to the time of day and the body’s level of activity. Health-minded people like yourself probably already know the basics of dieting, but read on to learn about meal timing and the best times to eat different nutrients for optimal health!

The Most Important Meal Of The Day

After a full night’s sleep, your body is starving for some energy to kickstart your day. Here, traditional wisdom is true: never skip your breakfast! Bodybuilding.com suggests slow-absorbing, complex carbs will keep you full until lunchtime. Adding protein or healthy fats to breakfast, like eggs or greek yogurt, can rev up your metabolism for the whole day as well. With breakfast, the main things to avoid are sugary cereals and simple carbs. These can cause a spike in blood sugar and lead to a crash later. Instead, save the sugar for workouts when your body really needs them!

Eat Up for Workouts

Plenty of dieters avoid simple carbs like the plague, but before a workout is no time to be delicate. Skipping a pre-workout snack can sap your energy and make for some sloppy exercise. Try a snack of simple carbs, like toast and honey, 45 minutes before exercising. It’s also a good idea to keep fat and fiber to a minimum.Though both are a healthy part of your diet, they slow down digestion and can cause stomach irritation during your workout. After your sweat-session, more simple carbs will refuel your muscles, and adding fat and protein can help keep you on track for the rest of the day!

Skip the Carbs At Night

Even in the professional world, the debate rages on about whether eating late at night causes weight gain or not. However, experts agree that unhealthy carbs and snacks before bed are a waste. Since your body doesn’t need much energy to sleep, avoid nighttime snacking unless you are fueling for an evening workout.. If you’re really hungry though, skip the chips and consider a filling mini-meal with protein, fiber, and complex carbs to last you until breakfast.

Spread It Out

Though all mealtimes are not created equal, it’s a good idea to get a little bit of everything in each of your healthy meals and snacks throughout the day. Your body can only process a limited amount of nutrients at a time, so jamming a day’s worth of nutrition into one sitting is less healthy than spreading it out over three square meals and some healthy snacks.

In the end, the most important thing is to find what works for you and to stick with it. With the right information and some patience, it won’t be long until you’re not just eating right, but eating at the right time, too!