Go 12 Hours Without Eating

“Eat like a king in the morning, a prince at noon, and a peasant at dinner.”
​Maimonides (1135–1204), a medieval Jewish philosopher/doctor

The seventh and final behaviour in our Eat Better Strategy is straightforward: Go 12 hours without eating.

Eliminating the extra calories from nighttime snacking may be the most significant impact for many, but embracing 12 hour daily fasts aligns with two principles derived from human evolution - circadian rhythms and fasting physiology.

The earth’s predictable, 24 hour, light/dark (diurnal) cycle has led evolution to develop circadian rhythms.

The light part of the cycle activates many genes while turning off others, preparing our body for what the day holds:

• activity
• exertion
• movement
• stress
• eating
• digestion

At night, the process reverses with the active daytime genes shutting down and others activating, setting our system up for the expected nighttime activities:

• sleep
• rest
• recovery
• memory formation and consolidation

Up to 40% of our genes are affected by the diurnal rhythm.  Light is the dominant trigger,  but the presence or absence of food also plays a key role.

Bottom Line:  our bodies expect food in the daytime and fasting in the evening - evolution has designed us this way.

Above and beyond the timing of eating, going without eating can trigger biological processes of repair and restoration collectively known as fasting physiology.

From an evolutionary perspective, the ability to survive periods of starvation makes sense.  Cells reprogram themselves during periods of fasting; recycling damaged intracellular proteins and organelles such as mitochondria. This process, called autophagy, provides energy and building blocks for cellular maintenance.  Suppression of autophagy is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, ageing and cancer.

Research has demonstrated that intermittent fasting (IF) provides many benefits:

• improve cardiovascular function - decrease blood pressure, reduced resting heart rate, increase parasympathetic tone
• decreased oxidative stress
• improve insulin sensitivity - lower blood sugars
• reduce oxidative stress
• reduce inflammation
• reduce visceral fat
• reduce body fat (while preserving lean muscle mass)
• improve lipid profiles
• improve cognition - increased neurotrophic factor production, improved synaptic plasticity, improve neuroendocrine response

Consistently going 12 hours without food will likely provide many of these benefits and provide you with the foundation for IF.

Before trying IF, we recommend that you follow the Eat Better Strategy principles for 4-6 weeks.


If you are taking medications - please check with your doctor and develop a plan before initiating intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating.

The EAT Better Strategy:

1. Build your meals around a healthy protein package
2. Load up on veggies, fruits, legume, and whole grains
3. Balance your meals with healthy fats
4. Avoid ultra-processed foods
5. Only drink the calories you love - learn to love water
6. Stop eating when you are 80% full
7. Go 12 hours without eating

Putting It All Together

Need help applying this to your busy life?
Get a personalized nutrition plan to gain clarity and improve your health:
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The  TARGET Nutrition Plan takes a personalized, evidence-based approach to help you make better choices.  Our nutritionists assess what you are currently doing and provide you with a personalized plan (including meal plans).  Everything you need to transform your diet.​
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