Do you follow diet fads as they come and go? Is it enough to follow diet charts if you want to embrace a healthy lifestyle? Do you want to know the science behind eating right at all times? The bad news is that an ever-increasing number of people are dying due to cardiovascular diseases like diabetes and hypertension worldwide. The good news is that you have the power to make the correct dietary choices by learning what to eat and when to eat it. 

What to Eat When by Michael Crupain, Michael Roizen, and Ted Spiker uncovers how what you eat and when you eat affects your energy, the way you age, your sex life and overall well-being. Certified physician Micheal Cruapin, famous internist and anaesthesiologist Dr Micheal Roizen and ex-editor of Men's Health Magazine Professor Ted Spiker further discuss the phenomena of emotional eating in the ultimate book. 

Let us start with the basic micronutrients that we require in our food. 

Eating too much may or may not make you fat! To understand how the body operates in terms of intake of food and storage of fats, you need to understand how blood sugar works. 

For instance, what happens when you consume large amounts of simple carbohydrates? After you consume higher amounts of simple carbohydrates, the glucose levels in the body increase immediately. When the glucose levels are too high to be burnt as fuel, the pancreas secretes a substance called insulin. Insulin regulates glucose levels in the blood by directing muscles to absorb it - your body needs the energy after all! 

Now, due to the high levels of glucose in the body, insulin also directs the body to not use fat cells as a source of fuel - as your body already has all the energy it needs. Hence, the accumulation of fat in the body! Any excess glucose is absorbed by fat cells and stored as fat. A perfect double whammy!

The problem is exacerbated if you consume large amounts of simple carbohydrates frequently. The body may eventually develop resistance to insulin. Consequently, insulin won't be able to get glucose out of your bloodstream. This results in high blood sugar levels, increasing the risk of diseases like fatty liver and diabetes. 

Just understanding the blood sugar level concept will open your eyes to the potential damage of eating simple carbohydrate diets, especially the intake of heavy meals at odd hours. 

Are you aware that your body’s insulin resistance increases as the day progresses? So, a carbohydrate-rich diet at 9 PM means you’ll surely end up with a very high sugar level! Not only that, but most of this glucose will end up being stored as fat and the body won’t have much use of it at night. So, perhaps, if you are after a heavy meal, 9 AM is a better choice. No need to avoid what you love eating! 

You see, this will not only help you avoid a whole host of diseases but also assist individuals looking to lose weight. Choosing a balanced meal at an appropriate time is essential. Eating eggs and salad at breakfast is a much better choice than ordering a late-night burger online! 

Next, let us take a look at the body’s biological clock and how it helps you all the time!

The invention of electricity is a fairly recent development if we consider the length of the evolutionary history of human beings. Before this priceless invention, most humans ate just before sunset and rarely at night. It automatically became the natural rhythm of the human body! This natural rhythm of the body is called the circadian or 24-hour cycle rhythm of our body. It can be thought of as our body’s biological clock, governing everything from fertility to sleep.

For instance, you feel drowsy at night due to two factors - your internal biological clock causes a drop in your body temperature and an increase in melatonin hormone (released in response to darkness). Your clock also releases adrenaline 2 hours before your regular wake-up time to ensure you’re fully alert and up and away when you get up from your bed.

Similarly, the internal clock stimulates hunger around the same time daily. But, the thing to understand here is that humans have the potential to resist the internal clock. For instance, if you work night shifts regularly, you have already been resisting signals (pushing you to sleep) from your internal clock for a long time! 

But it’ll all eventually catch up with you! The effects of this resistance on the body are long-term.

The US Center for Disease Control conducted studies on people who worked night shifts. People who worked at night faced sleep issues and might have gained more weight compared to those with morning jobs. As we mentioned earlier, eating at odd times leads to weight gain.

So, whether we like it or not, our bodies are primed to eat and sleep at a set time. Hence, sticking to your body clock is essential. Scientifically, your morning meal needs to be heavier than the evening one! And sadly, a high-carbohydrate snack at night is a very bad idea!

Let’s look at some other takeaways we can draw from this.

Most of us turn to food when times get tough! Comfort food is something we might go for in case we are stressed or exhausted. But, it is important to turn to good food during bad times and not go for an instant burger!

The point is that the body craves an energy boost when we are physically exhausted or feeling low - or angry and hungry at the same time! We tend to make bad choices in these situations. The dreadful combination often results in the consumption of unhealthy food like a bowl of ice cream.

But eating a high carbohydrate diet will defeat the purpose and make you even more exhausted. Next time, try to eat something like a protein-rich food item or fibre and notice the difference. These will undergo slow energy release and keep you whizzing for longer. For example, avocado toast or roasted chickpeas are a great choice (healthy fat content and necessary fibre). They keep both blood sugar levels and hunger pangs in control. 

Well, it’s all good when it comes to sticking to a diet routine in normal life. But what about the choices I make when I travel, you may ask? It is tempting to grab a quick takeaway pizza and an energy drink when you hit the road. How about buying a healthier alternative like kale chips, yoghurt or almonds? The same applies when you eat out or grab something from the convenience store because you didn’t have time to prepare lunch.

Today, a lot of people are opting for healthier choices. Supermarkets are filled with all kinds of healthier snacks. Just make a conscious choice to not abruptly alter your dietary routine. We all know how easily a habit is broken and how tough it is to form a new habit! There’s nothing wrong in tasting and enjoying a regional delicacy while you travel, but do not let stress, exhaustion or a vacation mode completely alter your lifestyle choices. 

We love food and the joy it brings! And there’s nothing wrong with indulging in food at times. But take time to evaluate the long-term impact of unhealthy food choices, if you want to live a long and productive life.

Research by British Charity Cancer Research UK explicitly shows that healthy lifestyle choices can prevent cancer in 4 out of 10 patients. Habits like intake of a balanced diet, quitting alcohol and smoking and maintaining weight are key factors mentioned in the report. 

It’s also been suggested that people who are suffering from cancer also benefit from a balanced diet and exercise routine. A 2007 research on breast cancer patients came with a breakthrough finding - chances of death were reduced by 50% in patients who consumed 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily and exercised for half an hour 6 times a week. Not a high price to pay to save your life!

Researchers believe that a combination of raw fruits and vegetables, especially berries, cabbage, arugula, broccoli, nuts, and walnuts is considered to be effective for cancer patients. Do you know that red and processed meat is a big no-no and may contain carcinogens? For meat lovers, a diet which includes white meat and fish is a better alternative and a healthier lifestyle choice. 

Just like cancer, heart diseases are on the rise everywhere in the world! Did you know that the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart issues and strokes increases when an individual consumes dietary fat? Yes, that’s because these fats block arteries, causing heart attacks. According to research, saturated fatty acids found in butter, dairy fat and red meat may increase the risk of heart-related diseases. So, what’s the alternative here? Well, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that it is healthier to consume plant-based fat like avocados or oily fish like salmon and that flaxseed may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by almost one-third.  

We all love our favourite dishes! But, it's simply not worth it to keep on following unhealthy diet habits. A long and healthy life should be the only joyous long-term goal of a man!

The key message behind the book What to Eat When is simple - understand what to eat and when to eat it - both are equally important. Understand that, be consistent and you are set for a healthy and joyous life! 

A balanced diet is about taking the right amount of nutrients at the right time, preferably breakfast and lunch (up to 70-80% of your daily dietary intake)! The right type of whole food items, unsaturated fats and proteins will optimise your health and keep your mind and body in harmony and peace. The book is a practical guide and shares tips on the science of food, dietary behaviour and proper timing of meals.

Use it to move towards a joyously healthy long life!