Your meal time matters as much as what you eat

Simple shifts such as a nourishing breakfast, a lighter dinner or brief periods without food can help improve your metabolic health

- Karan Sarin

Once I understood how profoundly food quality affected my metabolism, I became curious about another variable I'd largely ignored: timing. When you eat, it matters almost as much as what you eat. My CGM experiments revealed fascinating patterns in how my body responded to identical foods at different times of day. A small bowl of rice eaten at 8am typically caused a 30-40 point glucose spike. The same portion consumed at 8pm could spike glucose by 50-60 points. Identical food, same quantity, vastly different metabolic impact. These timing differences reflect our body’s natural circadian rhythms. Insulin sensitivity naturally fluctuates throughout the day, following patterns that evolved over millions of years when humans ate during daylight hours and fasted at night. We're naturally more insulin sensitive in the morning and less sensitive in the evening.

Traditional Indian eating patterns actually aligned well with these natural rhythms. Our grandparents typically ate their largest meal in the middle of the day when insulin sensitivity peaks, followed by a lighter evening meal. The modern pattern of grabbing something quick for breakfast, eating a moderate lunch, and consuming our largest meal at dinner essentially fights against our natural biology. Understanding this timing element transformed how I structure my own meals. Rather than eating identical portions throughout the day, I now front-load my carbohydrate intake earlier when my body can handle it more efficiently, while keeping evening meals focused on protein and vegetables.