There is a right time for every food and a wrong time for some of them. To ensure that you make the most of their goodness eat them at an optimum time.
1. Curd
Curd helps beat the afternoon blues. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
During the day, because its assists in digestion, soothes the digestive system and is a probiotic food that strengthens our gut. Also helps keep one alert and perky and beat the afternoon blues.
Worst Time to Eat:
Night, but only one is you are prone to cold and cough as it might lead to mucus formation. If you are not prone, any time of the day is good.
2. Rice
Have rice in the night! (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Night as it is an easy to digest food and helps one sleep better too. But just be careful of your portion size please; too big a portion might make you uncomfortable.
Worst Time to Eat:
Afternoon, as being refined, it might lead to a sudden sugar rise fol-lowed by a slump, and might also make you sleepy.
3. Apple
Eat an apple at any time! (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Morning, apple peel has the fiber pectin that helps in bowel movement and prevents constipation. Moreover it also helps eliminate carcinogens.
Worst Time to Eat:
No worst time; can be had anytime!
4. Sugar
Don’t consume sugar at night. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Morning, our body’s insulin is more effective in using up sugar in the morning and we can digest it better too, owing to higher metabolism and activity levels.
Worst Time to Eat:
Night as the spike in your blood-sugar levels could cause your energy levels to spike and plummet, and this high and low will disrupt your sleep.
5. Banana
Banana is a perfect pre-workout food. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Noon, highly fibrous banana helps indigestion. Moreover it works as natural antacid and helps soothe heartburn and gives sustained, slow energy that can keep you full for a long time. It’s a perfect pre-workout food too.
Worst Time to Eat:
Night, eating at night might lead to mucus formation and cold in some susceptible people.
6. Pulses & Beans
Avoid pulses at night. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Afternoon and morning, so that they get digested properly and don’t cause gas formation.
Worst Time to Eat:
Night, as some people find digesting its high fiber content difficult at night, and might feel some kind of a gastric disturbance.
7. Walnuts
Have walnuts at any time! (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Night, as a bed time snack, as they help you sleep well. Just pop in a few halves regularly before bedtime as research shows that walnut tends to increase melatonin (a hormone that regulates sleep) in the body.
Worst Time to Eat:
No worse time as they pack its of benefits: omega-3 fats, antioxidants, vitamin E and are a known brain boosting food.
8. Figs & Apricots
Eating figs and apricots in the morning boosts the metabolism. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Early morning, eating figs and apricots in the morning boosts the metabolism and warms up the digestive system.
Worst Time to Eat:
Worst time to eat: Night, eating them at night might lead to indigestion and gas troubles in some people.
9. Cheese
Avoid having cheese in the evening. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
Earlier in the day, as for vegetarians’ cheese is an excellent protein source. If eaten in moderation it is a good source of calcium too.
Worst Time to Eat:
Evening: Being heavy to digest, it can lead to indigestion and weight gain.
10. Milk
Drink milk at any time. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Drink:
Night, as it helps in inducing sleep. It is rich in the amino acid tryptophan, which helps in the production of the sleep inducing brain chemicals, serotonin and melatonin.
Worst Time to Drink:
No bad time, it can be had any time of the day.
11. Coffee
Caffeine, consumed post 7 pm, will interfere with your sleep cycle. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Drink:
Morning or afternoon to help kick off sleepiness and give the body a jolt of energy that caffeine rich coffee delivers.
Worst Time to Drink:
After 7 pm as caffeine will interfere with your sleep cycle and might even lead to water loss from the body (leading to frequent getting up at night to go to the loo).
12. Cherries
Avoid cherries in the afternoon. (Photo: iStockphoto)
Best Time to Eat:
At night after dinners it is a natural source of melatonin, a hormone our body produces to help us sleep. So great for the suffering from insomnia.
Worst Time to Eat:
Afternoon: might just make you sleepy.