You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you want to lose weight, eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch, and a pauper for dinner.”
It is said that by doing so, you will burn more calories and enhance your metabolic health (i.e. keep your blood sugar levels and blood cholesterol in a healthy range).
It makes perfect sense to me because this diet is more compatible with our bodies natural daily rhythms, which are mostly governed by our internal body clocks.
In other words, you need food first thing in the morning to sustain you throughout the day, and you should avoid eating at night when your body is preparing for sleep.
Nonetheless, a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism discovered, to the surprise of many, that time you eat does not appear to have a significant impact on the number of calories you burn or how efficiently your body processes the sugar and fat in the meal you have just consumed.
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen recruited 30 healthy, overweight men and women and instructed them to consume the majority of their calories in the morning or evening for four weeks, and then swap.
The meals served by the researchers were heavy in protein and somewhat low in carbohydrates (30 percent of their calories came from protein, 35 percent from carbs, and 35 percent, from fat).
As they were on a strictly managed high-protein diet, the volunteers lost a significant amount of weight (an average of 3.3 kilograms, or about half a stone) – at least in part because eating more protein makes you feel fuller by lowering ghrelin levels.
However, they lost the same amount of weight at the same rate whether they consumed a large breakfast or a large dinner. Additionally, there was no difference in the effect on their blood sugar levels, which improved similarly regardless of diet.
When they consumed a substantial breakfast, they experienced less hunger throughout the day than when they consumed a lavish dinner.
Numerous past research has demonstrated that when you eat makes a significant difference. Thus, I was quite shocked by these results.
In a 2013 study including 93 overweight women with elevated blood sugar levels, Tel Aviv University in Israel revealed that those who ate a large breakfast shed approximately 2.5 times more weight (an average of 8.7kg or 19lb) than those who ate a large dinner (an average of 3.6kg or 8lb).
The women were instructed to consume the majority of their calories either in the morning or in the evening.
Those who consumed a large breakfast had considerably lower levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, were less hungry, and reported less urge to snack later in the day than those who consumed a large dinner.
This may help explain the disparity between this study’s findings and those of a more recent study conducted by the University of Aberdeen. In contrast to the Aberdeen study, the Israeli study was conducted in the “real world,” meaning that participants ate when they felt hungry.
In the Israeli study, those who ate a substantial breakfast had much greater decreases in their blood sugar and blood fat levels than those who ate a large dinner, indicating greater reductions in their risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Despite their weight loss, women who ate more at night experienced an increase in their average blood fat levels during the day, which is undesirable.
A few years ago, I conducted a self-experiment for a television documentary comparing the effects of eating the same food in the morning vs the evening, and my results were comparable to those of Israeli scientists.
I ate a traditional British breakfast (bacon, egg, and sausage) at 10 a.m., followed by the same meal 12 hours later at 10 p.m.
Before and every 20 minutes after eating these meals, my blood was tested.
As expected, my blood sugar and blood fat levels spiked after breakfast and then dropped precipitously. However, after consuming the same meal in the evening, these levels spiked and remained elevated for several hours.
After eating all of that fatty and sugary food in the morning, I went for a fast walk, which helped burn off some of those calories, something I did not do in the evening.
It is also true that when we eat late at night, our body is less efficient at releasing the hormone insulin, which helps our cells absorb glucose.
Thus, eating late at night increases your risk for type 2 diabetes.
All of this leads me to the conclusion that the proverb “breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper” still holds true and that paying attention to when you eat, as well as what you eat, can have a significant impact on your health.
However, do not expect miracles, and keep in mind that no one diet will work for everyone.
I think that the most effective strategy to maintain a healthy weight is to consume a protein-rich breakfast (my favorites are scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, and kippers) and avoid mindless late-night munching in front of the television.
The benefits of exercise against cancer
Breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreatic cancers among people under the age of 50 have increased dramatically, according to new data from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States.
This trend, which began in 1990, shows no indication of abating. The researchers believe that sleep deprivation, increasingly sedentary lives, and a diet of ultra-processed foods, all of which contribute to obesity, are among the causes of this increase.
A recent study including over 131,000 women conducted by the University of Bristol demonstrated the advantages of being more physically active. It revealed that engaging in intense activity at least three times per week was connected with a 38% decreased risk of acquiring breast cancer.
Exercise protects by lowering chronic inflammation and bolstering the immune system, among other mechanisms.
