Whether you are a researcher, a sports enthusiast, or someone who has had a busy day, you will want to know how to maintain your best condition.
Of course, maintaining the best state is inseparable from diet, which is indisputable, because it has an inevitable connection with the food we consume. This is something we can often experience in our lives. For example, when you are hungry, you will feel flustered, and even weak, dizzy, and in severe cases, faint. Of course, there is no question of being in the best state; if your breakfast is scientific and nutritious, you will be full of energy and have a clear mind for the whole morning. So, for the three meals a day, is it better to eat less and more often, or to binge eat? Or, is it better to have one big meal or to eat small portions more frequently? What are the benefits of the latter?
Speaking of which, it is necessary for us to first talk about the relationship between glucose and the human body.
During physical labor, muscles consume more glucose than usual, and during mental labor, brain cells consume more glucose. Eating smaller, more frequent meals can continuously increase the glucose level in the blood, while normal three meals increase blood sugar levels three times. The glucose stored in the body can be released when needed.
Half an hour after eating sweets, all the sugar is broken down into glucose, which can be used by the brain and muscles to effectively increase energy. Monosaccharides in sweets are also easily broken down into glucose, so eating a little sweet can quickly raise blood sugar. This is also an important reason why we often tell students preparing for exams to have some chocolate and candy. If the glucose level in the blood is too high, the body quickly controls the blood sugar concentration through insulin. When insulin rises, glucose is stored in the form of glycogen. Most of the glycogen is stored in the liver and muscles for later use. This is also the reason why dieting can reduce weight and it's fine to go without food for a few days; our body intelligently stores some glycogen for emergencies.
What foods can be broken down into glucose?
It's carbohydrates. Any carbohydrate food will eventually be broken down into glucose, such as starch, which is of course the main energy source for our brain. They take a longer time to break down in the intestines, releasing slowly into the blood as glucose about 2 hours later. Of course, manual laborers consume calories much faster than food produces them.
When physically exhausted or after not eating for several hours, the body automatically releases stored glucose, that is, glycogen from the liver and muscles.
Glycogen is like the body's reserve army. As soon as there is a call, it is immediately broken down into glucose for action. When glycogen levels are low, the body begins to break down fat and protein, because they can also be broken down into glucose when needed.
The coordinated work of the human body depends entirely on the precise interaction between glucose, glycogen, and insulin. The concentration of insulin determines the amount of stored glycogen released, and the insulin level depends on the blood sugar concentration in the body.
After understanding how the brain and muscles maintain daily normal activities, it is wise to ensure a stable blood glucose level without using the body's reserves. Alternatively, eat carbohydrates that release energy slowly for breakfast. Which strategy is better? Are there any differences between them?
There was such an experiment:
The subjects of the experiment were firefighters because they consume a lot of physical energy. To control fires, they almost always consume too much physical and mental energy each time.
The firefighters' daytime diet was divided into two parts: a large breakfast and a rich lunch. Because these strong firefighters need to consume a lot of calories, the lunch portion was three times the normal amount. Firefighters stop working during their lunch break, when they can have a丰盛 lunch.
However, this arrangement also has disadvantages. For example, they often do not have enough time to eat, and they feel uncomfortable after wolfing down their meals. Therefore, nutrition experts have developed a series of methods for firefighters to eat smaller, more frequent meals on the day of action. The "Quality Ration" plan consisted of 6 different individual meals, starting 120 minutes after breakfast, and then every 120 minutes thereafter. To ensure the effectiveness of the "Quality Ration" plan, it was compared with the traditional diet. In the experiment, firefighters ate a traditional lunch during their 12-hour shift on the first day and followed the new plan on the second day. To make the comparison more fair, everyone had to eat lunch both days; the lunch was allocated according to its calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content. During the day, each person wore a device to detect physical fitness, and their blood sugar concentration was measured at regular intervals.
What was the conclusion? Under the condition that the firefighters' work intensity was generally the same, it was found that in the last 2 hours of the 12-hour work, the workload of those on the new diet plan was 25% higher than that of the others. At that time, those who started eating lunch had not eaten anything for 5 hours, while those on the smaller, more frequent meal plan had just filled their stomachs. A diet of small, regular portions can effectively maintain the supply of glucose, and it is also a fact that the stomach cannot handle a large amount of food at once. These two factors together may explain the reason for the firefighters' increased physical fitness.
Through this experiment, I just want to tell everyone that if you have a high-energy job or are a long-term mental worker, a regular, high-carbohydrate diet can continuously provide energy to the body, keeping you in your best condition at all times. This method is very useful. Ensuring the same total calorie intake but dividing the food into multiple portions and eating regularly can indeed maintain an effective supply of energy.
This is the real reason why people often hear that eating smaller, more frequent meals is better, because this diet can keep you in your best condition at all times. Of course, such a diet will also help you stay slim.