What you eat is a crucial determinant of your well-being. But, it is equally important to be mindful of your meal frequency or the number of meals you eat in a day. It’s because this number is not the same for everyone, according to Ayurvedic expert Dr Dimple Jangda. Taking to Instagram, the expert shared the number of meals one should consume based on their health, according to Ayurveda. Take a look.
Four meals a day
If you are someone with an ectomorph body type (thinnest body type with irregular appetite) or mesomorph (with a high metabolic fire), it is suggested to split your food intake into four meals, she said, adding that four meals a day are helpful when you are dealing with dips in energy, ‘hangry’ moments, and focusing on recovery.
“Ensure to eat only when hungry, eat 80 per cent of your appetite, avoid heavy meals after sunset, and finish your meal at least 2-3 hours before bedtime,” she said.
Many can’t resist their craving during bedtime. If you, too, feel hungry at night, you can have plant-based/dairy-based milk with a pinch of nutmeg for sleep or a pinch of turmeric for better immunity. “Splitting your calorie intake between four meals can negate the need for snacking,” she added.
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Three meals a day
If you are healthy, Dr Janda suggested having three meals a day. “This is a balanced lifestyle where you have a light breakfast, a big lunch, and a small dinner before sunset with 14-16 hours of intermittent fasting,” she said.
However, the expert elucidated that a person having three meals a day is called ‘rogi’ meaning someone “who has a tendency to get diseases quickly, due to accumulation of undigested metabolic waste over a period of time”.
During bedtime, you can have plant-based/dairy-based milk with a pinch of nutmeg for sleep or a pinch of turmeric for better immunity (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)
Two meals a day
This is an ideal way to eat as per yoga and Ayurveda, she explained. This is because it allows you a six-hour gap between both meals which is the Ayurvedic way of intermittent fasting.
“You are allowing your body time to fully digest, absorb, and assimilate the nutrients, before introducing the next meal. Someone who has two meals a day is called ‘bhogi’ in yoga, which means ‘one who relishes food’,” she shared.
One meal a day
She further explained that when a person has reached their optimum health and metabolism, they will be able to adapt to a lifestyle of a single meal every day with 23 hours of intermittent fasting.
“Such a person is called ‘yogi’ capable of intense thoughts, heightened intellectual and spiritual capabilities, which is further aided by the lightness of their body,” the Ayurvedic expert explained.
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