What Everyone Needs to Know Q&A: As millions of people around the world struggle to stick to their New Year’s resolutions of a healthier lifestyle, we want to know:
Is there a good time of day to eat?
What would happen if you could only eat between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.? Would you gain less weight and be healthier overall even if you ate a high- fat diet? The answer is yes and is based on how your body is influenced by your daily rhythms of eating and sleeping. There are always negative consequences to ignoring the role of your biorhythms. Many studies have documented that nightshift work, and the odd patterns of sleeping and waking that this lifestyle involves, has many negative health consequences, including insomnia, high blood pressure, obesity, high triglyceride levels, and diabetes— collectively known as the metabolic syndrome. In a recent study, mice were given free access to a nutritionally balanced diet or a diet that was high (61% of their daily calories!) in fat. Some mice were allowed total access to the food at all times; others were only allowed access for an eight- hour window during the early phase of their normal active period. Mice given all- day access to a high- fat diet (which the authors termed the standard American diet) developed obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and poor sleep- wake rhythms. Now for the good news! The mice that had time- restricted access to the high- fat diet were significantly healthier than the mice given all- day access to the same diet. These lucky mice lost body fat and had normal glucose tolerance, reduced serum cholesterol, improved motor function, and normal sleep cycles. Most surprising, the daily total caloric intake of all groups did not differ, regardless of their diet or feeding schedule.
Therefore, it truly does matter when you eat. The take- home message is eat early, skip dinner, and never have late- night snacks. Skipping breakfast and then overeating in the evening play a significant role in weight gain and obesity. Furthermore, people who skip breakfast report not feeling as satisfied by their food and being hungry between meals. If this sounds like you, then it’s time to change your mealtimes.
[Page 51-52, The Brain: What Everyone Needs to Know by Gary L. Wenk]
Image: Cereal by ponce_photography. CC0 public domain via Pixabay.