Learn about Chrono diet, rules, restriction period, menu, breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner and implementation in pregnancy.
WHAT IS CHRONO DIET?
Want to lose excess weight, but not to starve? To eat all food and still lose weight? If you don’t believe that such a diet exists, you are wrong! Have you heard of the Chrono diet?
What’s Chrono nutrition? Chrono nutrition or diet – is based on a rule that certain types of foods should be consumed in a designated time. Chrono diet is based on food consumption according to the daily rhythm of our physical body. What does it mean? This means that during day alternate periods when secrete certain hormones and enzymes to digest food, so consequently we act in terms of nutrition. Meaning, if in the morning body secretes insulin, it is necessary to avoid the intake of sugar in the morning because that would only burden the pancreas. You need to consume a certain type of food when body secretes enzymes that will be able to digest.
The bottom line is – you can eat everything, but at a certain time and with the proper combination of foods. Each food has its own part of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snacks. This prevents the accumulation of body fat and overweight.
If we want to represent metaphorically how Chrono nutrition should be implemented, it would look like this:
“Eat Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.”
The aim of Chrono nutrition is to establish normal metabolism, to learn that not every food belongs to every part of the day, and of course to lose excess weight and change eating habits.
Chrono diet was created in France in 1986, by the French doctor Alain Delabos. He created it using a very precise research of physiological and biochemical processes in the human body, so there is no fear that you could endanger your health.
CHRONO DIET – RULES
To accurately understand the Chrono nutrition, in this article we will present the basic rules:
- The most foods are allowed during this diet and the amount of food intake is also not essential (no starvation or waiver).
- A particular type of food (proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals) is consumed at a designated time of the day.
- You need to reduce intake of foods with a high glycemic index (food that quickly increases blood sugar) and simple sugars.
- Time between meals should be between 4-6 hours (the ideal distance between the servings is 5 hours).
- Diet is primarily based on the secretion of the hormone cortisol and insulin and enzymes for digestion (which are secreted at different times of the day).
- There are 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and snack.
- During the diet, food is prohibited between meals, even a nibble.
- Breakfast has to be the most abundant.
- Sugar is forbidden to consume for breakfast (fruit, honey or anything sweet is not allowed for breakfast).
- It is forbidden to consume: cow’s milk, yogurt, vegetable fats and cheese, margarine, baked pastry
- Sweet, including fruit is eaten in the afternoon – as a snack.
- There is a period of restriction (usually apply to people who want to lose a larger number of pounds) which lasts at least one month.
- Avoid cooking starchy vegetables, because cooking increases the glycemic index of these foods (fresh carrots is healthier than cooked).
- During the diet you cannot consume carbonated drinks.
- Combining protein and carbohydrates is allowed only for breakfast (that is, for lunch or dinner, you should not combine these).
- During the diet, you cannot eat bread, pasta, starchy vegetables and rice after 3 p.m.
- The only alcohol beverage you can drink is red wine.
- It is desirable to introduce as much liquid in the organism (water and non-sweetened herbal teas).
- Chrono diet is not classic diet, it should become a long-term way of nutrition for you.
CHRONO DIET – PERIOD OF RESTRICTION
This diet was first conceived as a form of nutrition, not a classic diet. However, many people have considerable overweight, so Dr. Gifing introduced a special restrictive period within the Chrono nutrition.
As we have said, you can eat sweets and fruits for a snack. The restriction means that the snack is completely out of the daily menu, even fruit. It is necessary to generally reduce the intake of food during this period, especially sugar. Occasionally you should eject starchy vegetables and carbohydrates for lunch. Why throw these foods out? Because they are full of sugar.
Period of restriction is a period in which you clean the and then actually lose excess weight. Spacing between meals during this time should be 5 hours.
For breakfast, you can eat pastry of all kinds of flour, except wheat and corn. You can use: spelt wheat, buckwheat, oat, barley, rye and other flour. Not allowed mixing of dairy products and eggs, as well as several different proteins. For lunch, do not eat starchy vegetables and legumes (we have listed the reasons why); while dinner should be a “lighter” – a type of protein and green or white vegetables.
Period of restriction lasts a minimum of 28 days (one month). But of course you can end the restriction before this deadline if you already have lost the desired amount of weight.
If someone has a really big overweight, restriction may take over a year!
CHRONO DIET – MENU
According to the rules we’ve provided, you can yourself create a daily menu. You have really many opportunities, because diet allows to eat most of the food. Just combine them properly according to the time of day and obey the rules!
Example of menu:
Breakfast – ham or chicken breast, butter, bread made from whole-wheat flour (preferably homemade) and sour milk. Before breakfast you can drink non-sweetened herbal tea or warm lemonade.
Lunch – a stew of chicken and zucchini.
Snack – some fruit, nuts or almonds, or dark chocolate.
Dinner – chicken breast with lettuce.
BREAKFAST IN CHRONO DIET
Breakfast is actually the most important and should be the most abundant meal of the day.
If you eat fruit for breakfast and think it is healthy – you will find out that actually it is not so! Sweets and fruits (even honey) are forbidden to eat for breakfast. Sugar in the morning is prohibited because of secretion of insulin, and extra sugar intake would only burden the pancreas.
Breakfast should be plentiful and provide you with energy for the day ahead. You do not have to count calories and not worry, because your body will regulate all throughout the day.
For breakfast you can eat protein, carbs, and fats. Try to avoid wheat and corn. You have such a big selection of healthy types of flour, and is certainly better to consume them.
You can eat eggs, cheese, ham, sour milk, butter, bread, pies, and some meat products.
So, for breakfast, you are free to relax and nourish your body – but not sweet in the morning!
LUNCH IN CHRONO DIET
For lunch, you should eat animal protein (or some other type of proteins) or vegetable (steamed or in the form of salad). We have already said that cooking vegetables increases their glycemic index.
Unlike breakfast, lunch should not be plentiful, it is only necessary that you chill hunger until the next meal. It is desirable not to mix the protein and carbohydrates. Try to eat less fat for lunch.
You can eat: pork, beef, and lamb (without bread). If you do not want such a powerful protein for lunch, you can eat vegetables.
Conclusion: it is not allowed to mix protein and carbohydrates for lunch!
SNACK IN CHRONO DIET
During the diet, snack is absolutely permitted! You eject it only during the period of restrictions. This is actually your 5 minutes of pleasure, because for snack you can eat sweet. Snacks should be between lunch and dinner (between 4-6 p.m.). It serves to saturate you briefly, in order not to overeat for dinner, which must be light.
Snack can be fruit, dried fruit, dark chocolate (preferably with at least 70% cocoa), honey, olive, peanut butter, nuts, figs, etc.
DINNER IN CHRONO DIET
Eat dinner like a pauper – that is, make sure your dinner is light for the organism. It is desirable to have dinner at least 2 hours before going to bed, in order to leave time for your body to digest food. Dinner includes an easy protein intake and green or white vegetables. You can skip dinner, it’s not mandatory.
For dinner should eat fish, lean meats (e.g., chicken breast) or green vegetables. In the evening, do not eat pasta, starch, sugar and fat.
Also, avoid carbs for dinner.
CHRONO DIET AND PREGNANCY
Chrono diet can absolutely carry the pregnancy. As there is no fasting and sacrifice of most foods, you have three balanced meals plus snack – no fears that this type of diet could harm you or the fetus.
Please note, in case of Chrono diet you can eat almost everything – only in a certain part of the day. Your body does not remain deprived of essential nutrients. With this type of diet they are more accurately and efficiently adopt, and that’s the point of this diet.
Of course, if you are pregnant women we advise to consult your doctor about everything, including the implementation of the Chrono nutrition during pregnancy. It is necessary to take care of health, especially in this period; so according to your medical condition doctor will assess if you need to increase the intake of food during this diet; or if you have to reduce some of the foods.
RESULTS OF CHRONO DIET
According to your number of pounds and success in compliance with all rules regarding the diet – the results will be different. People who have a significant overweight should adhere to this way of eating as long as possible, with the obligatory periods of restrictions. Period of restrictions can sometimes take over a year, but it is essential if you want to lose excess weight in healthy and safe way.
People who have a few pounds extra may be in restriction for a period of one month, and maybe even a shortly – to achieve the desired results.
It is very important that people realize that this diet is not a classic diet, but to experience it as a diet – a healthy and balanced diet which we all aspire. Pounds will quickly restore if you suddenly stop with this diet and continue to overeat or just eat junk food.
With this nutritional regime you achieve not only losing weight, but also putting your metabolism to normal state. Follow the physiological needs of your body through diet and acquire healthy eating habits – and that is priceless.
If you comply exactly with all the rules of diet – certainly the results will follow.
CHRONO DIET – EXPERIENCES
Surely you’ve heard by now of many positive experiences of people who had to comply with Chrono diet. This diet becomes more popular and slowly awakens awareness of the importance of a healthy and safe weight loss.
Thanks to this diet, a large number of people managed to understand the functioning of the human body and its need for a certain type of food at a certain time. In addition to losing excess weight and stabilize metabolism, completely changes the view of the importance of a healthy diet.
This diet does not require to count calories, to fast, to waive some foods – you just have to know your body and to give it adequate food in adequate time.
It is very important to check your general health before embarking on any diet, in order to avoid possible adverse health problems.