They say life is made up of two kinds of people: those who maintain a regular schedule and consistent routine, and those who, well, don’t. I’m very much in the latter camp – I’m guilty of ignoring my bodily signals and red flags, often waiting too long to eat (consequently I’m starving when I finally get around to it) and napping on the sofa at 10pm instead of simply going to bed, like a sensible person.
And my propensity to rush headlong through my days paying little heed to my internal hunger cues is doing me no favours. Too often, I completely crash around 4pm, zapped of the energy and motivation that’s kept me Duracell-bunny busy all day. Or, I’ll be so busy I won’t have lunch until it’s practically dinner time, throwing my system all out of whack. I know I’m not alone – but it’s simply not sustainable.
So, when I heard the buzz around chrono-nutrition, my interest was piqued. According to research, we’re not just what we eat, but we’re also when we eat it. A developing area of interest, the idea that eating at set times of the day offers health benefits has some solid research behind it: this study, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, reveals that meal timing is vital for metabolic health, with the optimal times to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner standing at before 8:30am, midday and 6pm respectively.
And studies also show that those of us who eat earlier in the day (before 8:30am) have fewer blood sugar spikes and less insulin resistance (both risk factors for developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes), while those who eat breakfast are also less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than their brunching counterparts.
While I’m not one to skip meals, I definitely have a, let’s say, erratic eating pattern, and it’s probably no coincidence, then, that I struggle with digestive issues, fatigue and low energy. Aside from the proven benefits for metabolic health and blood sugar levels, would sticking to a meal schedule for a week really make me feel better, day to day? I had to give it a try.
Read on to find out how I got on – and you might also be interested in our guide to inflammation diets and reading about how MC UK Senior Health Editor Ally Head got on with eating in the morning, too.
There are lots of benefits of eating on time – your guide
Wondering what on earth metabolic health even is? Me too. And it is complicated, but know this - a healthy metabolism essentially means that you’re able to digest and absorb nutrients from the food you eat without unhealthy spikes in blood sugar, insulin and blood fat – all things that, over time, contribute to some pretty nasty stuff like cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
But if we’re eating a healthy, balanced diet, you might ask why does when we eat have such an impact on metabolic health? Here’s the science bit: it’s all linked to our circadian rhythm.
Why is eating at the same time every day important?
It’s no secret that the human body loves routine. Having consistent habits such as a regular bedtime benefits energy, mental health and emotional regulation – and eating is no different. This is largely down to the fact that our bodies have a natural 24-hour cycle, known as the circadian rhythm. While we commonly associate circadian rhythm with how awake we feel at certain times of the day, it also influences appetite, hormones and digestion, among other things.
“Eating at the same time every day is important because it helps regulate circadian rhythms,” explains nutritionist Sam Gold. “Aligning meals with this natural cycle allows for optimal digestion, metabolism, and energy regulation throughout the day, and maintaining a consistent meal schedule offers a spectrum of health benefits not limited to physical health – it also benefits us psychologically.”
What are the benefits of eating on time?
1. It stabilises blood sugar levels
The science is clear: a regular meal schedule benefits blood sugar levels.
"Consistent meal timing stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing spikes and crashes, and supporting efficient nutrient absorption," agrees Gold. "This reduces the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and inflammatory conditions."
And the benefits of stable blood sugar levels aren't limited to our physical health, either.
2. It benefits mood and cognitive health
If you've ever felt "hangry", you'll be familiar with how our hunger levels can negatively impact mood - and struggling to concentrate when your body needs refuelling is no coincidence, either.
"Fluctuations in blood sugar can affect concentration, alertness, and mood," says Gold, "so consistent meal timing helps to provide a steady supply of nutrients to support brain health positively influencing cognitive function and mood." Glucose Goddess recipes at the ready.
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3. It's good for digestion
The chances are, the last time you allowed yourself to get overly hungry, you likely rushed through your food when you finally did it - a sure-fire recipe for digestive discomfort.
"Eating at regular intervals helps regulate the digestive system," explains specialist dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine. "It allows the body to predict and prepare for food intake, optimising the digestion and absorption of nutrients and reducing the likelihood of indigestion, bloating, and other gastrointestinal discomforts."
4. It promotes a healthy metabolism
As mentioned earlier, eating regular, consistent meals aids a healthy metabolic process - vital for overall wellbeing and helping us to foster healthier habits. And we all know that getting overly hungry sends us reaching for less healthy, more convenience-based foods.
"Regular meal timing contributes to a more consistent metabolism, which can aid in weight management and reduce unhelpful eating patterns such as overeating and excessive snacking," explains Gold. "Establishing a consistent eating schedule fosters healthy habits and balances hormones related to hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin and leptin, contributing to better appetite control and boosting overall wellbeing."
5. It's good for cholesterol levels
Last but by no means least, two separate studies published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society journal concluded that those of us who eat at the same time each day were not only less likely to become obese but have better cholesterol levels, too.
I tried eating my meals at the same time every day for a week – here’s how I got on
Days one to three
Having fully digested (pun intended) the research, I started the week enthusiastic and keen to get started.
Full disclosure: I found eating before 8:30am tough. While I always eat breakfast, it’s usually later in the morning, around 10am after the morning rush and/or a workout, so I had to force myself to eat something before I left the house. The first day I really didn’t want to eat – which in fact is a sure sign that my cortisol levels are out of whack – but thankfully, the research doesn’t stipulate how much you need to eat to see the benefits, so I satisfied myself with a solitary boiled egg early doors. Needless to say, this didn’t satiate me for long, so I went right on ahead and had toast later in the morning, as I would normally.
Clearly I didn’t think this one through, as when midday rolled around (surprisingly fast – I’d usually eat lunch around 2:30pm) I wasn’t especially hungry, but, again, I stuck to the schedule and interestingly, by day three I was starting to look forward to my early lunch – and it stopped me snacking mid-morning, too. To be clear – I love a snack, and I’m in no way suggesting that they’re anything other than delicious and a joy – I’m simply noticing that I don’t crave one in the same way.
So far, so good – but dinner was more of a challenge. While I always feed my children around 5:30pm, mainlining their leftovers to keep me going until my 8pm dinner, I’m not used to cooking for all of us at that time – and it required near military-levels of organisation, as I discovered after dining on leftovers for the first two days.
Luckily, I work from home so I’m able to either prepare a slow-cooker meal in the morning before we all head out, or I can whip something up fairly quickly when I log off, but I have no idea how this timing would work for people who don’t work at or close to home.
My main concern that I was going to be hungry later in the evening and I’d end up eating two dinners, so I was surprised to find that I was quite happy with a cup of decaf tea on the sofa around 10pm. Eating earlier also freed my evening up a little, meaning I was getting to bed earlier rather than frantically loading the dishwasher and doing the laundry at 11pm. Win, win.
Days four to seven
By day four I was really in the swing of things, and I even woke up feeling hungry – unheard of, for me. And rather than ignoring my bodily cues, I was able to respond to them. It made me realise that perhaps ignoring my hunger pangs was doing me more harm than I thought – my body was giving up on sending me signals.
By the end of the week, I felt fully comfortable with my new meal timings, and honestly? I felt so much better. Obviously, I had no way of monitoring my blood sugar levels and metabolism, but I can say that I experienced less bloating and tummy cramps than usual – a real bonus, particularly in the evenings.
And while I always sleep well, going to bed earlier felt like a luxury, and made those January early starts just a little less brutal. Plus, I wasn’t waking up with heartburn in the middle of the night, something I didn’t even realise until it stopped.
As for the 4pm energy slump? I won’t say it totally disappeared, but I definitely wasn’t as quick to reach for an afternoon biscuit, safe in the knowledge that dinner wasn’t too far away. All in all, I felt weirdly comforted by knowing exactly when my next meal was going to be – and it helped me to eat more mindfully, too.
I felt more in tune with my body, and it felt really natural to respond to my hunger cues rather than ignore them until they suited my schedule, as I would do normally. I’ve never practised intuitive or mindful eating before, but I can now safely say I see the benefits.
Worried about sticking to the timings I tried? All is not lost – while I followed the science-backed timing, sticking to a regular eating pattern has huge value, whatever your individual timings might be.
Am I going to continue with my meal schedule? While life is about balance and I'm certainly not going to berate myself for not sticking to a set-in-stone routine, I have to say that overall, feeling more aligned with my body and its needs, and responding naturally to its cues felt intuitive and comforting. This is one wellbeing hack I'm well and truly sticking to.
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Why is it important to eat at the same time?
In short, because it aids in regulating your circadian rhythms, shares nutritionist Sam Gold. By eating in tandem with your natural circadian rhythm, you'll not only boost your digestion, metabolism, and energy , but also your mood and mental health, too.
