What is Circadian Eating And How Does it Impact Your Health And Work?

Circadian eating and its impact on health and work: see the steps and how to ensure a healthy lifestyle.

Explanation of circadian feeding: In the nutrition and dieting space, there’s one thing you can be sure of: every eating pattern has a diet name! From pagan to vegan and even circadian diet. Our expert Malika Singh, certified integrator Nutrition Health Coach, says that the “circadian diet is the best, unlike other popular diets like Atkins, Paleo and Keto. That’s because the circadian diet is probably one of the oldest ways to eat and one that naturally synchronizes our eating pattern with our sleep cycle and our damn clock.”

External environments like light exposure have always determined not only our eating patterns but also our sleep cycles. This means that we eat throughout the day, over a 12-hour period, and as the sun goes down and the light reduces, our food intake also decreases.

HOW DOES A CIRCADIAN DIET IMPACT ON YOUR BODY?

Tuning into a circadian eating pattern means our metabolism is at its peak in the morning in reaction to light exposure, with increased insulin sensitivity and lower melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone produced by our brain in reaction to darkness. Synchronizes the circadian pattern as well as the sleep cycle. Therefore, during the day, exposure to light reduces our melatonin and this is when we feel most alert and full of energy.

Normally we carry out our daily activities during the day, and the body requires maximum energy, so breakfast and lunch are our largest meals. As light exposure decreases with the setting sun, our melatonin levels rise, our insulin sensitivity decreases, and our body prepares for cellular rest and repair. These changes reduce hunger levels, making dinner lighter and the smallest meal of the day.

CIRCADIAN DIET: HOW IT IMPACTS HORMONES, APPETITE

Our sleep pattern is inextricably connected to metabolism and the hormones that regulate hunger. Ghrelin stimulates the appetite, while leptin inhibits it. When the body is deprived of sleep and deviates from its circadian rhythm, it can cause an imbalance in ghrelin and leptin levels, resulting in irregular eating patterns and behaviors. Aligning our meals with the circadian rhythm is important as it can help with weight loss, stamina, type 2 diabetes risk, and blood pressure, to name a few benefits.

This synchronized eating pattern along with nature’s timing makes the circadian style of eating suitable for everyone. It’s a relatively easier way to balance your health, work, and daily commitments. This way of eating helps those who are trying to cut back on late-night eating and snacking habits and is particularly suitable for people with metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

FASTING UNDER THE CIRCADIAN DIET

Ideally, the 12-hour fast should be broken within two hours of waking, and nutrient-dense foods that are high in protein, healthy fats, and fiber make for a well-balanced breakfast. These could include protein shakes, eggs, avocado toast, and granola bowls with nuts and seeds, to name a few options.
Lunch should consist of a balanced plate with vegetables, grains, and protein, while dinners should be lighter, with soups, lentils, and cooked vegetables.

The circadian eating style is perfect for resetting your metabolism and adjusting your sleep cycle. But as they say, consistency is the key! The more regular you are with your sleeping and eating habits, the better your circadian rhythm will work.

— Insights from Malika Singh, Certified Integrative Nutrition and Health Coach