Chronic nutrition - rules, restrictions, tips and recipes

"Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dine like a pauper." - is a saying that stands behind the essence of chrono nutrition. 

This is perhaps the most adequate diet because the metabolism tolerates calories best in the morning, while the calories you take in in the evening turn into extra pounds. 

Chrono diet is not a classic diet, but involves synchronizing your diet with your biological clock. In the chrono diet, there is no precise amount of food that you should eat. The only thing that is characteristic is that the meals are consumed at certain time intervals and with a certain combination of foods. So, you will lose weight and you will continue to eat your favorite foods. 

However, you must follow certain rules that will help you lose weight. Because of its effectiveness, the chrono diet quickly became popular in the world, with countless positive results behind it.

What makes it especially popular is that the chrono diet is a very effective way of eating for weight loss and cleansing the body, and besides that you will never be hungry. In the rest of the text, find out everything you need to know about chrono nutrition in order to be thinner, healthier and therefore more satisfied with yourself. 

How did chrono nutrition come about?

There are 3 pillars of any successful diet and healthy diet – What are you eating? (quality), How much do you eat? (quantity) and when do you eat (time). Although the first two items have always received attention, the third is often lost sight of. 

Your body follows many rhythms and cycles like sleep-wake cycles, hormonal rhythms, neurotransmitter rhythms and so on. As we mentioned in the introduction, chrono nutrition relies on eating according to the biological clock. 

Chrono nutrition originated in France in the 1980s, and has its roots in Ayurveda and ancient Chinese medicine.

Ayurveda believes that mealtime is an important tool for health. The idea is that our bodies function in sync with rhythmic cycles throughout the day, and these cycles are responsible for why our bodies tell us to eat, sleep, and exercise at roughly the same times each day.

Chinese medicine says that every organ in our body has its own rhythm (that's why practitioners of Chinese medicine recommend that certain therapies be done at certain times of the day).

Both healing systems say the same thing: if we follow the rhythm of our body and eat accordingly, our health will inevitably improve.

Following a chronic diet for a long period of time can have many benefits for your body, such as:

• Reduced cellulite and healthier skin 
• Better digestion and absorption of nutrients
• Maximum benefit from absorbed nutrients
• Weight management
• Fat loss
• Cholesterol regulation
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases
• Reducing the risk of diabetes
• Strengthened immune system
• Balanced hormones

Chronological dietary restrictions

Chrono nutrition is not seen in the world as a diet, but as attitude towards food or lifestyle, similar to vegetarianism. 

Therefore, it is a mistake to think that the chrono diet is only for you if you want to lose weight. There are small differences between chrono diet for weight loss and body cleansing, and one of them is restriction. 

What is restriction in chrono diet?

When it comes to chronic nutrition, restriction is the period in which cleanse your body of toxins, and only then do you lose extra pounds. 

First of all, we will emphasize that many experts do not agree about the restriction and it was not the original idea of the French doctor Alain Delabos, who developed the modern chrono diet. The restriction in the chrono diet was created so that people who want to lose weight would have faster results. 

We mentioned that chronic nutrition has no restrictions on food. The only exception is if you want to respect the restrictive period, which usually lasts 28 days, because it takes so long for your body to cleanse itself of toxins. 

Basic rules of restriction in chronic diet:

• Before breakfast, you can drink herbal tea or warm lemonade, but not coffee. It is recommended to drink a maximum of two cups of coffee during the day, one after breakfast and the other after lunch.
• Alcohol is not allowed, except for red wine up to 4 glasses per week.
• Milk is completely removed from consumption, and dairy products are allowed only for breakfast up to 3 times a week.
• No snack.
• Fruit is not allowed, nor are starchy vegetables (beets, beans, potatoes, peas, rice, carrots). 
• Meals are consumed 5 to 5.5 hours apart. The schedule is the most important and the period between meals should not be shorter than 4 or longer than 6 hours.
• All sugars are removed.
• White flour is not used, but only corn, buckwheat, oat, barley and rye flour
• It is allowed to eat whole grains, but not store-bought flakes.
• Meat products are allowed for breakfast, and meat is allowed for every meal (it is not recommended to mix 2 types of meat in one meal). 
• Whole eggs are allowed for breakfast, and only egg whites for other meals. 

Restriction in the chrono diet can take less or longer depending on how much weight you want to lose. Many advocates of the chronic diet were not even in the restriction phase, but they lost weight again, only more slowly. 

Once you're done with the restriction phase, there's a no-restriction period and it's actually a healthy diet that we should stick to for life. Very little is forbidden in the chrono diet, so there are countless options for combining foods.

Tip: before starting the restriction in the chronic diet, visit a nutritionist, who, based on the blood results, will determine which food is problematic for you and remove it from the diet while the restriction period lasts. 

Chronological nutrition breakfast lunch dinner

Many studies have shown that eating the right foods at the right time ensures that you get the most nutrients from them. Studies also indicate that your breakfast should be full of energy and rich in nutrients, while dinner should contain the fewest calories. 

The fact is: "Heavy" evening meals lead to weight gain. 

Similarly, skipping breakfast can cause changes in the genes that regulate the body's biological clock, ultimately leading to increase in blood sugar after the next meal.

If you decide that the chrono diet is for you, the golden rule is to provide only 3 meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

The gap between breakfast and lunch, as well as lunch and dinner, should be 4 to 5 hours. 

However, between dinner and breakfast the next day, the gap should be at least 12 hours for efficient breakdown of stored fats.

Chrono breakfast

Of all meals, the Chrono Diet advocates breakfast as the most important. 

If you are not in a period of restriction, you do not have to worry too much about the combination of foods for chronic breakfast. 

You can combine eggs and dairy products. This combination is not normally recommended for digestion, but is generally an individual matter. 

For breakfast time you should eat quality bread, and this is something you should practice every day, not related to a chronic diet. 

Remember that a diet primarily good for health, and only then for excess weight and aesthetic appearance. 

You can start your day with a glass of lemonade. Lemonade before meals is excellent because it "melts" fat deposits, and you should have breakfast half an hour after it. 

We have already emphasized that bread is best eaten from rye, buckwheat, barley and oats. However, you can also make pancakes, waffles, cakes and other diakonies from the same ingredients. 

After you have secured good quality bread for the morning meal, you can introduce dairy products into your breakfast, but be careful not to mix two different dairy products. 

Serve eggs, whether fried or boiled, with the meal, but then do not consume dairy products. It is important not to mix two different types of protein, but only eat one type of protein per meal!

Margarine is limited, so use only butter and hummus. You can add cured meat, prosciutto or bacon, and a salad with breakfast is also recommended. It is recommended to have breakfast between 8 and 10 in the morning.  

Chrono breakfast recipes 

We're going to list our favorite two recipes that we're sure you'll both love - pizza triangles and spicy scrambled eggs with ham.

Pizza triangles ingredients:

• buckwheat dough
• some lukewarm water
• roasted red pepper sauce or tomato sauce
• ham
• feta cheese
• oregano to taste

Pizza triangles are prepared:

Take one sheet of buckwheat dough, sprinkle with lukewarm water, put some cheese, roasted red pepper sauce and ham. Then fold on one side, then on the other side and finally turn to make a triangle. You can put some seeds and a thin slice of butter on top. Bake for about 20 minutes at 220 degrees so that your pizza triangles get a nice golden color.

Along with chrono pizza, spicy scrambled eggs are a nutritious breakfast that will keep you full until lunch! This breakfast is also full of spices that provide multiple health benefits.

Spicy scrambled eggs with ham ingredients:

• 4 diced smoked bacon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 pepper
• 1/3 teaspoon chili powder
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 teaspoon chopped coriander
• 1/3 teaspoon turmeric
• 0/5 teaspoon butter

Spicy scrambled eggs with ham preparation:

In a bowl, mix eggs, smoked bacon, paprika, chili powder, coriander and turmeric. Heat a pan on medium-low temperature and put butter on it. Add the mixture and cook for 2-5 minutes. Pour your breakfast on a plate and enjoy your meal!

Chrono lunch 

Chrono lunch includes meat and salad. You can eat fatty meat, or if you want a lighter option, include fish, chicken or egg white in your lunch. A chrono lunch salad is a very important part of the chrono diet, so make sure you eat enough vegetables. You can eat all kinds of vegetables, but again, don't mix them with other proteins in one meal. Now we will list the recipe for American Steak and Grilled Turkey with Rice. 

Chrono lunch recipes

Seasoned American steak is incredibly juicy and tender. This recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of steak lovers.

Spicy American Steak Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 steak 

Seasoned American Steak Preparation:

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Prepare the grill in advance on medium heat. Place the steak on the grill and grill for 4 minutes on each side. Serve a hot lunch. Pleasant!

Grilled turkey with rice is another delicious lunch for the whole family, and this simple recipe is also kid-friendly. 

Grilled turkey with rice ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon of peeled and chopped ginger
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley
• 1 clove of minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 skinless turkey breast halves
• 1 cup rice, cooked, washed, drained
• 1 teaspoon butter

Grilled turkey with rice preparation:

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken breast and leave it in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Preheat the grill and cook the turkey for 4 minutes on each side. Serve the meat with rice. Done!

Dinner time

Dinner time, or "dinner for the poor" is, as the word itself suggests, the lightest meal of the day, because the chronic diet is very limited in the consumption of food during the evening hours. 

For a chrono dinner, we recommend meals that contain protein-rich foods, such as chicken, egg whites, turkey, white fish or mushrooms. 

As with the other two meals, dinner should also include a salad. However, if you don't feel hungry, you can skip this meal. Dinner should be after 19:00, no later than 1 to 2 hours before you go to bed.

We will list some recipes for chrono dinner. 

Chrono dinner recipes 

For a chrono dinner, we can make cabbage soup and tuna salad with vegetables. 

Cabbage soup is full of healthy ingredients, and it can also help you lose weight. 

Cabbage soup ingredients:

• 5 cups of vegetable broth
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 head of shredded cabbage
• 1 head of celery, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cabbage soup preparation:

Cabbage soup is quite easy to prepare. Put cabbage, vegetable broth, carrot, onion, celery in a large pot and cook for 1 hour. Serve while warm and enjoy your dinner!

Tuna salad with vegetables is another meal that anyone can make. This salad is a great way to eat more vegetables during the day. 

Tuna salad with vegetables ingredients:

• 1 can of tuna
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 chopped green onions
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 teaspoon of onion powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Tuna salad with vegetables preparation:

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and your dinner is ready!

Chronological nutrition table of permitted and prohibited foods

As you can see, the list of permitted foods for chronic nutrition is longer than the list of prohibited foods. Please note that the table does not list all the foods that you should or should not consume in the chrono diet, but we have listed those foods that are most often found on the tables of many families around the world. 

Tip: Foods that drastically change the glycemic index when cooked, such as carrots or turnips, should be eaten raw, and later they can be cooked or thermally processed, just without exaggerating consumption.

The way we eat inevitably affects the overall health of our body. An adequate diet starting in the morning is the best way to stay healthy throughout the day. Remember to drink at least 3 liters of water a day to stay hydrated. 

FitProTeam has recognized the value of quality nutrition, therefore it has prepared 2 programs for you - Bye Bye Weight for weight loss and Hello Balance for detoxification of the body. It's up to you to tell us what results you want to achieve, and it's up to us to tell you we deliver food to your home every day which will help you with that. 

Read the experience of a user of our program, Milica Milić, and how she managed to lose 20 kilos in 2 months.