Kareena Kapoor says she has dinner by 6.30 pm, sleeps by 9.30 pm and wakes up fresh real early to finish her exercise quota for the day. (Photo: Kareena Kapoor Khan/Instagram)Actor Kareena Kapoor Khan attributes her fitness at 44 to her almost monastic discipline. Not known to rely on cosmetic interventions, she would much rather keep to a diet, do strength training and yoga and sleep on time to get her full eight hours. In a recent interview, she says she has dinner by 6.30 pm, sleeps by 9.30 pm and wakes up fresh real early to finish her exercise quota for the day.“Ideally, having dinner at 6.30 pm aligns closely with the circadian rhythm or the body’s response mechanism that aligns its functions with the diurnal cycle from sunrise to sunset. Although many of us may not have the luxury of sleeping too early given our work and commute schedules, at least we can try to have an early dinner even while at work. It’s the best way to reset the body metabolism, the process by which the body processes energy from food,” says Ritika Samaddar, regional head, clinical nutrition and dietetics, Max Healthcare.Why dinner at 6.30 pm can make for a good eating windowAny form of intermittent fasting can seem like an effort to conform to. But this can give a 12-14 hour fasting window very easily, much of it while sleeping. An early dinner also takes out the evening snack break.What are health benefits?The body’s hormones are active during the day and slow down by the evening, ensuring the body functions at its best in the waking hours. Digestion is better because you can allow yourself a three-hour gap before falling asleep. So there is no acidity, fullness or gas. For people who have digestive issues, eating earlier reduces the likelihood of the backflow of the stomach contents into the esophagus.Research has shown that eating an early dinner improves insulin sensitivity. Eating earlier may help you burn more calories at rest. A study found that people who ate dinner later also stored fat differently and had higher levels of hunger. The logic is simple. When sleep overlaps digestion, which happens if you eat late and sleep soon after, the body tends to have more difficulty processing sugars and fats. This leads to weight gain.When you have early dinner in sync with your natural body clock, the sleep hormone melatonin functions at its best. Good sleep reduces chronic diseases.Early dinner means energetic morningsGiven your full quota of sleep, you feel lighter and more energetic. You wake up early and can use the most productive time of the day. There is enough time left to have a balanced breakfast and not rush with a cup of coffee, tea and biscuits or toast. If walking early, a glass of lime water or plain water suffices when you wake up. If doing a workout, have a quick-releasing carb like a banana before your routines.Story continues below this adThe best time to eat will ultimately depend on every person’s schedule but a consistent meal plan definitely helps in programming body rhythms in such a way that chronic diseases are kept at bay. I would suggest keeping the dinner window open between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm for some flexibility.© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Kareena Kapoor Khan