From Weight Loss to Sleep: Here’s how circadian diet works with your internal clock to improve overall health

A study has found that 'when you eat' is just as important as 'what you eat.' If you are someone trying to lose weight or induce better sleep, circadian diet might help.

The body’s internal clock regularly cycles between sleep and alert. The experimental evidence indicates circadian disruption impairs beta cell function and insulin sensitivity, impairing glucose tolerance.

There's no shortage of fad diets and it can be difficult to keep track. But to maintain a healthy weight and keep diseases at bay, it is essential to resort to a healthy diet. While making smart eating choices is key to living healthy, new research conducted by the University of Manchester found that when you eat is just as important as what you eat. Weight is directly related to your body's internal clock and has an impact on your overall health.

With work from home, you might not be sleeping as well as you used to or are unable to understand the unwanted food cravings even after having a proper meal. Well, it might have something to do with your circadian rhythm.

What is the circadian rhythm?

Our brains have a clock that monitors all bodily functions that occur within a 24-hour period. This clock helps the body to manage each biological function. And this clock is controlled by circadian rhythms, which helps the body to perform scheduled tasks. These rhythms are affected by light and dark.

Disrupted circadian rhythms lead to an upheaval in the proper functioning of all bodily functions and lead to health problems including weight gain, insulin resistance and increased risk of developing diseases. In other words, you are messing with your system and delaying the production of melatonin, impair your sleep and ruining your health.

What is the circadian diet?

In simple terms, the circadian diet is a time-restricted way of eating where you eat according to your internal clock. Natural factors like exposure to light and the timing of your meals are the biggest influencers in this case.

What this means is that you must eat before the sun sets, which means within a window of 12 hours and fast for the remaining 12 hours. It is good for those who are trying to lose weight, suffering from type-2 diabetes and looking to reset their internal clock to induce proper sleep.

Not only will it improve your health, but make you more alert and reduce hunger pangs that strike every few hours when you are on a diet. However, more research is required to back this up. This is why you must consult a doctor before you incorporate any changes in your diet.

Things to keep in mind when you're on a circadian diet

Since our internal clocks are so out of whack, you need to change more than just your diet to restore it. So, to optimize your weight, metabolism and overall health, you need to sync your lifestyle with your internal clock. Here are some to help you when you are on a circadian diet.

• Eat a hearty breakfast and lunch, and a light dinner with no processed foods.
• Try to include a diet rich in fiber, protein and healthy fats.
• Try to have your dinner before when there's light. Eating too long after the sun sets hampers your internal clock.
• Limit your intake when it is dark.
• Try to limit the amount you eat in case you are having a late dinner.
• Give yourself some time to adjust as a 12-hour window is long, and the positive effects will only kick in after some time.
• Consult a doctor in case you feel shaky from low blood sugar or feel less energized.