More people now tend to eat soon after getting up in the morning, snack through the day and on into the evening, so the eating 'window' is often 14 hours or longer. Researchers say that this way of eating, even if you are a healthy weight, disrupts the body's 24 hour body clock (circadian rhythm). The body clock governs the sleep/wake pattern, the digestive system and every cell in the body.
The gut is better at digesting and absorbing food during the day, because at night it is primed to repair itself, so the production of saliva and digestive enzymes slows down and food moves more slowly through the digestive tract. If you eat food late at night, food sits there. All this puts us at bigger risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Time restricted eating means consuming food within a daily period of 12 hours or less. This effectively extends the time you are 'fasting' or not eating (i.e. while asleep). So you could choose to eat between 7am and 7pm, or 8am and 8pm, or go for a shorter eating window (say 7am to 5pm, so 10 hours). If this is not possible, just aim to finish eating at least 3 hours before going to bed, or by 7pm or 8pm.
Because you are not required to change what you eat, only when you eat, it can be done whatever your lifestyle or food preferences. However, this is not a licence to eat whatever you want; focus on fruit, vegetables, beans, wholegrains, lentils, fish, olive oil and nuts.
While not a weight loss diet, many people find they do reduce their calorie intake and lose some weight, either because they feel less hungry, or have fewer opportunities to eat. people also report feeling less hungry, more energetic and sleeping better.
Your body switches from digestion to focusing on repair. Killing off old cells and regenerating new ones, allows the cells of your liver, pancreas and gut cope better with the food you ingest. You are then less likely to have blood sugar spikes and cholesterol imbalances.
Is this ok for everyone? The feature noted 'avoid the plan if pregnant or breast-feeding' and advised consulting a doctor before you begin if you have a medical condition (e.g. heart disease or diabetes) or a history of eating disorders.
Source: feature in Good Housekeeping, July 2019.
