Meal timings count in weight loss

Mar 2, 2020

WASHINGTON: The time of the day when food is consumed may determine how many calories in it will be burned by the body, according to a study which suggests that a daily fast between the evening meal and breakfast can optimise weight management.

The researchers, including Kevin Kelly from Vanderbilt University, said the balance between weight loss and gain is predominantly determined by diet, the quantity of food consumed, and the amount of exercise a person gets. They said the time of the day when most food is eaten also determines how well a person burns dietary calories.

According to the study, published in the journal PLOS Biology, the human body’s daily biological clock and sleep regulate how the food is metabolised.

It added that the choice of burning fats or carbohydrates also changes depending on the time of day or night. The scientists said the circadian rhythm, or the body clock is programmed to assist the body burn fat when people sleep. As a result, they said, when people skip breakfast and then snack at night, it may lead to a delay in burning the fat.

Based on their observations, the scientists said the timing of meals during the day/night cycle may affect the extent to which ingested food is used versus stored.

According to the researchers, this study has important implications for eating habits, suggesting that a daily fast between the evening meal and breakfast may optimise weight management.

Pehelwan lassi

You can eat it as dessert or drink it as a refreshing cooler, but be sure not to miss the lassi when in Varanasi. Pehelwan lassi served in kulhads. Tweaked it with ingredients like, malai, rabdi and almonds. Not only did people like the taste, but they also believed that the wrestler was selling what he himself consumed for his strength. 

Customers started calling it pehelwan lassi, and the tiny eight-foot-by-12-foot shop at Malviya Chauraha on Lanka Road got its name. Over the years, the pehelwan lassi transformed into a brand and the six sons of Panna Sardar expanded their business. They now have two more shops, one at Ravidas Chauraha on Lanka Road and another near Assi Ghat.

Pehelwan ki lassi, Pehelwan’s lassi, Pahalwan lassi bhandar or Pehelwan’s sweet lassi and gained popularity too.

To be fair, he says, everybody in Varanasi makes decent lassi. But what sets one apart is the quality of milk and other ingredients. Says his brother Vijay, “Some shop owners have started using synthetic milk and yoghurt, and also blend sugar and curd in a blender to meet rush hour demand. But we don’t use machines at all.”

Nearby village supplies fresh milk and they have their own marking system to check the standard. About 10-litre batches of milk are boiled with a dash of sugar and reduced to eight litres. The thickened and cooled milk is then set with the jaman in huge clay vessels.

Given the shop’s proximity to the Banaras Hindu University, college goers are always hanging out. “Whenever there is an alumni meet at BHU, former students in their sixties and seventies come to our shop and, over lassi, they recall the old days,”

Pehelwan Lassi is a benchmark He says the lassi is a natural and nutrient-dense drink, with no added flavour or preservative but loaded with probiotics, protein, fat and calcium.“The taste remains deliciously same and is better than any ice cream,” adds the general practioner, “You can indulge yourself and burn it also easily!”

Dos & don’ts during Fasting

FOODS TO INCLUDE

  Fruits, in any form (sugar-free and chemical-free):Apples, apricots, bananas, berries

  Vegetables:Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chilli peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic

  Whole grains and legumes:Brown rice, millets, quinoa, oats, barley, wholewheat pasta, kidney beans, white beans, lentils

  Nuts and seeds:Sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame

  Oils:Olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame

  Beverages:Spring water, distilled water or other pure waters

  Tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasoning, salt, herbs and spices

FOODS TO AVOID

  Meat and animal products

  Dairy products

  All sweeteners like sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice

  All leavened bread including Ezekiel bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods

  Refined and processed food

  All deep-fried foods

  Coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.