I hear a lot of questions about dieting and nutrition, questions like what’s the best food to eat? or what’s the best way to divide meals? or even should certain foods go with others? I always try to answer these questions to the best of my ability. But everyone knows my answer is a load of crock.
This isn't a knock against my knowledge or efforts - I don’t know the right answer because no one knows the right answer. In the field of dieting and nutrition, uncertainty is the present condition. I expect there will be more and more research done in the field and, in due time, someone will come up with the right answer. Until then, the best approach seems to be gathering all the possible answers through reading, writing, and thinking about the question before trying to make the best possible decision.
But sometimes, too much information confuses the issue. A good dose of simplicity can help clarify a large chunk of the right answer even while all the little details are being worked out. At the beginning of a long journey, it’s good enough to start by just going in the right direction. If the destination is north, go north; there will be plenty of time to sort out all the other little details later.
When it comes to dieting and nutrition, my north star is this: almost every fully understood system in the body benefits from alternating periods of intense activity and prolonged rest. Thus, the right approach to dieting and nutrition must harness the power of this principle.
The wake-sleep cycle is a good general example. For most people, a full day of being up and about is followed by a long period of rest. The way we build muscle or develop cardiovascular health also follows this pattern - activity, then rest. It is healthy for even the most fair-skinned to spend a little time in the sun before breaking in the shade. And permanent disease immunity is a hard-earned peace after the immune system emerges victorious from its all-out war.
Why would the digestive system be an exception? I can’t think of why it would be. It suggests to me that the best way to eat recognizes the body’s need for hunger. Therefore, my idea of a good meal plan would take in all the necessary nutrients while also allowing enough time for prolonged rest.
This is why I try to avoid having more than one full meal each day. Ideally, I would eat two decent sized meals (with each meal happening around eight to sixteen hours after the previous one). It’s not a perfect plan and I’m sure a lot of the details will turn out to be wrong. But I feel I’m definitely pointed in the right direction because it allows the digestive system the same period of prolonged rest that every other system in the body requires for peak performance.
