There are many kinds of diets out there, such as vegetarian diet, mayo diet, keto diet, and so on. But the most popular diet recently is the one called one meal a day diet, as the Coldplay’s vocalist, Chris Martin, said in a podcast that he is on that diet. The British vocalist mentioned that this diet method helps him a lot in maintaining his body fit and away from obesity.
As the name suggests, one meal a day diet means you have to eat only one meal a day. With its increasing popularity, quite many health experts argue about this one meal a day diet. So, is it actually healthy or unhealthy?
The Effect of One Meal a Day Diet on Digestive Health
One meal a day diet is actually similar to what’s called intermittent fasting, which is not related to any religions, but intended for a weight-loss diet instead. According to Healthline, a lot of health experts and nutritionists warn about the side effects of such a diet method if it’s continued. Take notes that each diet method is highly individual, meaning that if one person manages to reach their ideal weight with a certain diet, others don’t necessarily succeed with the same diet.
It’s because there are some factors influencing, such as lifestyles, genetics, and health goals. And just like any other kinds of diets, the one meal a day diet is not necessarily an ideal option for everyone. For most people, eating only one meal a day can potentially cause side effects for health. The one meal a day diet is an extreme form of intermittent fasting that comes with risks of digestive issues, such as bloating, ulcer, and indigestion.
The Body Easily Gets Exhausted
A nutritionist named Abagail Roberts warned that the one meal a day diet can possibly make someone lacks their daily nutritional intake. And the earliest effect of this issue is the body easily gets exhausted as it lacks energy. Not only that the body gets easily tired, but also its immunity and cognitive functions becomes lower and weak.
If you want to try this one meal a day diet, you have to make sure that your one meal contains enough nutrients and calories for your body. By meeting your daily calorie and nutrient intakes, your body will be able to function normally. You are also highly suggested to meet a doctor or nutritionist before deciding to go with the diet method.
The Tendency to Consume Unhealthy Food
Going with an extreme diet can cause excessive hunger, which may lead someone to eat too much food or what’s called food craving. So, when their mealtime comes, they tend to eat excessively, and what is worse is that they tend to choose unhealthy food to consume. It’s because when someone is excessively hungry, their body produces a lot of ghrelin hormones.
This hormone causes excessive hunger, so that one feels the urge to consume a lot of food. Unfortunately, this condition makes one eager to eat food that is high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium.
Recommended Healthy Diets You Can Try
So, the one meal a day diet is only effective to certain people. In fact, this diet is not recommended as it can cause several healthy problems if it’s continued in a long run. And there is no certain diet that is ideal for all. The optimal and healthy eating frequency highly depends on many factors. For example, gender, age, overall health status, and activities.
Another nutritionist, Marilia Chamon, said that going on a healthy dietary habit is by choosing various food for daily. And to meet a variety of food and nutrients, it would be better to eat 3 times to 4 times a day. By doing so, you can keep your blood sugar stable and prevent food craving. Moreover, having a meal routinely also ensures that you meet your daily intake and energy for daily activities.
You are also suggested to have snacks between meals. But instead of unhealthy snacks like chips or chocolate, you better consume healthy snacks. For example, fresh fruits, healthy juice, smoothies, vegetable salad, and so on.
Conclusion
Just like any kinds of diets, the one meal a day diet or intermittent fasting is not suitable for all people. It’s even not suggested for people with certain health conditions, such as ulcer and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Before going with a certain diet method, it’s better to see a doctor or nutritionist to find the most ideal diet for you, according to your health condition.