Is Eating Late Making You Age Faster? (Small Habits, Big Difference #3)

Small Habits…Big Difference! Habit #3

What time do you take your last bite of food each day?

Be honest now! I'm talking about that bowl of ice cream at 9:30 while the news is on. 😂

I've been reading The Eternal Norse by Astrid and Erik Halvorsen, and I'm sharing some of the everyday habits that might be worth changing as we get older.

Last time, we talked about how the way you sleep may be leaving its mark on your face.

Well…here's Habit #3.

When you eat may matter almost as much as what you eat!

We tend to think of nighttime as the time our bodies shut down.

But that's not quite the whole story.

At night, our body slows down digestion and starts repairing itself.

It's a little like the farm after the sun goes down. The field work stops, and that's when you fix what broke during the day so you're ready for tomorrow.

Now picture this.

You're all set to work on that equipment, and somebody pulls up with another load that has to be unloaded right now.

The repair work has to wait.

That's what happens when we eat late at night. The body has to stop repairing and go back to work digesting.

Here's the part that really got my attention.

When we eat late, our blood sugar can still be up when we go to bed. And high blood sugar at night causes faster aging.

It happens through something called glycation.

That's a big word, so let me explain it the way I understand it.

Glycation is what happens when extra sugar in the bloodstream sticks to proteins and fats in our bodies, including the collagen that keeps our skin firm and our blood vessels flexible. Once that sugar attaches, those proteins get stiff and don't work the way they're supposed to. Our cells get damaged in the process.

Scientists even call the end products AGEs (advanced glycation end products). You can't make that up!

The best way I can describe it is rust on metal.

Anybody who has left a plow or a disc sitting out in the weather knows what I'm talking about. Rust doesn't show up overnight. It creeps in a little at a time, and before long that piece of equipment is stiff, weak, and not much good to anybody.

Glycation works quietly like that inside our bodies.

And a late-night snack, night after night, gives it more to work with.

There are two simple things worth trying.

Folks who grew up around farms will remember when the big meal of the day was "dinner" at noon, and "supper" was something lighter.

Those old-timers may have been onto something!

Eating your biggest meal earlier gives your body the rest of the day to put that food to use instead of carrying it to bed with you.

If you head to bed at 10:00, that means the kitchen closes at 8:00.

That's it. No fancy diet. No special equipment.

Just give your body a couple of hours to finish digesting before it starts its night shift.

Now, a word of caution. If you have diabetes, take medication that needs to be taken with food, or your doctor has told you to eat at certain times, follow your doctor's advice. This is something to talk over with them, not something to force.

On the farm, timing was everything.

Plant too early and a late frost gets you. Harvest too late and the weather does.

You could do everything else right and still lose out because the timing was wrong.

I'm starting to think our bodies aren't all that different.

The same meal at noon and at 10:00 at night may not do the same work.

Small habits…big difference!

Let me be clear about something.

I love food. I love sitting around the table with family and friends. And if you've ever been to one of our church barbecues, you know I'm not about to stop eating! 😂

This isn't about skipping meals or going hungry.

It's about moving the clock a little.

I want to stay active, stay healthy, enjoy my family, spend time with my grandson, and keep learning new things for as long as the good Lord allows.

That's one reason I've become interested in health and wellness and why I'm involved with Zilara, a company offering wellness products in forms such as liquids, powders, tinctures, and teas.

I'm not looking for miracles or overnight transformations.

I'm interested in learning about practical ways to support our health as we get older…and sharing what I discover.

If you're curious about Zilara, you can explore it through a free 72-hour tour:

https://zilaratour.com/bill

No pressure. Just take a look and decide for yourself. (I earn a commission if you join through my link; your price doesn't change.)

Tonight, pay attention to the clock when you take your last bite of the day.

Then look at what time you go to bed.

Is there a two-hour gap?

If not, try closing the kitchen a little earlier this week.

And maybe make tomorrow's noon meal the big one.

One little change.

One little habit.

And who knows? Maybe your body will finally get to finish its repair work!

Now, I have a question for you…

👉 Are you a LATE-NIGHT SNACKER or do you CLOSE THE KITCHEN early?

Leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, keep learning, keep taking care of yourself, and…

Just keep moving forward!

Bill Feaver

Small Habits…Big Difference! A series about simple changes that may help us live healthier, more active lives as we age.