If you asked our grandmothers when is the best time to sit at the table, without hesitation they would have said: "In the morning, when the bird sings!" And they would be right. Today, numerous scientific studies confirm this, returning to nature and to the daily rhythm as our ancestors knew it – that is, an early breakfast, a heavy lunch, and a lighter dinner.

In recent years, science is increasingly leaning towards the idea that it's not only what you eat that matters, but also when you eat it. Take, for example, a study presented by the American Association of Endocrinology. Endocrinology is the science dealing with hormones – those substances in our body that, among other things, regulate appetite, blood sugar, mood, and energy.

Food before noon – health for the whole day?

A group of researchers wanted to check what happens to blood sugar levels if the largest portion of daily food is eaten before 1 p.m. This is not about some strict diet or fasting. On the contrary – participants ate the same amount of food as usual, just divided differently. By 1 p.m., they consumed as much as 80% of all calories, with the remaining 20% spread out until evening.

For example: if someone eats roughly 2,000 calories per day, this way, they would eat 1,600 of them before 1 p.m., and the other 400 over the rest of the day. This is a known form of time-restricted eating, which is becoming more popular in our country as well.

This eating pattern, applied to ten volunteers who were overweight and had prediabetes, produced interesting results. Prediabetes is a condition where a person has slightly elevated blood sugar, but not high enough to be considered type 2 diabetes. In Slovenia, data from NIJZ suggests that about 15% of adults have prediabetes, although most are not aware of it.

What did the researchers find?

The experiment lasted two weeks. In the first week, participants ate “normally”, meaning half the calories after 4 p.m. The second week, they ate most of their food before 1 p.m. The results were surprising. The body regulated blood sugar much better, and the period during which blood sugar was too high was noticeably shortened.

And this wasn't because participants lost weight – their body weight did not change significantly. The main reason for improvement was the timing of the meals.

Dr. Joanna Bruno, an endocrinologist at New York University who led the study, emphasized that this way of eating could help prevent prediabetes from developing into full-blown diabetes. And if we know that type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide – according to WHO, 1 in 11 adults has it – then this kind of eating pattern can mean a lot.

What does folk medicine say?

We, who have been involved in folk medicine and natural health approaches for years, know that meal timing has never been irrelevant. Folk wisdom has long maintained that one should eat when the stomach works like a clock, that is, in the morning and at noon, not late in the evening, when the body should be resting and regenerating.

Old healers knew that the body has the most power for digestion and absorption of nutrients in the morning. In the afternoon, this ability decreases, and in the evening it almost shuts off. If you eat in the evening, when your stomach should be resting, not only do you burden your digestive system, but you also disrupt insulin – the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. In the evening, insulin works slower, so blood sugar stays high for longer.

But how much sugar is too much?

For a healthy adult, the recommended fasting blood glucose is between 3.9 and 5.5 mmol/L. If the value is higher than 6.1 mmol/L, we may already be talking about prediabetes. If it exceeds 7.0 mmol/L, it is almost certainly type 2 diabetes. And here lies the danger: many people are unaware of these figures until it’s too late.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism has shown that early breakfasts can improve insulin sensitivity even in people who do not have blood sugar issues but just want to boost their metabolism. In a study comparing people who had hearty breakfasts with those who ate heavily at dinner, morning eaters used 33% more energy throughout the day and had more stable blood sugar.

And what does this mean for you?

Simply put – if you want to boost your health, avoid diabetes, or just lose weight without suffering, try to follow the rule: eat more before noon, less at night. You can rely on folk wisdom: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a merchant, and dinner like a pauper." This saying did not come about by accident!

The highest spikes in blood sugar occur after eating carbohydrates, especially simple ones – sugar, white bread, pasta, cakes, juices... If you eat these things in the morning, your body will use them much more easily. If you eat them in the evening, while barely moving on the couch, they will most likely end up where you don’t want them – in your fat cells.

What about fasting? Is it suitable for everyone?

If we’re talking about time-restricted fasting, where you eat within a set window (say, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m.), this can be a very gentle and natural way of adjusting your diet. People who follow this method often report more energy, better digestion, less bloating, and even better concentration.

However, it is not suitable for everyone – people with certain hormonal issues, chronic illnesses, or elderly individuals who are undernourished should consult a doctor or specialist beforehand.

What does the statistics say?
According to the International Diabetes Federation, by 2025, there will be more than 700 million people with type 2 diabetes worldwide.

In Slovenia, the latest estimates suggest that around 135,000 people are living with diabetes, with a third being unaware of it.

Early breakfasts and shifting main meals to the morning and midday hours are associated with lower body weight, less abdominal fat, and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to data from the Harvard School of Public Health.

A simple change, a big effect

Although the study mentioned above was small, it points in a very promising direction. This way of eating is cheap, easy, and does not require supplements, pills, or special foods. Just shift your meals more towards the morning and stick with it for a few weeks. Your body will thank you.

Therefore, in the spirit of folk wisdom and modern science, we kindly invite you to give it a try. You won’t regret it. After all – isn’t there something truly magical in sitting down to a hearty, homemade breakfast in the morning, while the sun rises, knowing you’ve already done something good for your health?