You Are When You Eat
Limit Your Eating For a Time
What if there were a way to eat the same food, but lower your blood pressure and lose weight? A new study shows that eating all of your meals before 3 PM does just that. Time-restricted eating is getting a lot of attention as a healthier way to eat.
The Daily Hormonal Waves
Our body follows an internal clock. Our hormone levels fluctuate with different hormones peaking at different times of the day. Some peak in the afternoon, and others have their lowest levels at 3 in the morning. As soon as we wake, our body starts putting adrenaline into our system. By noon, our metabolism has peaked, and our body temperature is highest.
When Things Get Low
We’ve all experienced the mid-afternoon nods. We get sleepy and tired. That is because our natural daily hormone rhythm is at a low point. Our bodies seem to be designed to do different things at different times of the day. After 3 PM, our metabolism slows down, and our blood sugar regulation is worse. In the morning, our body’s metabolism can process sugar much more efficiently without spiking blood sugar levels.
Time-Limited Cravings
In the study, the test subjects ate only 6 hours per day. No food was consumed before or after, so there was an 18-hour period every day without food. Eating exactly the same foods, those who had a daily 18-hour break from eating had more stable blood sugar. They also had lower overall blood sugar. Those who did the time-restricted eating also noted that after a week or so, they had fewer cravings for an evening snack.
Fasting in Tiny Bits
It’s really a form of very short-term fasting: a micro fast. Short-term fasting for up to 36 hours increases our metabolism. It also seems to help regulate daily hormone levels, giving an energy boost. A more extreme version is to eat every other day, although this is much more difficult to do.
Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal
Our grandparents always said breakfast is the most important meal of the day and not to eat after supper. It turns out that old-time advice is truer than we could have known. If you are going to eat carbs, breakfast is the best time because your body is primed to process them.
Do a Time Trial
To try time-restricted eating, eat breakfast after 9 AM and then supper at 2:30 PM. Eat no other food before or after, only water or hot drinks with no sweetener. Try it for two weeks to see how you feel. Your metabolism should improve, and you should have more energy, and eventually, you won’t crave that late evening snack. You might see a big difference from a small change.
