Weekend Eating Causes Metabolic 'Jet Lag'

Having a wacky eating schedule on the weekends could contribute to a sluggish metabolism, according to researchers from the Salt Institute.

The new study found that "metabolic jet lag" ensues when meal times are switched or the number of hours you eat is erratic from day to day.

This grazing habit - eating frequently and without a schedule - can confuse the body's metabolic systems, said Satchidananda Panda, co-author of the study.

"We now know that there are clocks everywhere [in our body]," Panda said. “The weekend eating habits mess up our clock for nearly half of the week.”

Our bodies play the guessing game

According to lead study author Shubhroz Gill, our bodies are constantly playing the guessing game when it comes to doing its job, as modern work and social schedules dictate when we eat - not natural rhythms.

“Before we had electricity, before everybody was going to work Monday through Friday, taking the weekend off, there was no difference between a Monday and a Sunday,” Gill said. “The waking and sleeping times were primarily governed by sunset and sunrise times.”

The solution? Limit your eating window to an eight- to 12-hour window, and try to eat at the same time every day of the week, including weekends.

The study found that people who reduced their eating window from 14 hours to around 10 hours also reduced their calorie consumptions by about 21 percent.

"If you’re eating only for 10 hours every day, you have 14 hours of fasting guaranteed,” Gill said. “There are known benefits of fasting, so you’re able to get those benefits of fasting on an everyday basis.”  

Source: Yahoo