Skipping breakfast, nibbling at lunch, and gorging in the evening is rare in long-lived communities. Follow their lead of starting the day with food aplenty to lower the risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper” – scientists believe that such eating can confer major health benefits.
Scientists are looking at how circadian rhythm – or our internal body clock – affects metabolism, nutritional intake, and the way the body responds to food. Studies certainly show we have an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, obesity, and type 2 diabetes when the circadian rhythm is disrupted. Other research provides evidence to suggest that we’re more sensitive to the effects of insulin in the morning and so need less of it to control blood sugar levels. At night, this sensitivity is reduced, so more insulin is needed after eating to lower blood sugar. Over time, this eating pattern can lead to insulin resistance, a precursor for type 2 diabetes. The bottom line is: our bodies cope better when we eat more at the start of the day and less as the day wears on.
Skip breakfast at your peril
Not only does eating breakfast mirror what many centenarians do, but research also shows that skipping breakfast can spell disaster for your health. Many studies show that people who skip this meal are more likely to be overweight or obese and also have an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
In Western societies many of us miss breakfast, grab a small lunch, have a huge dinner, and snack during the evening. Studies confirm that such eating patterns are linked to obesity. Eating lots of food in the evening also means we’re less likely to feel hungry the next morning… so that we skip breakfast – and the cycle repeats.
Our bodies cope better, in terms of insulin sensitivity, when we eat more at the start of the day.
To ensure that you can make the switch to healthier eating for the long term, the longevity eating plan offers a transition towards “breakfasting like a king….” The month-long plan is a nutritionally designed menu that leads you into downsizing calories through the day without noticing.
A study exploring the idea of how 1400 calories were consumed across the day looked at overweight women with metabolic syndrome. After 12 weeks, group B (those eating half their calories at breakfast) had results that were significantly better than group A’s in every respect.
