What is circadian eating?

Did you know WHEN you eat may be just as important as WHAT you eat?!

Circadian eating is an area we are still learning more about, but there's exciting new research coming out all the time.

It refers to the science of how the timing of meals impacts metabolism, and much more.

Circadian eating, in essence, means trying to eat meals within an 8-12 hour window each day; avoiding eating 2-3 hours prior to bed; and eating at approximately the same times each day, as much as possible.

Every cell in our body has an in-built 24-hour clock (circadian clock), meaning our body can actually 'remember' when we normally eat and prepare itself for food!

This includes our pancreas (which secretes insulin, to help us metabolise glucose), as well as our gut cells (which digest food)

While the research is still limited, some studies show that by just paying attention to WHEN we eat, we can improve our blood sugar control, blood pressure weight, cholesterol, and even gut health - regardless of WHAT we eat!

✔️In mouse studies for example, restricting the eating window to 8-10 hours per day results in lower weight, cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar and better coordination, strength, an endurance - and this occurs completely independently of diet.

✔️In human studies, restricting eating to a 10-hour window (ie 14-hour overnight fasts) improves blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels independent of any weight loss. It also improves the health of our gut microbiome, and may even help with cancer prevention and recovery.

✔️Circadian eating can also significantly improve blood sugar levels in diabetics, again independently of diet (in particular when the largest meal is eaten earlier in the day, and the smallest meal at dinner)

This essentially means that the timing of meals may potentially have huge metabolic benefits, in addition to the benefits gained from eating well!

It also appears to positively alter gene expression (epigenetics) in many areas of the body, meaning the ‘good’ genes get switched on.

Two of the most important factors are not eating late at night (as this causes a bigger blood sugar spike, which tends to be when we eat high-calorie foods and reduces sleep quality); and eating at a similar time each day (to fit with our circadian clock).

Circadian eating is different to many other types of fasting as it doesn't involve skipping meals or restricting calories - but simply narrowing the window in which your regular meals are consumed. This is generally far safer to do, and also puts less ‘stress’ on the body, which may be particularly important for women.

Some top tips for circadian eating include :

✔️aiming for at least 7 hours of sleep per night (sleep deprivation mucks up metabolism and our circadian clock)

✔️trying to sleep and eat at the same times each day, as this helps our body regulate metabolism and insulin

✔️waiting at least 1-2 hours after waking before eating, to allow your melatonin levels to drop, cortisol to rise, and digestion to start

✔️having dinner and breakfast at consistent times and eating within 8-12h window

✔️starting your day with a low-sugar, high-protein, high-fibre breakfast, to optimise blood sugars for the rest of the day (it also helps energy, mood, and food cravings)

✔️trying be outdoors for at least 30min each day to set your circadian clock (even on cloudy days), as natural light is key

✔️setting a good sleep routine to wind down 2-3 h before bed, avoid eating /alcohol during this time, and turning down lights

Why not try it - it's so simple, but potentially so effective!!!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32662279/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33302500/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35679410/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35598698/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35150947/

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-021-00600-3

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34550357/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31813824/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31180809/