Written by: Hannah Kim
Artwork by: Lindy Um
You may have heard the saying, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But do you really have time to eat breakfast every day? The reality is that most students are too busy waking up in the morning and getting ready for school. On the other hand, the saying exists for a reason. Eating breakfast is really important. In fact, eating all meals at a scheduled time is good for both your mental and physical health. Here’s the reason why:
Consistent circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal cycle that regulates the body of all organisms. Humans in the past took cues from their environment such as light to meet the energy needs throughout the day, creating a rhythmic eating pattern. However, light is all around us today, which prevents our circadian rhythm from functioning properly (The Conversation). Furthermore, according to Chronobiology, digestion—which involves complex chemical interactions—has to happen when digestive hormones are most abundant; but when food is consumed at an abnormal time, this digestive process is disrupted (Chronobiology). When our circadian rhythm is not in sync with our meal timing, the brain’s ability to function is negatively affected.
Maintenance of mood
Irregular meal timing also impacts your mood. According to The Conversation, digestive hormones have an impact on our dopamine levels—a type of neurotransmitter that plays an important role in controlling our mood, energy, and pleasure. As a result, eating meals irregularly—or even not eating—could cause mental health problems such as mood swings, depression, anxiety, and sleep disorder. Having a scheduled meal time allows for better control of your mood.
Prevention of unhealthy snacking
Eating daily at the same time adjusts your body to this schedule, allowing all energy to be consumed during the meal time. This discourages your body from wanting to consume food outside of this schedule (Netmeds). Furthermore, you are less likely to eat unhealthy snacks such as fast food because the consistent routine and alleviated mood improves your self-control.
So now that you know why having scheduled meals is important, you probably want to know how to squeeze the healthy lifestyle into your busy schedule. Surprisingly, it’s not too hard. You just have to start step-by-step. Suddenly rushing to finish breakfast in the morning or forcing yourself to starve until your allocated time of lunch is not going to alleviate your mood at all. Rather, you’d end up being even more stressed. Perhaps grab a PB&J sandwich on your way out and eat it during your walk to the bus stop. Instead of deciding on a certain time to eat lunch—like 12:00 pm sharp—set yourself a window—such as 11:30 am to 1:00 pm—and aim to eat at any time in that interval. As you get used to this routine, adjust the interval so that it fits your schedule.
Not surprisingly, most of you probably already know how to get yourself into this kind of routine. Though this “solution” may be too obvious, some people need a push from others to actually get started with the routine. My hope is that this blog acted as that push for some of you who know that you should pay more attention to your eating habits but did not have the motivation to start.
Works Cited
“Here's Why You Should Eat at Same Time Every Day.” Netmeds, 16 Jan. 2019, https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/here-s-why-you-should-eat-at-same-time-every-day.
Koning, Elena, and Elisa Brietzke. “When You Eat Matters: How Your Eating Rhythms Impact Your Mental Health.” The Conversation, 13 Mar. 2022, https://theconversation.com/amp/when-you-eat-matters-how-your-eating-rhythms-impact-your-mental-health-177244.
“Meal Timing Affects Mental Health: What You Need to Know.” Chronobiology.com, 19 Apr. 2022, https://www.chronobiology.com/meal-timing-affects-mental-health-what-you-need-to-know/.
“Scheduled Eating- Why It’s Beneficial and How to Start.” Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research, 27 Mar. 2020, https://chear.ucsd.edu/blog/scheduled-eating-why-its-beneficial-and-how-to-start.
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