From early morning to noon, various social media influencers and board-certified dieticians have made many changes to their breakfast timings for reasons such as higher energy, better absorption and more.But what better time than now to break some myths, right? The idea that 7 am is the best time to have breakfast is outdated. Nutrition experts actually have contrasting views on this and rather suggest that you should follow the body clock.Breakfast shouldn’t be defined by the clock but rather by your waking time and circadian rhythm. What plays a vital role, in the long run, is eating within a healthy window after you wake up and aligning that with the way the body processes energy throughout the day.
Breakfast at mid-morning
Image credits: Getty Images
Experts suggest that eating food immediately after waking up is not healthy. There should be a gap of a few hours, until mid-morning.This is because it extends your overnight fasting window and gives the gut a bit more of a rest. Having at least 12-hour gap between your last food and first food makes the body burn fats rather than carbs and thus helps with weight loss and general metabolism.Additionally, not everyone is hungry as soon as they wake up. According to Adam Collins, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Surrey, it is because the body “has already started to export glucose out into the blood in readiness for you to wake up. You’ve already got some energy in the system.” he said to the GQ magazine.
Circadian alignment
Image credits: Getty Images
A growing field in chrononutrition observes how meal timing fits with the biological clock set by us. This means whether you wake up at 7 or 9, breakfast should be within a shorter time frame of waking up as it aligns better with insulin and glucose cycles, lowering the risk of metabolic disorders. The key is the interval after waking, not a particular time.
Benefits of a timely breakfast?
Image credits: Getty Images
Eating a timely breakfast has numerous benefits. Breakfast replenishes the glycogen stores which are depleted after 12 hours without food. Additionally, eating breakfast within the interval of waking up signals the body to burn fuel rather than conserve it. It also stimulates the digestive system positively and promotes regular bowel movements.Thus, breakfast isn’t tied to a clock, it is tied to when you wake up and how your body processes food for the rest of the day. Rather than eating at 7 am every day, you should just make a point to have breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking up and align it with your biological clock so that you have a consistent source of energy all day long.
