Time Restricted Eating (TRE)
[featured-img]We have started a new regime of time restricted eating (TRE) that is like intermittent fasting (IF) but focuses more on the eating window, instead of the fasting window. The studies from the Salk Institute by Dr Satchin Panda are quite interesting, mainly focused on mice. The basic premise is based on our natural circadian rhythm ie that as soon as we eat our they have developed an app called My Circadian Rhythm for a massive human study, and Craig has joined the study and is tracking his eating window and food intake (ooh…! Look at that shiny new app!).
So far the results suggest that keeping to a 9-10 hour eating window and fasting (only water) for the other 14-15 hours is best. What is surprising is that most people don’t think they eat more than 12 hours a day, but in reality, if you start your day at even 7 am it is very easy to end up eating within a 15-hour window. This is based on a strict definition of a fast – anything other than water starts your eating window, whereas some proponents of IF say that having a black coffee or green tea is still fasting.
We started out with IF which is supposed to be same calories in, just in 7-8 hour window, and while we were in KL over Dec/ Jan Jun’s dad started doing it with us too. We stopped eating at 3 pm and started the next day at 9 am, 3 times a week. However, the latest science suggests that a 9-10 hour window is the sweet spot for humans (sorry Dad, new routine!).
With TRE we simply don’t eat until 10 am, have our dinner at the usual time of 6.30pm, and finishing by 7 pm. We don’t worry so much about the time, just try to keep within those approximate hours.
Craig thinks the TRE for 5 days a week is better than IF for 3 days, and much more sustainable to manage longer term. However it is probably because he is training for the marathon, so requires more sustenance especially after a long run. Jun thinks either one is easily achievable (good to feel hungry once in a while). Given a choice, we would eat earlier as Ethan’s bedtime is 8.30, but our life this year hasn’t always allowed for a strict routine.
So far, have noticed less need for sleep, and seen improvements in energy. We’ll update in a few weeks.
Jun & Craig Lambie
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