2 meals/day

[Jrvan]

I know the official JoS wisdom and stance is that fasting is bad, but I'm wondering if eating two meals a day instead of three meals is okay. Sadhguru said eating in the morning and in the evening is more sensible for a variety of reasons, and it makes a certain amount of sense to me as well especially since the caloric intake isn't changing much because you just eat bigger meals. I guess it depends on lifestyle maybe? If you're busy all day then maybe lunch isn't necessary.

I don't know enough about this to form a decisive opinion. Is it unhealthy in the long run, or is it fine to change it up like this? I'm really curious about the effects this will have on health.

Please and thank you.

 

[Epiphany]

I know the official JoS wisdom and stance is that fasting is bad, but I'm wondering if eating two meals a day instead of three meals is okay. Sadhguru said eating in the morning and in the evening is more sensible for a variety of reasons, and it makes a certain amount of sense to me as well especially since the caloric intake isn't changing much because you just eat bigger meals. I guess it depends on lifestyle maybe? If you're busy all day then maybe lunch isn't necessary.

I don't know enough about this to form a decisive opinion. Is it unhealthy in the long run, or is it fine to change it up like this? I'm really curious about the effects this will have on health.

Please and thank you.

Don't listen to people who try to impose dietary rules on you when they are not qualified to do so, and don't at least offer scientific insights or empirical evidence on why it should be done. It is not mandatory to follow a specific diet in Satanism, despite what some may portray.

Why do you want to do 2 meals a day? Why not try it and see how it works for you? Eating less frequently isn't going to kill you, especially if you're still getting your nutrition.

 

[Aquarius]

Wondering why you would listen to sadhguru.

 

[स त न म]

There's really a lot more to it than just 2 meals and a lot of things come into play. I, for example, have been on intermittent fasting and only eat 8 hours per day and fast for 16 hours. I also workout with weight training and some cardio and walk at least a couple miles a day. So I have to maintain my caloric intake to retain my muscle mass and strength and even gain lean muscle mass while at it. For this reason I end up having many "meals" within this 8 hour eating period. But I make sure to have my micronutrients in check as well and try to cover fruits + veggies in this eating period along with proteins and other essential macros.

So, in essence, just having 2 meals or 3 meals or something that doesn't tell the whole story.

Then there's the question of nutrient absorption. When one fasts, and if it's done for a period of time, and the caloric intake is not being accounted for, then there's some study that it actually slows down the metabolism. And when you do end up eating, the nutrient absorption also takes a hit. But if you follow a proper, timed schedule of your fast as with intermittent fasting, then there's no long term slowing down of metabolism, especially if you're getting the required nutrients during your eating period. So if you are someone thinking of cutting to 2 meals a day then you can't just eat 2 meals for 3 days then eat 3 a day and then back to 2. It's this kind of irregularity that confuses the metabolism.

Also, there's questions about gas. People can be gassy when not eating. Also, bile juices secreted while fasting can store up leading to stones in the gall bladder etc. when fasting is done over a continued period. Intermittent fasting addresses this issue because the body essentially forms a habit and knows when to expect food so it stops producing bile juices when it's not expecting food. Then again if you eat when the body is not used to eating, you can expect a slow metabolic response.

The timing of when you plan those 2 meals of yours is also of major importance. This also has to do with your bowel cycle, your sleep cycle, your workout time of your day (if you do any) and other matters.

So, unless there's a major reason, there's no real reason to switch to 2 meals a day. Simply because you'll have to account for a lot of things to do it right and in a way that it's not detrimental to your health. Also, covering all your daily nutritional requirements in 2 meals can be hard, if not impossible. I personally chose to start intermittent fasting because this covid shit got everything online and I've been sitting on my ass for a year and gained a little weight. I'm still healthy weight and not overweight but since I've started working out again might as well be absolutely ripped. But in general, there's no real reason to suddenly change your diet that much and just switch to 2 meals a day for no apparent reason.

 

[Centralforce666]

Due to lifestyle constraints, I've often found that I eat two meals on some days.

My energy levels haven't differed from eating three except the post eating slump only comes around twice.

Eating more in the morning is better for your body due to the energy being in the stomach and spleen from 7 am to 11 am.

 

[SSinHeartandSoul]

I know the official JoS wisdom and stance is that fasting is bad, but I'm wondering if eating two meals a day instead of three meals is okay. Sadhguru said eating in the morning and in the evening is more sensible for a variety of reasons, and it makes a certain amount of sense to me as well especially since the caloric intake isn't changing much because you just eat bigger meals. I guess it depends on lifestyle maybe? If you're busy all day then maybe lunch isn't necessary.

I don't know enough about this to form a decisive opinion. Is it unhealthy in the long run, or is it fine to change it up like this? I'm really curious about the effects this will have on health.

Please and thank you.

There is a lot of information regarding this subject that contradict each other, i would say that you should eat the way you feel comfortable. Where i live its normal to have 1 meal a day, and i'm comfortable doing that, i haven't seen anyone drop dead because of this. :lol:

In my opinion the most important thing is what you eat, not how many times, then again it varies from person to person.

 

[Jrvan]

There is a lot of information regarding this subject that contradict each other, i would say that you should eat the way you feel comfortable. Where i live its normal to have 1 meal a day, and i'm comfortable doing that, i haven't seen anyone drop dead because of this. :lol:

In my opinion the most important thing is what you eat, not how many times, then again it varies from person to person.

That's true about the content. I recently switched to eating breakfasts that aren't sweet/sugary, and the energy I have during the day now is a lot more. It makes so much more sense. Sugar makes people crash so it doesn't seem like the best idea for making it through the day if someone doesn't want to be tired and miserable. It's just that cheap sweet things are, well, cheap. But so are eggs.

If you don't mind me asking, how do you make the 1 meal/day work? Would it have to be a really big meal to cover all the calories and nutrients? It seems challenging in my mind, and almost challenging enough to consider consulting a nutritionist for.

 

[Jrvan]

Wondering why you would listen to sadhguru.

HPHC said he's legit IIRC. It's not that I absorb everything he says like a sponge without question. I take nuggets of wisdom wherever I find them. Sadhguru says some interesting things from the 5 or so videos I have watched so far, and I agree with some of it. Some of it I flat out reject. Someone else mentioned about intermittent fasting which apparently has some backing from the western scientific and medical communities, and Sadhguru said something about western science catching up with the eastern wisdom about it - or something like that.

I simply don't know enough about it, Aquarius. It's of interest to me so I asked about it here to try to gather a variety of opinions and advice. I want to do everything I can to improve and optimize my lifestyle and health. If this isn't something that is healthy then I will discard it, and if it is better for me as an individual then I will adopt it. Basically, I wanted to check with people here to know if it's safe. I received some wise answers from wise members that all seem to contend that it's not dangerous or life threatening even in the long term. I think I will at least try it to see how it affects me. 12-16 hour fasts aren't difficult for me at all. Hopefully I can work something optimal out for my individual diet/budget, and health through trial and error with this, and like I said - at least now I've confirmed thanks to other members that this is generally safe to try. As long as it doesn't make a huge difference to spiritual advancement then I'm keen to try it out.

 

[Jrvan]

Due to lifestyle constraints, I've often found that I eat two meals on some days.

My energy levels haven't differed from eating three except the post eating slump only comes around twice.

Eating more in the morning is better for your body due to the energy being in the stomach and spleen from 7 am to 11 am.

Oh I see. So the biggest health benefit, as far as modifying the daily food routine, will come from eating a bigger meal in the morning? I considered doing it that way too by making the two big meals at morning and evening, and then eating something small like a salad for lunch instead of something more substantial at that time. I wonder if that would work better. It might also be easier to manage.

 

[Jrvan]

There's really a lot more to it than just 2 meals and a lot of things come into play. I, for example, have been on intermittent fasting and only eat 8 hours per day and fast for 16 hours. I also workout with weight training and some cardio and walk at least a couple miles a day. So I have to maintain my caloric intake to retain my muscle mass and strength and even gain lean muscle mass while at it. For this reason I end up having many "meals" within this 8 hour eating period. But I make sure to have my micronutrients in check as well and try to cover fruits + veggies in this eating period along with proteins and other essential macros.

So, in essence, just having 2 meals or 3 meals or something that doesn't tell the whole story.

Then there's the question of nutrient absorption. When one fasts, and if it's done for a period of time, and the caloric intake is not being accounted for, then there's some study that it actually slows down the metabolism. And when you do end up eating, the nutrient absorption also takes a hit. But if you follow a proper, timed schedule of your fast as with intermittent fasting, then there's no long term slowing down of metabolism, especially if you're getting the required nutrients during your eating period. So if you are someone thinking of cutting to 2 meals a day then you can't just eat 2 meals for 3 days then eat 3 a day and then back to 2. It's this kind of irregularity that confuses the metabolism.

Also, there's questions about gas. People can be gassy when not eating. Also, bile juices secreted while fasting can store up leading to stones in the gall bladder etc. when fasting is done over a continued period. Intermittent fasting addresses this issue because the body essentially forms a habit and knows when to expect food so it stops producing bile juices when it's not expecting food. Then again if you eat when the body is not used to eating, you can expect a slow metabolic response.

The timing of when you plan those 2 meals of yours is also of major importance. This also has to do with your bowel cycle, your sleep cycle, your workout time of your day (if you do any) and other matters.

So, unless there's a major reason, there's no real reason to switch to 2 meals a day. Simply because you'll have to account for a lot of things to do it right and in a way that it's not detrimental to your health. Also, covering all your daily nutritional requirements in 2 meals can be hard, if not impossible. I personally chose to start intermittent fasting because this covid shit got everything online and I've been sitting on my ass for a year and gained a little weight. I'm still healthy weight and not overweight but since I've started working out again might as well be absolutely ripped. But in general, there's no real reason to suddenly change your diet that much and just switch to 2 meals a day for no apparent reason.

All very good considerations. Thank you for this reply, it's very helpful. So if the 2 meal/day plan (or intermittent fasting even like you mentioned) can't easily be committed to, as well as effectively planned for, then it will be only detrimental (or more detrimental than any potential derived benefit)?

 

[SSinHeartandSoul]

That's true about the content. I recently switched to eating breakfasts that aren't sweet/sugary, and the energy I have during the day now is a lot more. It makes so much more sense. Sugar makes people crash so it doesn't seem like the best idea for making it through the day if someone doesn't want to be tired and miserable. It's just that cheap sweet things are, well, cheap. But so are eggs.

If you don't mind me asking, how do you make the 1 meal/day work? Would it have to be a really big meal to cover all the calories and nutrients? It seems challenging in my mind, and almost challenging enough to consider consulting a nutritionist for.

1 meal a day sounds a bit misleading, because you do eat throughout the day, just not the same kind of food or the same portions as you do as most people do in most other countries.

Usually people eat 1 or 2 sandwiches in the morning (some do not eat in the morning), during the day again most eat something small. And for dinner you usually have a good portion of food, over here we eat dinner between 5 pm and 7 pm. There are people that eat way more and more often, there are also people that eat even less. It depends on the person.

I can share my routine, In the morning i often do eat some oats or some bread with egg, so you could call it a meal, during the day i eat whatever i fancy, be it an apple or some sweets. i eat my dinner at around 5:30 pm, and that is mostly it, tough sometimes i do snack or eat a little something after dinner.

Sugar makes people crash so it doesn't seem like the best idea for making it through the day

It is not specifically the sugar that makes one crash, it is the carbs that does this. When you eat carbs your body releases insulin, insulin will drop the sugar level in your blood, this will make you hungry and tired. So if you want to avoid this, make sure that you do not eat to many carbs! Eating to many carbs can also get you an fatty liver, If one has a fatty liver, it will be harder for your body to extract the vitamins and minerals etc. from food, this among many other problems (The majority of people today have a fatty liver). So make sure to have a balanced diet, and if you feel like you have a fatty liver, look up how to cleanse your liver.

Most importantly tough eat foods that you like to eat, if you do not like foods that are low in carbs, experiment and slowly change your diet. Making to sudden changes in your diet can be harmful is some cases, and it is a big mood killer.

 

[स त न म]

Yes exactly, especially when there are sudden and drastic changes in diet. The body has to retime it's so called "clock." The body receives cues throughout the day and has it's own clock set according to those cues. For example, you start feeling sleepy at a certain time because the body is used to falling asleep at that time, you wake up at a certain time and a lot of times no matter how late you slept you'll probably wake up at the same time you're used to waking up. This is because the body is used to waking up then. The body sets this clock based on various cues. And food is one of the biggest cues. It can affect your sleep routine, your bowel movement routine, your exercise routine etc.

So only if you can effectively follow a new change in diet, and are confident that you can reschedule your body clock based on the diet changes, and also can make sure that you'll get all the required macro and micro nutrients during your 2 meals should you even consider the change.

Also take into account the other things I mentioned in my post above. You should also be aware of your own requirements. For example if you have a desk job and spend your day sitting, as opposed to having an active day where you move around a lot or have a field job then your requirements are different. Like you can't be an athlete and be thinking of getting all the required nutrients in 2 meals. It just won't work for you.

 

[Jrvan]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I received a larger amount of useful information than I even expected. I'll take the warnings and advice seriously, and I'll try to make an optimal plan that works for me with my current situation. I think I will avoid drastic alterations for now, and instead I will focus on replacing the actual food items for other foods.

I'm currently thinking of something like this for a meal plan: miso soup along with eggs, fish, avocado and rice for breakfast, salad with a bit of olive oil and a handful of nuts for lunch, and spicy seasoned meat with vegetables and spicy lentil soup for dinner. And finally some Greek yogurt with added seeds and fruit for dessert. I think this should work alright with Kapha Dosha... it will keep me away from the sweets. Hopefully I can afford all of that regularly though :?

 

[Aquarius]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I received a larger amount of useful information than I even expected. I'll take the warnings and advice seriously, and I'll try to make an optimal plan that works for me with my current situation. I think I will avoid drastic alterations for now, and instead I will focus on replacing the actual food items for other foods.

I'm currently thinking of something like this for a meal plan: miso soup along with eggs, fish, avocado and rice for breakfast, salad with a bit of olive oil and a handful of nuts for lunch, and spicy seasoned meat with vegetables and spicy lentil soup for dinner. And finally some Greek yogurt with added seeds and fruit for dessert. I think this should work alright with Kapha Dosha... it will keep me away from the sweets. Hopefully I can afford all of that regularly though :?

Same thing everyday? you won't last more than a few months. That would probably we days for me though, I can't stand eating the same thing everyday.

 

[Jrvan]

...

Same thing everyday? you won't last more than a few months. That would probably we days for me though, I can't stand eating the same thing everyday.

It's called the poor man's diet. Also, I would eat Jack's Indian food every day for the rest of my life, but he doesn't like to cook

 

[Aquarius]

...

Same thing everyday? you won't last more than a few months. That would probably we days for me though, I can't stand eating the same thing everyday.

It's called the poor man's diet. Also, I would eat Jack's Indian food every day for the rest of my life, but he doesn't like to cook

Fortunately I'm not poor, lol.

 

[Jrvan]

Same thing everyday? you won't last more than a few months. That would probably we days for me though, I can't stand eating the same thing everyday.

It's called the poor man's diet. Also, I would eat Jack's Indian food every day for the rest of my life, but he doesn't like to cook

Fortunately I'm not poor, lol.

I'm happy for you.

 

[Epiphany]

I've been doing 2 meals a day for a little while, at 10 and 5. It's more convenient and easier to plan and cook, and helps with my tendency to graze and overeat. Less tiresome as a result, and the digestive system seems happier. Worth exploring if you're a kapha like me. Have to be more careful about meeting your macros if you exercise, as I found that I didn't quite get enough protein with the way I usually dress my plate, but adjusting the composition of the servings can help that, or exploring protein rich snacks like yogurt.

Maybe it's fortunate that I don't particularly care for sweets. I keep fruit around for breakfast or a snack if I feel the need, something with bite like gala or pink lady apples. Other fruits don't hit the spot for me, it's easy to overdo them as snacks, especially berries. I rarely buy junk food & ice cream, and never buy candy except dark chocolate(sparsely).
.
I don't like dogmatic dietary rules, either. I eat what works for me, and that's the magic of making a diet stick. I also want to keep cooking and shopping at a minimum. Your body will tell you what it likes and doesn't like, as well as what it needs. As long as it's wholesome, adequate and balanced, there should be no issues. You will know if an eating habit is right for you by the way you feel and the messages your body gives.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I received a larger amount of useful information than I even expected. I'll take the warnings and advice seriously, and I'll try to make an optimal plan that works for me with my current situation. I think I will avoid drastic alterations for now, and instead I will focus on replacing the actual food items for other foods.

I'm currently thinking of something like this for a meal plan: miso soup along with eggs, fish, avocado and rice for breakfast, salad with a bit of olive oil and a handful of nuts for lunch, and spicy seasoned meat with vegetables and spicy lentil soup for dinner. And finally some Greek yogurt with added seeds and fruit for dessert. I think this should work alright with Kapha Dosha... it will keep me away from the sweets. Hopefully I can afford all of that regularly though :?

 

[sublimesatanist]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it. I received a larger amount of useful information than I even expected. I'll take the warnings and advice seriously, and I'll try to make an optimal plan that works for me with my current situation. I think I will avoid drastic alterations for now, and instead I will focus on replacing the actual food items for other foods.

I'm currently thinking of something like this for a meal plan: miso soup along with eggs, fish, avocado and rice for breakfast, salad with a bit of olive oil and a handful of nuts for lunch, and spicy seasoned meat with vegetables and spicy lentil soup for dinner. And finally some Greek yogurt with added seeds and fruit for dessert. I think this should work alright with Kapha Dosha... it will keep me away from the sweets. Hopefully I can afford all of that regularly though :?

Those are very healthy foods and great recipe ideas.
I'll share a recipe for breakfast that I very much enjoy if you prefer a sweet breakfast (like I do) but don't like crashing. The main thing here is to limit simple carbohydrates and eat more complex carbs, which are absorbed more slowly and give you long-term energy throughout the day.

This could also add up. I'd recommend buying bulk here but still getting organic as much as your able to. I used to bring a 1-cup measuring cup to the store to place outside the plastic bag I'm using, just to make sure I'm not overdoing it.

Muesli Recipe:

- Rolled Oats (4 cups)
- Hemp Seeds (1 cup)
- Pumpkin Seeds (1/2 cup)
- Almonds (1/2 cup)
- Goji Berries (1 cup)
- Dark Chocolate Chips (1 cup)

Directions:
1.) Measure ingredients into resealable bag or container.
2.) Shake contents until mixed well. (Turn as doing so)

Serving:
This recipe makes 6 servings (8 cups total ingredients ÷ 6 = 1.33 cups)

I like to eat this with 1 cup of whole milk each morning.

You can make variations of Muesli. Generally I find 50% oats/grains, 25% nuts/seeds and 25% dried fruit/chocolate to be best.


Prices:

Generally (between all organic milk and dry ingredients) it costs me about $30.00 Canadian ($23.35 USD, € 21.35, £ 17.90)

Here's a breakdown of what these ingredients cost in CAD:

- Rolled Oats ($2.00)
- Chocolate Chips ($5.00)
- Goji Berries ($6.00)
- Almonds ($2.50)
- Pumpkin Seeds ($0.80)
- Hemp Seeds ($6.25)
- Whole Milk, 2L ($7.00)

Total: $29.55

As you can see, hemp seeds, dark chocolate and goji berries cost a lot. I've easily gone up to a $40 to $50 total in the past. It's a little crazy how healthy eating is so expensive but it's worth it.

Generally though, muesli is a cheap option (above, I spend about $5.00 per day for breakfast).

For lunches I like making a frittata with spinach salad, or a hummus wrap with Greek salad.

For dinner/supper, I make things like salmon with salad and sweet potato wedges, vegetarian pizza, Indian food (palak paneer and baingain bharta with naan and rice), clam chowder soup and lentil soup.

The thing with cooking is it takes practice. The first time I made pizza for example it was a bit of a mess. After a while it becomes almost second nature.

*Note - you'll notice I don't like eating much meat. I've been a long time pescetarian not because of health reasons but because of personal ethical reasons. Something about cows/pigs/chickens remind me of pets. I could never actually kill one of these animals for food. I have gone fishing though so it's kind of a weird paradox.