Most of us have heard that “it's not just what you eat, but when you eat” that matters 00 and science backs that up. The timing of your meals plays a big role in how your body digests, stores and uses food for energy. A few days ago, nutritionist Nmami Agarwal explained this concept in one of her Instagram videos. She broke down how your body reacts differently to food at different times of the day – and why late-night snacking could be doing more harm than you think.
“Imagine you eat a bowl of rice at 11 am in the morning and your body says, great let's use this for energy. And you eat the same bowl of rice at 11 pm, your body says, it is bedtime, let's store it as fat,” Nmami Agarwal said in her post.
The reason, she explained, lies in your circadian rhythm – your body's natural 24-hour clock that influences everything from sleep and hormones to metabolism and digestion.
Here's how the nutritionist explained:
1. Morning: High Energy Mode
At 11 am, your insulin sensitivity – which helps your body use glucose efficiently – is at its peak. Your metabolism is active, and your body is ready to convert carbs like rice into usable energy. “Your body says, great let's use this for energy purpose,” Nmami Agarwal said.
2. Night: Storage Mode
At 11 pm, things change. As your body prepares to rest, insulin sensitivity drops. That same bowl of rice is now less likely to be used as fuel and more likely to be stored as fat. Nmami added that this difference is why “late-night snacking or late-night dinners can cause weight gain, sugar spikes, imbalance in hormones and even higher risk of insulin resistance.”
In her caption, the nutritionist summed it up perfectly: “At 11 AM, your body is in high gear, metabolism is active, and that bowl of rice becomes clean energy. But at 11 PM, your body slows down, insulin sensitivity drops, and the same rice is more likely to be stored as fat.”
She also reminded followers that your body clock is not just an idea – “It is a real metabolic switch.”
Be mindful not just of what you eat, but when you eat it. Eating earlier in the day helps your body use food more efficiently, while late-night meals can interfere with weight management and metabolic health.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
