In our super-busy 21st-century lives, most of us try to do as
much as we can in 24 hours. However, we usually do things
whenever it suits us, and experts say that this is disrupting
our body’s natural cycle, making us feel tired at times when
we should feel awake, and vice versa. Science shows that
by doing things at the right time, we can be happier and
healthier.
Have breakfast at 8.00 a.m.
In a recent study, researchers found having breakfast at this
time is good for our blood sugar levels, so the food you eat
now will give you the energy you need. It’s also important
not to skip breakfast. Another research team, from Sweden,
suggested that people who ate a regular breakfast as
teenagers were 32% less likely to be at risk of heart disease
as adults.
Don’t drink coffee in the morning. Have one at 3.00 p.m.
Most coffee drinkers make a cup as soon as they wake up.
However, researchers have suggested that early morning
is the worst time to drink coffee, because it stops the body
from producing the stress hormone cortisol, which we
need at this time to help us to wake up. The best time to
drink coffee – or caffeine in general – is between 2.00 p.m.
and 5.00 p.m., when it can make us more mentally alert,
according to a study carried out by the University of Sheffield
a few years ago.
Have lunch between 12.00 and 2.00
This is when our body digests food best, because this is
when the stomach produces most acid. So it’s the ideal
time to have your main meal of the day. An experiment by
nutritionists at the University of Surrey found that blood
glucose levels after an evening meal were much higher than
when people had the same meal earlier in the day, and high
levels of glucose can cause diabetes.
Have dinner at 7.00 p.m.
Have your evening meal early. It should be delicious –
our sense of smell and taste are at their best at this time
– but light. And if you want a small glass of wine, have it
before dinner, as 6.30 is when the liver is most efficient at
dealing with alcohol.
