When You Eat Trumps What You Eat in Chrono-nutrition

For years now, the first thing people talked about when losing weight was always about what you should eat, how many calories, carbs, sugar intake, etc. Nobody was focusing on counting the clock. Now flipping the concept of intermittent fasting and early dinners is Chrono-nutrition which is not about what’s on your plate, but when you put it there.

Chrono-nutrition taps into your body’s natural rhythm and internal clock optimising on your metabolism, hormones and even mood. Put simply, it means eating in sync with our body’s natural hunger and fullness cues and timing the meals to match our energy needs and activity levels.

Evidence shows that following this approach has several benefits for different age groups. In children, it means healthier growth and development due to improved nutrient absorption. Adults will experience improved metabolic health, weight management and reduced risk of chronic diseases like cardiovascular issues and diabetes. Elderly people who follow such meal timings will observe better sleep quality and can also reduce risk of age-related muscle loss and cognitive decline.

Eat When Your Body’s Most Active

Our bodies like routine and our metabolism is no exception. Thanks to our internal clock i.e circadian rhythm which governs the sleep-waking cycle, our metabolism is at its peak performance in the day and starts to slow down by the time evening comes.

Evidence shows that limiting our eating to a specific time frame which is typically 8 to 12 hours results in better health. Consider it as your eating window between the first meal to the last meal you eat in a day. By aligning your meals with your body’s natural rhythm, you are doing your metabolism a big favour.

Perks Of Timed Eating

Studies have shown that time-restricted eating with a window of 12 hours or less can lead to significant benefits like an average weight loss of 3% and reductions in fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, waist circumference, and LDL cholesterol levels.

So When Should I Eat?

Eating a large meal, especially after 8 pm definitely means weight gain and metabolic disorders. If you need to stay awake due to work or any other activity, choose lighter meal options like soups, porridge, buttermilk, malt, etc. You stay alert without the lethargic feeling that usually accompanies large meals.

Meal Timings You Can Follow

Breakfast: Eat within two hours of rising. Your metabolism is the most active after breakfast and will set your metabolic rate for the day.

Lunch: It’s one of larger meals you eat in the day. Adjust it based your schedule and needs. Metabolism is at its fastest pace between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., in tune with your body's natural wakefulness and activity levels.

Dinner: Keep this the lightest and smallest meal of the day and eat it early in the evening so your body has a few hours of fasting before you hit the bed.

Snacking: Reduce it or avoid it altogether to support the 12-hour fasting window, which will allow your body to rest and recharge.

The trick with Chrono-nutrition is to listen to your body and understand its rhythm. Do that and you can improve your health and well-being significantly.

Authored by Dr. Latha Sashi, Chief Nutritionist and Head, Dept. of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Fernandez Hospital