ー英会話講師の英語日記ー　札幌英会話スクールSTEP UP（札幌駅、大通駅徒歩５分）

Three meals a day?

2018年5月21日 (月)

Most societies believe that having three “square” meals a day is the optimal way to eat. Every meal should be a balance of carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, minerals and vitamins. According to conventional nutritional wisdom, this means we must eat once in the morning, again around midday and then have a final meal in the evening. While this schedule may prove easy enough for children, the eating patterns of adults are subject to a host of factors, their jobs being the first.

Anyone adult knows the difficulties in eating well as life becomes increasingly complex. Personally, I often don’t have “dinner” until after I get home at night, sometimes at 9:30 or even 10pm. And if I eat dinner at, say, 10:30 I’m rarely hungry for breakfast the next morning at 8am. No matter. I’m an adult – I eat when I’m hungry. I wonder, though, how many of us eat when we’re not hungry? Do you ever find yourself sitting down at a restaurant with friends or family, even though you don’t have much of an appetite? What do you do, then? Many of us eat anyhow, just because we worry it would be rude not to. While it may be the socially expected thing to do, is it the healthy choice?

I think we need to be more honest about when we’re hungry and when we’re not. Just because it’s “time to eat” doesn’t mean we should. As my 92-year-old grandmother once told me, “It’s good to let your stomach go empty at least once a day.” Happily, taking this advice has kept my waistline the same since I was 18. I suspect it’s helped her reach the grand old age she has, as well.

Two hours from now I’ll be sitting down with my family at a new Korean restaurant. I’m not hungry now…I doubt I will be then, either. I may nibble, but I certainly won’t gorge myself. And while it may be a missed chance to eat a lot of great food, my body will thank me for not overeating. I do expect I’ll imbibe a beverage or two, though ; P