What does science say about how many times a day to eat?

Zozhnik popularly expounds the position of the International Society for Sports Nutrition regarding the frequency of meals, based on dozens of scientific sources. So how many times a day should you eat, according to research by scientists?

Statistics broadcast unemotionally: among US adults over 20 years old, 65% have overweight or obesity and there are no signs of significant improvement in this situation. In Russia, this indicator is not much better - about 51% of people (data: 2010) weigh more than necessary and the dynamics are also not happy.

We will not list the obvious harm from excess weight in this text. Let's dwell on just one of the frequently discussed topics - how the weight and composition of the body change depending on the frequency of meals.

(Hereinafter, we will cite mainly Americans as an example of research, since a Russian person is essentially the same, only he has slightly different braces, and there is practically no data and research on Russia).

How many times a day do people eat?

Children show a natural urge to eat small portions ("peck" food) throughout the day. However, upon reaching a certain age child gets used to consuming food in a certain way.

How much, often and what exactly we eat is influenced by many factors - from the traditions of the family and country, to genetics. Recent research indicates a partial genetic effect on individual meal frequency. According to the National Food Consumption Survey ( Nationwide Food Consumption Survey - NFCS, 1987 - 1988), the average frequency of meals among 3,182 American adults was 3.47 times a day - this is when all snacks, including high-calorie drinks, are taken into account. if we discard intermediate meals up to 70 kcal (for example, tea, coffee, drinks), then the number of meals decreased to 3.12 per day.

Actually, this fact is confirmed by the traditional widespread 3 meals a day: the very same breakfast, lunch and dinner. Although dietitians and trainers often advise eating small meals more often throughout the day for metabolic benefits, people are slow to follow them.

Some scientists believe that eating sparsely, but in large portions, increases the risk of obesity by increasing synthesis and deposition (lipogenesis or "deposition" of fat) after meals. However, scientists did not come to a consensus: the discussion continues, since the research data are contradictory.

How many times a day are there: in Does the frequency of meals affect your body?

In the past few years, researchers have been looking at the effects of meal frequency. Here are some of the more interesting results.

Some early human studies, published about 50 years ago, assessed the effect of eating frequency on weight and body composition. In some experiments, a similar connection was found. Others refute the effect of increasing the number of meals on body weight and composition.

Some studies show an inverse relationship between eating frequency and composition / body weight - i.e. the more meals, the less weight (all other things being equal - for example, with the same number of calories). However, these data are questioned: in addition to the obvious genetic differences of the subjects, there are other factors that can influence the result and conclusions.

For example, in experiments that use data collected by the subjects themselves to compare the total daily energy expenditure, food intake is often underestimated (We wrote about this in the text “” - there in the study people cheated 1.5-2 times). Several studies have found a very large underestimation of the calorie intake of overweight and obese people, as well as older people who tend to underestimate the amount of food they eat.

The source notes rather positive influence more frequent meals on weight and body composition, even considering the possibility of underestimating people with dietary restrictions / dieting. Nevertheless, this difference is insignificant and is not confirmed by many other studies.

If we discard the interfering factors, thenmost studies show that increased eating frequency does not play a significant role in weight loss / body composition changes.

Experimental studies: there is no difference in the number of meals for ordinary people

Most experimental studies have involved overweight and obese people. One study found: when the total daily calories are constant(but with a lack of calories - for weight loss), there is no difference in weight loss, even when the frequency of meals per day increases from one to nine. Roughly speaking, you can eat your own, for example, 1500 kcal at least in one meal, even if divided into 9 meals - there will be no difference - you will lose weight the same way.

In 2010, Cameron and his colleagues evaluated the effects of an 8-week low-calorie (calorie-loss) diet on obese men and women. One group of subjects ate food 3 times a day (low frequency of meals), the other took 3 main and 3 additional snacks (high frequency of meals). In both groups, calorie restriction was similar (minus 700 kcal / day from the norm). As a result, a similar decrease in body weight (about 5% of baseline), lean mass, fat and total BMI was recorded. No significant differences were found between groups with different feeding frequencies in any sign of obesity.

In addition to experimenting with fat people, there have been several studies with people of normal body weight. In terms of optimizing body weight and composition, the results were similar to those obtained in people with overweight/ obesity: increasing the frequency of eating does not provide any benefit. Even with an isocaloric diet or when calorie intake helps maintain current body weight, increasing the frequency of meals from 1 to 5 or from 1 to 3 did not improve weight loss.

How many times a day are there: and exceptions to the rule - children and athletes

The exception is the work of Fabry and co-authors. The researchers showed that the increase in skinfold thickness in 10-16 year old boys and girls was significantly greater with 3 meals a day compared with 5 or 7 meals. At the same time, no significant differences were found between girls and boys 6-11 years old.

Interestingly, many reports of improved body composition with increased eating frequency were obtained when the treatment group consisted of athletes. Thus, based on this limited information, it can be assumed that increasing the frequency of food intake in athletes may improve body composition.

Not a large number of Studies involving athletes have demonstrated these benefits from increasing the frequency of eating: reduced loss of lean muscle mass with a hypocaloric (lack of calories) diet, a significant increase in lean muscle mass and anaerobic capacity, a significant increase in "fat burning".

Eating frequency and effects on cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin in the body

There are far fewer publications in the scientific literature regarding the effect of changes in dietary frequency on "health markers" such as lipids and blood glucose. blood pressure, hormone levels and cholesterol.

Gwinup and colleagues were among the first to undertake several descriptive studies evaluating the effects of nutrition in humans like “herbivores” (often few) versus “carnivores” (rare and many). Five men and women who were in the hospital were prescribed the consumption of isocaloric food for 14 days using a cross method according to the following scheme:

• one large meal a day,
• 10 doses a day, every 2 hours,
• Three meals a day.

Eating carnivore-like (one meal a day) resulted in an increase in serum lipids compared to 3 meals a day. Eating herbivores (10 times a day) caused a decrease in serum lipids: phospholipids, esterified fatty acids, and cholesterol.

More recently, studies involving obese and non-obese people also showed significant improvement in total cholesterol when isocaloric foods were consumed 8 times versus one meal, and 17 snacks versus 3 meals a day.

In a crossover study of 6,890 males and 7,776 females aged 45–75 years, the average cholesterol concentration in the general population decreased significantly with increasing meal frequency, even after adjusting for the influencing variables: obesity, age, physical activity and diet. After adjusting for these variables, total and LDL cholesterol levels were about 5% lower in people who ate more than 6 meals a day, as opposed to those who ate once or twice a day. Similar results were obtained by other researchers.

A recent cross-sectional study of the effect of eating frequency on health outcomes in humans compared the traditional 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) versus one serving of all of those meals. Each subject followed one of the dietary patterns for 8 weeks, with an 11-week break. With meals once a day, there was also a significant increase in total blood pressure..

Scientists have reported that increasing the frequency of meals has a positive effect on glucose tolerance. Specifically, when subjects consumed 4 small meals at 40-minute intervals, rather than one large serving containing exactly the same number of calories, lower insulin secretion and glucose levels were observed.

When comparing consumption of isocaloric diets of 17 small servings per day (versus 3 per day), serum insulin levels were 27.9% lower.

However, there are several experiments in healthy men, healthy women, and overweight women that have not shown any benefits in terms of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Despite the ambiguity in research on health markers such as total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and glucose tolerance, it appears that increasing the frequency of meals is beneficial.

However, it is noted that the experiments showing the benefits of increasing the frequency of feeding were relatively short-term, and nothing is known about whether such a positive adaptation will occur in the long-term study.

How many times a day to eat: protein is better absorbed with a more even distribution in the diet

It is widely believed that at one meal the body can absorb only a limited amount of proteins and it is necessary to distribute their consumption throughout the day for the best effect, for example, when enhanced protein nutrition is needed for muscle growth. And there is a scientific basis for this.

Based on recent research, muscle protein synthesis in response to a meal is optimal when you consume 20-30 grams of high-quality protein or 10-15 grams of essential amino acids - that is, this amount is absorbed as efficiently as possible in a single meal.

Studies have shown that the diet of typical Americans does not distribute protein intake adequately, for example, the amount of protein in breakfast is low (about 10-14 grams), the main part is at dinner (about 29-42 grams). Thus, the American diet optimizes protein synthesis only once a day - during dinner.

An animal study showed that an equivalent distribution of protein between three meals (16% protein per serving) leads to greater overall protein synthesis and muscle mass, compared to suboptimal intake (8%) for breakfast and lunch and more than optimum (27%) during the dinner. That is, protein is in theory better absorbed if consumed more evenly throughout the day.

To observe the actual relationship between eating frequency and protein status, it is necessary to use experimental models in which protein synthesis is optimized by consuming 5-6, rather than three servings. This was demonstrated by scientists Paddon-Jones and colleagues, who found that mixed protein synthesis was about 23% higher when three large meals of 800 kcal (containing about 23 g protein, 127 g carbohydrates, 30 g fat) were consumed, supplemented with three small 180 kcal servings with 15 g of essential amino acids each, compared to three large servings of 850 kcal each.

Combining the results of several studies, it can be concluded that if protein synthesis is optimized, increasing the frequency of meals can positively affect protein absorption.

In addition, experiments with meal timing show the importance of protein intake before, during, and after physical activity.

CONCLUSIONS

• For ordinary people who are not burdened with sports achievements and activities, for people who are overweight, the frequency of meals does not matter. You can eat 1 time a day, you can eat 9 times a day - the result will be the same, it all depends on the number of calories consumed per day, and not on the number of meals.
• However, an increase in the frequency of meals still has a positive effect on the normalization of blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and surges in blood glucose and insulin levels.
• An increase in the frequency of meals (more precisely, a more even and frequent distribution of protein among meals) also has a positive effect on the absorption of protein, which is required in an increased amount, for example, for muscle growth.
• Some studies have shown the positive effect of increasing the frequency of eating on the body quality of athletes: a decrease in the loss of dry muscle mass during "drying" (hypocaloric diet), a significant increase in lean muscle mass and anaerobic capacity, a significant increase in "fat burning".

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Alcohol can be both beneficial and dangerous. It all depends on how often a person drinks alcohol, what kind of drinks he drinks and in what quantity. One should not forget about the state of health and the individual characteristics of the organism. Alcohol is beneficial only in medicinal purposes for example for colds and flu. But even in this case, it is necessary to observe the permissible dosages so as not to harm the body.

How much alcohol can you drink per day?

A harmless dose of pure alcohol per year for a person with no health problems is 2 liters. There are exact figures regarding the daily intake of alcohol: doctors recommend that men consume no more than 20 grams of ethanol per day, and women - no more than 15 grams. Given that there is an unequal percentage of pure alcohol in each type of drink, the safe dose of alcohol per day will be different for different alcoholic beverages:

• Wine - 1 glass (200 ml) for men, half a glass (100 ml) for the fairer sex. Due to the content of antioxidants in the drink, such a dose does not harm health, but helps to strengthen the immune system, improve blood circulation and slow down the aging process.
• Beer - 2 glasses (500 ml) for the stronger sex, 1 glass (250 ml) for women. In moderate quantities, beer is useful for people over 40 years old in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis. It takes about an hour for the liver of a healthy person to process a glass of foamy drink. Therefore, the intake of 250 ml of beer must be stretched for 30-40 minutes.
• Champagne - 2 glasses (300 ml) for men, 1 glass (150 ml) for the fairer sex. A real drink normalizes work gastrointestinal tract and improves digestion.
• Vodka, cognac and whiskey - 2 glasses (100 grams) for the stronger sex, 1 glass (50 grams) for women. Such a volume of alcohol is harmless to the liver, so it will easily remove ethanol from the body.

There are no harmless doses of alcohol for pregnant and breastfeeding women - strong drinks are strictly prohibited for them. Alcohol should be consumed with caution by hypertensive patients and people suffering from chronic diseases, heart and stomach diseases. Their intake of intoxicating drinks must be coordinated with the observing doctor.

Drinking a safe amount of alcohol per day will not cause substantial harm... Ethanol in small portions promotes vasodilation and blood thinning, as a result of which a person's blood circulation improves and blood pressure normalizes. But if you drink allowable dose alcohol every day, then health will be seriously damaged, there will be a failure in the work of all body systems.

Regular intake of alcoholic beverages will very quickly lead to the development of alcoholism in a person.

How often can you drink alcohol?

Without harm to health, alcohol can be drunk intermittently for at least 2 days. Thus, alcohol should be consumed no more than 2-3 times a week. These are the average data. For people who consider themselves absolutely healthy, doctors recommend not to overdo it, and at least 2 days out of 7 to refuse drinking strong drinks. Even beer and wine are allowed no more than 4 times a week. It is strictly forbidden to mix different types of alcohol. It is advisable to drink in the time range from 18:00 to 20:00 hours. It is during this period that the body assimilates alcohol well and removes its decay products. If on one of the days the recommended portion of alcohol was exceeded, then the next time you drink it, you need to remember this and reduce the allowable dose.

It should be understood that low quality alcohol will harm the body, so you only need to choose quality drinks... Beer should be taken fresh, draft. It is natural and does not contain chemical additives, unlike the foamy drink sold in glass bottles and tin cans, which, due to the presence of artificial components in it, has a long shelf life and only brings harm to health. The wine must be made from selected grape varieties. It is always necessary to check the expiration dates of alcohol. People with high blood pressure red wine is not recommended, it should be replaced with a dry white wine drink.

The appetizer plays an important role. It is advisable to eat before taking an intoxicating drink, so as not to irritate the walls of the stomach. Drinking alcohol is a must. You should choose dishes from fish and vegetables. Fruits will help to replenish the body with vitamins. From fatty, spicy and smoked snacks should be discarded. You can drink alcohol only with non-carbonated drinks - water, compotes or natural juices... The liquid will save the body from dehydration, which provokes ethanol.

It is important to observe the norms of alcohol consumption recommended by doctors, otherwise the drinking person cannot avoid health problems. People who have been drinking alcohol for several years are more prone to chronic and mental illness than others. Almost all alcoholics suffer from infertility. Even if a child is born to a person who abuses strong drinks, then he has developmental deviations from birth. Such a baby can live for a very short time or remain disabled for the rest of his life.

If a person often drinks alcohol, then his aging process accelerates, the risk of developing oncology increases, heart problems arise - tachycardia, heart failure, hypertension. Ethanol constantly entering the body leads to vasospasm and the formation of blood clots. There is a gradual increase in indicators blood pressure... Reception medicines will not help, since alcohol completely blocks their action. Therefore, blood pressure can be normalized only after the complete removal of decay products from the body. Moreover, the interaction of ethanol with medications will provoke severe adverse reactions that can be fatal. If you do not stop in time and do not give up alcohol, then consequences such as stroke and heart attack are inevitable for a person. The best option- drink alcohol only on holidays and weekends, not forgetting about the permissible doses.

Someone completely refuses alcohol, but for someone a glass of wine at dinner is a pleasant continuation of the evening. Doctors also still disagree about how much alcohol can be consumed without harm to health. But the majority is inclined to believe that the correct dosage will not bring, but, on the contrary, will be useful.

How often can you drink beer?

Until several centuries ago, beer was used as a substitute for homeopathy and was prescribed by doctors to their patients. Today, many singers, actors, teachers know that beer can successfully remove problems with the vocal cords.

It is believed that 10 grams is the average dose of alcohol. This is exactly what 250 milliliters of beer contains. Taking this indicator into account, we can say that the permissible rate of beer consumption per day is:

• 1 liter for men;
• 750 milliliters for women.

But drinking that much beer daily will do more harm than good. Doctors recommend pampering yourself with a foamy drink no more than 5 days a week. If a person has a disease internal organs, it is advisable to check with your doctor how much beer you can drink.

By the way, if you add up all the volumes of the drink that a person drinks in 1 week, you get about 1 case of beer. Therefore, you do not need to worry that you will have to severely limit its consumption. Moreover, there are norms that are adjusted taking into account the weight of a person.

For example, a man weighing 80 kg can drink up to 4 bottles of beer daily without harm to health. A person weighing 90 kg can already take 5 bottles. However, with strong obesity, it is recommended to completely eliminate alcohol, because it increases appetite and is difficult to excrete, causing edema, which will be an additional burden on the body.

There are dangerous doses of beer that you don't want to go to. This is 1.6 liters for men and 1.2 liters of beer for women. What is the threat of an overdose? Alcoholism, obesity, digestive problems. In addition, due to the large amount of beer, a person does not have time to eat. healthy foods... The body weakens, and this is the path to disease.

How much red wine can you drink per day?

You can often hear that a glass of red wine over udine prolongs youthfulness and can even become a substitute for drugs. But how to guess with the dosage?

The French, for whom wine is one of the main industries, very rarely suffer from heart disease and live long. According to scientists, it's all about wine.

Indeed, if the drink is prepared on the basis of high-quality raw materials, then red wine:

• improves the functioning of the gallbladder;
• stimulates the digestive tract;
• enhances immunity;
• helps fight insomnia;
• has a sedative effect;
• lowers cholesterol;
• dilates blood vessels and is the prevention of thrombosis;
• removes the feeling of hunger.

And it is also worth remembering mulled wine, which helps not only to keep warm, but to ease the course of a cold.

The norm of red wine for a healthy person is 50-100 g per day.

This drink has a number of limitations. It is contraindicated in people who have the following problems and diseases:

• depression;
• asthma;
• gallstones or kidney stones;
• pancreatitis;
• migraine;
• allergy;
• high pressure.

How much white wine can you drink?

This wine is considered to be less aggressive in its effect than red. Previously, white wines were used to quench thirst mixed with cool water.

This drink is neutral in taste and effect, which, when moderate consumption will allow:

• improve metabolism;
• destroy viruses and bacteria;
• to ensure the release of toxins;
• slow down aging;
• improve heart function;
• improve the absorption of iron and protein from food.

Almost 80-85% of wine is water, berries and fruits. The alcohol content in it is small, so it can be consumed even in summer, without fear of strong intoxication. But do not forget about the dosage - 100-200 g per day.

White wine also has contraindications:

• diseases of the pancreas;
• heart diseases;
• hypertension;
• depression;
• gout;
• excess of triglycerides in the blood.

How often can you drink champagne?

People rarely drink sparkling wine. Usually these are holidays, between which you manage to miss champagne so much that it becomes more difficult to control the dosage.

If you drink the drink in moderation, then there are many benefits from it:

• elimination of edema;
• increased sensitivity of taste buds;
• relaxing effect;
• improving the work of the heart;
• improving mood without a strong effect of intoxication.

Champagne can even be used as a remedy for colds. To do this, the drink needs to be slightly warmed up and drunk at night. You will feel much better in the morning.

A safe dose of alcohol in this case is 1-2 glasses. This is a very dangerous drink, because it is easy to drink, but it is very easy to get drunk from it (especially on an empty stomach). Therefore, it is important not to exceed the norm and try not to drink everything in one gulp. It is better to stretch the pleasure so that the alcohol flows into the blood more slowly.

Champagne also has contraindications:

• varicose veins;
• diseases of the stomach and pancreas;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• mental illness;
• high blood pressure;
• vascular disease.

Cognac: the norm of strong alcohol

Men are very fond of this noble drink. It is drunk neat or as part of cocktails. The strength of cognac is a reason to monitor your condition and control the amount of alcohol consumed. Doctors say that 40-50 g of brandy per day is a contribution to health and long life. The drink warms up, improves mood, improves digestion. Many people who began to drink a glass of this drink in the evenings noted improved sleep and a lack of strong appetite. True, you do not need to be zealous, since all alcoholic beverages contain sugar, and these are calories, which are then difficult

Do not exceed the norm of 50 g as pressure and vascular problems may arise. There will be a state of anxiety, insomnia. Finally, the likelihood of developing alcoholism is high.

Another important question - is coffee with cognac harmful?

Do not overuse this delicious cocktail, because both ingredients have the opposite effect. Cognac dilates blood vessels, and coffee constricts them. With excessive consumption, the drink causes migraines, fainting, and can even provoke a stroke or hypertensive crisis. Maximum that can afford healthy person- 30 g of cognac mixed with 100 g of coffee. And not every day, but 2-3 times a week.

A cognac and cola cocktail is also popular. There is a lot of sugar in it, so it is worth controlling the amount you drink. In addition, the strength of the cognac softens, and the person does not notice how he exceeds his norm. Feeling unwell the next day is guaranteed.

If the cognac is of high quality, and its consumption is moderate, then this will only give a positive result:

• elimination of headaches;
• reduced anxiety and better resistance to stress; (
• increased immunity;
• acne treatment;
• fight against seasickness and motion sickness;
• strengthening the gums.

You don't have to drink cognac to see its effects. The smell of the drink relaxes and helps you fall asleep faster. It can be added to tea to warm up and calm down after a hard day.

It is undesirable to drink cognac for the following diseases:

• diabetes;
• diseases of the biliary tract;
• any chronic diseases.

Liqueurs - how to drink without harm to health?

Liqueur is a pleasant drink with a sweet taste and thick texture. He is very popular with women because of his gentleness. This is its main danger. A large amount of sugar and the effect of rapid intoxication puts the liqueur on a par with cognac and other drinks. Don't underestimate its effect.

In moderate quantities, liqueur increases appetite and mood, improves metabolism. However, it is contraindicated in patients with diabetes, as well as in people with a large weight, since it can provoke severe hunger.

The recommended rate of liqueur is no more than 1 glass per day. And it is advisable to drink it no more than 2-3 times a week. A glass of wine or a glass of cognac will be much more useful.

Vodka: how not to miss the dosage?

Ardent greetings, friends, combat girlfriends and other good (and not so) personalities! You know that on Sundays the project has a staked out tradition of releasing nutritious notes, so let's not deviate from it and talk about our daily bread, or rather, about how many times a day you need to eat. This is an extremely important and extremely necessary topic, because most of the questions of building the correct proportions are based on it. In addition, even if you are quite far from fitness and bodybuilding, answering this question will help you to normalize your eating behavior and even see some tangible bodily changes in the mirror.

Well, intrigued? Then let's get down to education.

How many times a day should you eat: a non-fictional theory

Well, I would like to start with the fact that in the minds of most people, the image of a pitching is still associated with a wardrobe in shorts, stupidly pulling glands, and which has brains with a gulkin's nose. Continue to amuse yourself with this bike, my dears, and when you get bored, face the truth, bodybuilders and fitness girls are people of broad specialization, as they say “a Swiss, and a reaper, and a gamer” :). They must understand not only the matter of pulling glands, but also questions of human anatomy, kinesiology of movements and, of course, the organization of the process of proper nutrition. (i.e. be nutritionists)... Agree, it is hardly possible to call a person developing in so many directions a slow-witted person.

So, all this I mean is that if you want to know how many times a day you need to eat, then I can hardly name a better advisor than the above-mentioned characters. They will unanimously tell you that you need to eat at least a day 5 once (well, that's all, you don't have to read the article further :))... Why exactly such an amount, and in general, how should food intake look like during the day for a person watching his figure and, in particular, a bodybuilder, we will talk further.

If you are monitoring the articles and subscribed to the mailing list of the project "", then you probably know that I devote quite a lot of time to nutrition issues. This is not done for a simple reason, but in view of the fact that muscles are not built from the air, and if the body does not receive a sufficient amount of calories, then there will be no volumetric growth either. By sufficient, I mean covering the basic needs, plus the "anabolic cushion" - the amount of nutrients that will directly participate in the construction of new muscle tissue. That is why I always urge beginners to first calibrate their food, decide on a diet, and only then go to the gym.

Also recently, I had the opportunity to observe the life of foreign professional bodybuilders. (via new film dedicated to Joe Weider, “Iron Generation”)... So, there the athletes talked about the daily calorie content of their diet in the region of nine, damn it, thousands of calories. So that you can imagine how much it is, imagine - you got up in 7 o'clock in the morning and before 22-00 all hamster and hamster. Indeed, they consume calories, mom, do not burn, and the number of meals can sometimes reach 7 in a day. Of course, an ordinary person does not need to turn into a factory for the disposal of food and fertilization of the soil, but a certain frequency of techniques must be observed. And to figure out which one, the following theory will come in handy.

We are all more or less aware of what you need to eat to create a composite body, these are: fiber, vegetables and fruits. However, it often happens that we figured out the food, but when and how many times a day we eat them, we do not attach much importance. Thus, it turns out that eating during the day in inconsistency, our healthy food is still converted into fat and does not have the desired "therapeutic" (weight loss) effect.

From all this, we can draw a simple conclusion - people do not eat when their body needs it. They think about refueling too late (or early), when a pronounced feeling of hunger sets in, which makes itself felt through the production of the hormone ghrelin by the stomach. The latter signals the brain that it is high time to throw firewood into the furnace.

So, to prevent this from happening, you need to know that in dietetics there is such a thing as time schedules for meals. This is what they are.

From the graph, you can draw a completely obvious conclusion - your body (all his systems) uses the energy accumulated by the body every day. Its use peaks during physical activity. (in this case, training in the gym).

Conclusion: the nutritional process (as much as possible) must follow / keep pace with energy use.

This is how, in terms of energy use by the body, the standard (3 meals a day) meal of most people during the day looks like.

Three meals a day, the main disadvantages:

• overeating converts excess nutrients into fat;
• fewer times leaves you hungry and weak between meals;
• fasting very often leads to even more overeating.

How many times a day should you eat: the main problems

One of the biggest "gag" to such a routine is too long periods of time m / y main meals (for example, breakfast at 8-00 in the morning; dinner - 14 days; dinner - 19 pm)... If you hamster 3 once a day, then your stomach will be constantly unhappy, the body will be in a suspended state of hunger (there will be a decrease in energy level and recovery rate)... Extreme hunger is usually contrasted with overeating, which increases fat storage. One mistake tends to lead to another, putting the body in a “vicious circle of hunger” (metabolism decreases) followed by periods of overeating (fat gain).

This is what the most rational eating time of the day should look like.

6 meals a day, the main benefits:

• relatively small portions maintain high energy levels and keep you “full” throughout the day;
• light snacks - save the body from starvation during long workouts and in between meals;
• relatively small portions support a high metabolic rate, thus avoiding overeating.

Output: 6 -th one meal (meal every 2-3 hours) more consistent with the efficient use of energy by the body. Substantial morning and pre-workout dressings, and smaller rests, keep the body from gaining extra calories in the form of fat and transform itself towards better body composition.

Actually, we figured out the number of meals a day. Now let's take a step-by-step look at how any bodybuilder should eat. So, here is a diet plan and tips that everyone who decided to change their body should follow.

# 1. Correct power system

First, you need to adjust your diet by removing dressings, mayonnaise, sauces and ketchups from it. Reduce the amount of salt, sugar and spices consumed.

No. 2. Meal frequency

You need to eat every 2-3 hours, and the food should be rich in protein, which must be combined with complex carbohydrates, fiber and vegetables.

No. 3. Eat flaxseed oil

It will help saturate your body with healthy fats (omega 3/6/9) and curb your appetite.

No. 4. Drink plenty of water

To determine your average water requirement, divide your weight (in kg) by 30 ... For example, do you weigh 80 kg, which means you need to drink a day 2,6 liters of clean water.

These were the basic tips to start with. As for the meal plan, it may look like this.

How many times a day should you eat: meals

# 1. Breakfast

1-2 scoop of protein mixed with low-fat milk, plus 1/2 glasses of frozen berries / fruits. Mix everything thoroughly. Scrambled eggs from 1 whole egg and 2 -x proteins. Half a glass ( 125 c) oatmeal with low fat yogurt. 1 tsp ...

No. 2. Second meal.

200-250 gr of tuna. Protein cocktail with skim milk.

No. 3. Third meal.

150-200 gr chicken breast, plate brown rice, 1-2 a piece of whole grain bread, 1 tsp linseed oil.

No. 4. Fourth meal.

100-120 gr salmon or lean beef steak. Half a plate of buckwheat, green salad.

No. 5. Fifth meal.

180-200 gr seafood (shrimp). 1 a large portion of cauliflower, cucumber and tomato salad with olive / linseed oil.

No. 6. Sixth meal.

1-2 scoop of casein protein (or 200 gr cottage cheese), 2 egg white.

No. 7. Fruits and vegetables.

Consume about 5 types of fruits and / or vegetables. The latter can be mixed with protein (e.g. turkey fillet with green salad or asparagus).

Well, perhaps that's all for today, we answered the question - how many times a day you need to eat and what dietary scheme to follow. There is only one little thing left - to follow all this :).

Afterword

Another nutritious note has come to an end, in it we are one more step closer to the goal called “the body of our dreams”. I am sure that now you will not have any questions about how many times a day you need to eat. Try with all your might to move from the classics - 3 -x receptions, to 5-6 ... Good luck, my dears!

PS. Every comment is your footprint to posterity, so stay tuned, don't hesitate!

PPS. Did the project help? Then leave a link to it in the status of your social network - plus 100 points to karma, guaranteed :).

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

According to statistics, in 2017 Russia ranked 6th in the top ten most drinking countries in the world. The average Russian man consumes 15.1 liters of alcohol a year, and a woman - 7.8 liters. Vodka is the most preferred in our country, but the use of wine has also been growing lately. How often can you drink, what and in what quantities, so as not to harm your health? What are the standards and rules for drinking alcohol? Read this article.

It's no secret that ethanol contained in alcoholic beverages has a detrimental effect on the human body, like a poison. And despite the fact that this fact has long been scientifically proven, people leading a sober lifestyle in the world are not increasing. Most do not even want to hear about the dangers of alcoholism, considering every weekend a reason to drink. But, despite this, doctors tirelessly continue to fight for a healthy lifestyle, setting ethanol standards for people who will not be able to negatively affect their health and well-being.

Classification of drinkers in domestic narcology

Experts divided people into five groups, depending on the amount and frequency of alcohol-containing drinks drunk.

1. Abstainers - people who are indifferent or negative about alcohol. The state of intoxication does not give them pleasure, causes physical discomfort, or is unacceptable for moral reasons. Abstainers can be absolute, who categorically do not use alcohol, and relative, who can afford to drink no more than 100 ml of low-alcohol drinks 2-3 times a year. Abstainers from the absolute group are also divided into three types. The first - biological - is allergic to alcohol or discomfort after taking it. The second - medical - strong drinks are prohibited due to the presence of any disease. The third - behavioral - a person deliberately refuses alcohol, simply because he decided so.

Note! Sometimes abstainers can afford a small dose of alcohol, but this is rare. They never get drunk and often find some reason not to drink.

2. Accidental drinkers - people who do not feel the urge to drink, but can afford to consume up to 250 ml of strong drink no more than once a month. The state of intoxication is expressed weakly and does not give them pleasure. Even after drinking so little, these people experience hangover symptoms the next morning. Therefore, at a more mature age, they often already begin to belong to the abstinent group.

3. Moderate drinkers - people who allow drinking up to 400 ml of strong drinks from 1 to 4 times a month. Drinkers of this category enjoy being in a state of intoxication and often initiate libations in the company. In the medical field, there is no unequivocal opinion about increased and moderate doses alcohol, therefore, this group is considered the most controversial: taking alcoholic beverages for such people is considered a way to raise their mood.

4. Systematically drinkers - people who consume up to 500 ml of alcohol with a frequency of up to twice a week. They use drunkenness as a way to relax, have fun and find a common language with their surroundings. This category is characterized by alcohol abuse, as a result of which there is a weakening of self-control and behavioral disturbances. Such people often experience a state of hangover after partying, and they often start drinking from a minor age, as a result of which, over time, they develop a psychological addiction to alcohol, so strong drinks take an important place in their lives. Here the first stage of alcoholism already begins.

5. Habitual drinkers - people who abuse alcohol more often 2-3 times a week in an amount exceeding 500 ml. At this stage, a tolerance for drinking develops. To reach the desired condition, they constantly increase the dose of intoxicating drinks. The state of intoxication becomes the only one possible way relax and have fun. This category of drinkers is more related to the first stage of alcoholism, smoothly passing into the second.

It is very difficult for people from the latter category to overcome the desire to take alcohol, since it is already a priority for them in life. The consequences of this behavior are sleep disturbances, diseases of various internal organs and, ultimately, personality degradation.

Important! If one of your relatives, or you yourself, belong to one of the last two groups, know that there is still a chance to stop everything and return to a normal and sober lifestyle. To do this, you just need to give up alcohol, and special medications can help with this, reducing the desire to "take on the chest" and removing alcoholic toxins from the body.

WHO standards

The World Health Organization has calculated the exact amount of alcohol, the use of which has a low risk of threat to human health. The safe dose for alcohol is indicated in the servings.

1 serving = 10 ml ethanol or 8 g alcohol.

• For men, it is permissible to consume 3 servings per day or 21 servings per week, provided that two days are completely sober (in a row or at intervals).
• For women, it is permissible to consume 2 servings per day or 14 servings per week, provided that two days are completely sober (in a row or at intervals).

World standards for alcohol consumption

The World Health Organization has defined a standard serving of alcohol called a drink or unit.

Drinking correctly: how to drink in moderation, when alcohol consumption is prohibited and what the skill "ability to drink" hides

The main rule underlying the prevention of alcoholism is not to allow yourself to drink "out of grief" and alone. Everything is simple here - the presence of company and the absence of the habit of drinking problems are strong deterrents in the urge to abuse. It is much more difficult to maintain a human appearance in a fun company in the midst of unrestrained fun. How can you learn to drink correctly and observe your measure?

The rate of ethanol consumption largely depends on the age and physique of the drinker. A young and lightly built organism is more susceptible to alcohol. There is a formula according to which the optimal dose of alcohol consumed should be 1.5 ml of ethanol per 1 kg of weight, in terms of vodka, 3.75 ml is obtained.

But, in order not to engage in complex mathematical calculations in the midst of fun, it is enough to carefully monitor your own feelings. If there is a feeling of foggy consciousness, loss of balance, poor control of the vocal apparatus, pause for 1–1.5 hours. Grab a bite to eat, drink some water, take a walk in the air, move around, and when you're back to normal, you can have a few more drinks. Thus, thanks to self-control, you will not miss the moment when the measure is reached.

It is worth paying attention to when it is extremely undesirable to drink alcohol:

• in an excited state;
• being depressed;
• if severe fatigue overcomes.

In addition, strong drinks should not be taken if you have recently recovered and have stopped taking drugs... Time should pass, at least a week.

Diseases and alcohol: for what diseases it is worth limiting or completely eliminating the consumption of alcohol

Alcoholic beverages have a profound effect on the functioning of the brain, heart, liver, pancreas and kidneys. Therefore, first of all, the use of alcohol is contraindicated for diseases of these particular organs. You can not drink alcohol after a heart attack, stroke, with hypertension and ulcers. With extreme caution, the use of alcoholic beverages is allowed for diabetes mellitus. It is allowed to drink in minimal doses only strong alcohol or dry wines. It is strictly prohibited:

• all types of liqueurs;
• beer:
• champagne;
• sweet wines;
• energy drinks and other low-alcohol soda and cocktails.

Alcohol is contraindicated while using antibiotics, antidepressants, analgesics, sedatives, hypnotics and antihistamines.

Reality and myths about alcohol

There are many different legends and myths about alcohol. Today, young people perceive the image of a drinking person as a symbol of independence, style, and adulthood. People believe that if beer has minimal amount turns by fortress, then it is absolutely harmless and you can take it in unlimited quantities. It is also believed that champagne is lighter than wine.

In fact, a person who drinks alcohol significantly shortens his life, his appearance changes, he looks older than his years, gradually loses his mind and memory.

Beer is not a harmless drink, it is it that becomes the first step on the path to alcoholism, while the drinker practically does not notice how he becomes addicted. In addition, this drink, in addition to ethanol, contains additional substances negatively affecting the human body.

Despite the fact that the content of ethyl alcohol in champagne is much less than in wine, it is a carbonated drink, from which you get drunk much faster.

In addition, there are several other myths about alcohol.

• Myth # 1 - alcohol warms up in cold weather.

True - the use of a small dose of ethanol will expand the blood vessels and for a while the body will feel an influx of heat. But soon the opposite effect will occur: the vessels will spasm and the body will soon be overcooled.

• Myth number 2 - alcohol helps in the fight against depression.

True - alcohol depresses the nervous system and belongs to the class of depressants. Drinking during depression will only make the situation worse.

• Myth number 3 - weak alcoholic drinks less harmful than strong ones.

True - any alcoholic beverages contain ethanol, in the process of decomposition of which, acetaldehyde is released - a toxic poison that poisons the body.

conclusions

Drinking is addictive, and feeling drunk can create the illusion of a fun and carefree life. The main thing in the pursuit of relaxation and momentary fun is not to cross the line beyond which people lose their human appearance and acquire deadly diseases.

No matter how much they talk about the maximum dosage of alcohol consumed daily, a liter of beer or a bottle of 0.5 per day is absolutely not useful, as many believe. Especially if hypertension, gastritis, pregnancy, or breast-feeding... The Ministry of Health insists that beer alcoholism is not cured, and a glass of vodka a few grams once a day is not a benefit to health and general well-being, but a direct path to drunkenness. An alcoholic can die if he drinks a glass of vodka in one gulp, be it old man or the girl who ruined her youth with drunkenness.

Regarding moderately drinking people, then healthy drink for them it is red wine, but only natural and in small quantities.