Three & Two
6:30 am it's breakfast time
9:30 am it's time for a little snack
12:30 pm it's lunch time
15:30 pm what about another snack?!
19:00 pm it's dinner time
this is the schedule your brain should follow in order to be happy, fit and work at its best. the when-factor is definitely a very important one when talking about brain food - you cannot let your brain be hungry. this is why eating 3 main meals and 2 snacks is the way to go.
start with a good breakfast
finish with a good light dinner
in between treat yourself with a little snack
some people might think that by eating 5 times a day they will gain weight in no time. this obviously depends on how much you eat and most importantly on what you eat. snacks are supposed to be snacks and not full meals - a cereal bar with a yoghurt, some cottage cheese with berries, a smoothie or an apple will do just fine. in order not to overdo with your main meals you want to keep it rather consistent in the morning and light in the evening. a bircher muesli, some scrambled eggs, some whole grain toasted bread and smoked salmon for breakfast and a soup, a salad or some grilled chicken for dinner. if you still have problems in portioning your food there is a little trick you might find useful.
doesn't the portion on the small plate (on the right) look way bigger than the one on the large one (on the left)? use bigger plate when plating your meals and you'll automatically eat less (and your food will look better)
your choice of food is the key for best brain productivity. if you eat a chocolate muffin or a whole grain pumpernickel with some curd cheese, the short term impact on your brain will be the same. they will basically both give energy to your brain. the big difference though is that the muffin will push its energy (glucose) into the blood stream very fast and after about 20 minutes your brain will collapse and lose focus completely. the pumpernickel with the cheese on the other hand will release energy slowly keeping your brain well fed, alert and focussed for much longer. these are 2 very easy rules that, if trustfully followed, might help you being healthier and more productive in 2016.