What Happens to Your Body When You Skip Meals

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Let those who never looked at the clock and couldn’t remember the last time they ate something throw the first stone. Or who thought of all the things they had to do that day and concluded: there won’t be time for lunch. No matter the reason, sometimes skipping meals becomes part of our routine. But, experts are quite emphatic about the effects that a lack of food in the body can have on your body and mind. As a general rule, they say you should eat every three hours. And what happens if you don’t consume anything so often?

1. Metabolism will slow down
Although the time needed between meals varies from body to body, there are several reasons to eat regularly. Eating small meals throughout the day is what keeps your metabolism revved up, prevents energy dips and keeps you alert and focused, as well as preventing overeating at main meals.

2. Your mind can lose productivity
The main fuel for the brain is glucose, which you usually get from eating foods high in carbohydrates. Complex foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, are the most nutritious sources of glucose because they take longer to digest than refined grains (as well as being important sources of nutrients). Without frequent carb intake, your blood sugar can drop too low, making you feel sluggish, irritable, and also hampering your attention span.

3. Your body and mind will feel the effects…
You’ll feel unable to perform simple tasks like answering emails, but you’ll be able to focus all your attention on food. When you stop eating for a while, the desire to ingest something takes over your body and mind. If you don’t satisfy your body’s need, you may experience shakiness or sweating in response.

See also: What Happens When You Swap Refined Pasta For Whole Grain Pasta

4. It’s going to be hard to make healthy choices at your next meal
When people are really hungry, they tend to go straight for carbs and sweets because they will raise their blood sugar. Without nutrients like protein to balance the rise in glucose, eating can cause your glucose spike to rise too high and then crash – which isn’t ideal for the body. Also, when hunger is very intense, it becomes more difficult to be rational and make healthy choices, the most common thing is for people to eat the first food that appears.