Everything is played out on a story of time: not only the one we devote to eat, but especially the one you leave to your body to digest, repair, and regenerate. And this is where the timing of breakfast becomes crucial. Here’s the precise time to respect … and why it changes everything
Why is breakfast time so important?
Rhian Stephenson, nutritionist and former high -level athlete, insists on a simple principle: you have to let it go to at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. Clearly, if you finish your dinner at 7:30 p.m., you shouldn’t eat before 7:30 a.m. the next day. Why is this period of time so important? Because it allows your microbiota to rest at rest. This complex and fundamental system for immunity as well as for digestion, has a self-cleaning mechanism that only works during fasting.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, goes further: he advises to have breakfast at … 11 am. A surprising hour, but according to him, optimal to respect a fasting of 2 p.m. between dinner and morning meal. This would not only promote weight regulation, but also better energy during the day.
This approach is inspired by intermittent fasting, a now well documented practice, which allows metabolism to better manage sugar, fats and appetite. But it also requires rigor on the dinner schedule, which must remain early enough for the night period to be respected.
The ideal plate for a really beneficial breakfast
If the schedule is essential, the content of the breakfast is just as much. Rhian Stephenson recalls that a good breakfast must be rich in protein, fiber and phytonutrients. Unlike very widespread sweet habits in France, sugar on awakening is a false good idea. It causes a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a sudden tiredness. Conversely, a balanced and nourishing meal in the morning makes it possible to stabilize the energy all day.
In particular, it recommends consuming 1.2 gram of protein per kilo of body weight over the whole day, starting in the morning.
Here is what she advises to favor breakfast:
- Proteins that are easy to prepare such as tofu, eggs or even canned fish;
- Foods rich in fiber like oats or wholemeal bread;
- Good fats, with for example avocado slices.
These elements help reduce the feeling of hunger at the end of the day, support muscle mass and strengthen the immune system. As a bonus: they limit nibbles and nocturnal cravings.
Sauté the breakfast: a false good idea?
Some people think that not eating in the morning allows you to lose weight or stay light. But for Rhian Stephenson, jumping breakfast without a specific frame of fasting can produce the opposite effect. According to her, it disrupts metabolism, increases stress levels and can weaken immunity. The body, in lack of fuel, works in slow motion and often compensates for this lack by cravings during the day.
It is therefore not a question of removing this meal, but of replacing it in a routine consistent with the natural functioning of the organism. It is this strategy – combining a good schedule and nutritious content – which would maximize the benefits of breakfast, both on digestive health and on energy level or weight management.