Speaker 1 0:00

Hello and welcome back to another episode of a Healthy Shift podcast . Now , in this episode today , I'm going to talk about a topic which I hear everyone on the internet . All of those influencers are all saying that it doesn't matter what we eat or when , because it all comes down to calorie deficit . Now , while I would argue that that is actually the case calorie deficit because you have to be in a deficit to lose weight today I am actually going to look right into and give you the reasons why I say when you eat does matter .

Speaker 1 0:43

Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be . Welcome to a healthy shift . My name is Roger Sutherland , certified Nutritionist , veteran Law Enforcement Officer and 24-7 shift worker for almost four decades . Through this podcast , I aim to educate shift workers , using evidence-based methods , to not only survive the rigours of shift work , but thrive . My goal is to empower shift workers to improve their health and wellbeing so they have more energy to do the things they love . Enjoy today's show and welcome back to A Healthy Shift , the podcast where I empower shift workers to thrive and not just survive .

Speaker 1 1:28

I'm your host , roger Sutherland , and as a veteran shift worker with over 40 years of experience , I know firsthand just how challenging it can be to keep your health on track while navigating those odd hours and those goddamn demanding schedules those odd hours and those goddamn demanding schedules . Now , today , we're dealing with one of the most important topics that I honestly and sincerely believe . It's one of two of the most important topics that often gets overlooked , but it plays a massive role in your overall health and wellbeing as a shift worker , and that is food timing . Yes , when you eat is just as important as what you eat , and getting this right can have a powerful impact on your energy levels , on your mental clarity and on your mental metabolic health as well . So listen carefully , but then what I'll do is I'm just going to simplify it right down at the very , very end so that you can just listen to the reasons , but I'll give you a totally pragmatic approach as to the reason why this makes such a big difference . All right , so you'll understand why , and then I'll give you the solution . Now , I know you've heard a lot about what to eat . We need plenty of whole foods , we need proteins , we need fats , we need complex carbs , but how often do we really talk about the importance of when to eat , especially during those night shifts . Well , today I'm changing that , and I would ask you to share this podcast with anybody that's prepared to listen , because this makes a huge difference .

Speaker 1 3:04

Before we go on , the first thing that I want you to understand is I really want you to understand circadian rhythms and food timing . So let's get into that to start off with . So let's kick off by talking about those circadian rhythms . Now , I know it sounds really really fancy , but it's really just your body's natural biological clock . It is the internal rhythm that tells you when to sleep , when to be alert and , yes , even when is optimal to eat . Now , our bodies are naturally designed to follow this 24-hour cycle , which is based on dark and also on light . During the day , when we are exposed to that blue light or that light , your body is alert , melatonin is suppressed , your insulin sensitivity is really high , and what this means is the glucose can get into the cells to be burnt and digestion is firing on all cylinders . But at night , once it goes dark or it should be dark your body starts producing melatonin . Now , melatonin , as I've discussed in previous podcasts , is the hormone that notifies the rest of our body that it is dark outside and prepares the body to rest . Now , remember , it's not a sleeping hormone . It is actually a hormone that signals to the body that it's dark and to shut down and actually rest . And this is where the confusion about it being a sleep hormone comes from . Now , this is where the idea of dim light , melatonin onset , or DILMO is what the term that we use comes in . Now , dilmo is the period when your body prepares to wind down for sleep . It's important to note that this occurs to majority of people around about 8.30 to 9 o'clock at night , and what happens is your digestion and your metabolism slow right down .

Speaker 1 5:08

Now , eating during this time ? Well , it can mess things up big time , which leads to poor blood sugar regulation , reduced insulin sensitivity , which means far greater fat storage . And this is my argument as to why food timing eating at the right times is so important for us shift workers . If you're eating when your body is expecting to be resting , you are setting yourself up for metabolic chaos . Now , it's not about perfection , please . I want you to understand this . I'm only explaining to you what is actually optimal . It's about understanding how your body works and giving it your body the best chance to support you . So what is the impact of eating at the wrong time .

Speaker 1 5:59

So let's dig into what happens when we eat at the wrong times , because when we eat during the night shift or late into the evening can cause chaos on our system . First of all , our blood sugar regulation . It takes a serious hit . Your body is pretty good at handling sugar during the day , thanks to insulin , but after DILMO your insulin sensitivity actually drops . Now what happens is the pancreas , because once melatonin hits the pancreas , it secretes less insulin . Now to explain this in carbohydrates in that diet go into your bloodstream , the pancreas secretes insulin which transports that glucose in your bloodstream into the muscles to be burnt . At night , that pancreas is shut down and it does not produce as much insulin . So therefore , and also as it gets to the cell , the cells are actually resistant to actually taking anything on because it thinks the body is resting . Now this is important because what this means is your body isn't as efficient as processing that glucose . Now this leads to those goddamn blood sugar spikes and then crashes .

Speaker 1 7:21

You ever noticed on night shift , all you crave is carbs , get some energy , but then you crash again , which means we repeat the same behavior . Now you've probably felt this before a big energy crash in the middle of your shift after you've grabbed a late night snack , and then bang , you crash again . Then there's insulin sensitivity itself , which is the key to keeping things running very smoothly in your body . Now , when your insulin sensitivity is high , your body can pull the glucose out of the blood and use it for energy . But when you eat during the biological night , insulin just doesn't work as well , and that can lead does lead to more fat storage , and no one wants that . And then , finally , we've got fat metabolism . Eating late at night , particularly during or after dim light melatonin onset , means that your body is much more likely to store fat instead of burning it . Now , studies have shown that eating later in the evening can lead to a higher body fat percentage , so timing your meals earlier in the day is key to keeping your metabolism humming along efficiently .

Speaker 1 8:38

So what are some practical strategies for shift workers ? What is there that you can do today ? Now that we know why food timing matters , let's talk about how to make it work for you as a shift worker . Now , I know that your schedule is unpredictable . I totally understand that . But I've got some practical strategies that you can literally start using today to keep your metabolism working in your favor . First strategy eat at regular times whenever possible . Remember I'm saying whenever possible . Aim to eat during the day when your body's insulin sensitivity is at its peak . This is not during the first part of the daylight day , the biological day . So from day break right the way through until about three o'clock in the afternoon is when it's optimal .

Speaker 1 9:36

If you're working a night shift , try and have your main meal before your shift starts , preferably before that 6 pm , when your body can handle food a lot better . The next strategy is to eat well before your shift Now , ideally . Here is where we want to have a balanced meal that is full of nutrients , at least an hour or so before your shift kicks off , at least an hour or so before your shift kicks off . Focus on proteins and healthy fats and also on complex carbohydrates to keep you feeling full and energized . That way , you won't get this spike and crash . Having a piece of toast with some Vegemite on it or some peanut butter on it and going to work is not going to solve this problem . This is where you get that spike and that crash . What we want to be doing here is focusing on a good lean protein meal with vegetables and also with some healthy fats with it as well , olive oil , etc . Now , that way you won't be reaching all the time for that sugar . Hit those chips , those chocolates , those lollies damn , jenny and her cake , we won't be looking for it because we will be full .

Speaker 1 10:54

Now another tip , and this is my biggest tip , and I've actually written and released an e-book around this which you can get on the website . I'll talk about that in a minute . What we need to do is we need to fast after DILMO . So once you're in to the thick of your night shift , from about nine to 10 o'clock , you need to be fasting . Avoid eating anything during your body's biological night . Your digestive system has basically clocked off for the day . It's been going all day it's clocked off . So eating during this time can cause those blood sugar spikes and crashes that we talked about .

Speaker 1 11:32

And if you're hungry , just stick to water or herbal teas , or even a small amount of black coffee will help you to get through . Now I'm not talking about smashing lattes all night . I'm just talking about just having like 50 milligrams of caffeine over the course of about two hours can be enormously beneficial . It'll keep that hunger at bay . It will give you a little bit of caffeine to help keep you going , and it will also prevent you from actually eating . But hey , if you absolutely need something to get through the night , just keep it light and keep it simple . Maybe just a handful of nuts or a boiled egg , something that is super easy to digest , that won't mess with your system too much . And remember , your system is sleeping . So avoid those heavy processed foods that will leave you feeling sluggish . Your body is not ready for it , it doesn't know what to do with it and therefore your body's own night shift will actually just park it as body fat , which is what happens Now . Lastly I cannot stress this enough Please plan ahead .

Speaker 1 12:39

Shift workers are busy and sometimes the last thing that you want to do is think about what you're going to eat . But by prepping your meals ahead of time , you can actually avoid grabbing those quick and less than nutritious snacks during your shift . Stick to whole , unprocessed foods that give your body what it actually needs . All right , my final thoughts around this . Some small changes can make a really big impact . So what's the big takeaway here ? Timing matters . By being mindful of when you eat , you can make a huge difference to your energy levels , your mood and also , more importantly , your long-term health . It's all about working with your body's natural rhythms , even when your schedule actually doesn't Remember . It's not about perfection , I get it . Shift work is really really hard and sometimes you just need to eat when you can . But if you can start by making small and consistent changes , like having that main meal earlier in the day and or fasting after DILMO , you'll be giving your body the absolute best chance to thrive .

Speaker 1 13:54

I highly recommend that shift workers eat at the breakfast , lunch and dinner time of their day . Walking colleagues , it's the absolute best way to go . Oh , but , rog , I'm on night shift and I'm sleeping during the day , so I can't have lunch . Skip it , it doesn't matter , miss lunch , but still make sure that you're having your main meals at the normal breakfast and the normal dinner time . What we need to do and if I ever gave anyone the best possible hint that I could give them around shift work eat at the normal day walker times the breakfast time , lunch time and dinner time . Your body is actually prepped and ready for you to eat then and have your larger meals earlier in the day , when your body is performing at its absolute optimal . All right , keep that in mind . That's what it's really really important about and that's what we're all about here at A Healthy Shift . I want to help you to thrive and not just survive . So if you're ready to take control of your health , start by taking control of your food timing today .

Speaker 1 15:04

Now , if you go to my website and go down to healthyshiftcom that is ahealthysh shift all one word com and if you go right down to the very bottom of the webpage there , you will see in the bottom menu that there is actually a link to my circadian fast book . It's a free download . You can download that book and it explains the overnight fast . It also even teaches you how to structure the overnight fast for optimal . It also tells you what there is If you're one of those people that can't fast overnight . It gives you hints as to what sort of foods that you can actually have . There's also a couple of cheeky recipes in there that might actually help you to get through the night as well . So keep that in mind . Something really really important Go to the website , healthyshiftcom , download the book and just have a read and understand it . Coupled with this podcast where I explain it , you'll understand better why when we eat actually matters .

Speaker 1 16:06

All right , thanks for tuning in and I'll catch you next time . Please don't forget to actually follow the podcast . Go to your app and hit follow , and don't forget to turn your notifications on so that you know when episodes drop . Leave a review and share this episode with anyone who could use a little shift work . Support , take care and , as always , stay healthy out there . Shift workers . Thank you for listening . If you enjoyed this episode , be sure to subscribe so you get notified whenever a new episode is released . It would also be ever so helpful if you could leave a rating and review on the app you're currently listening on . If you want to know more about me or work with me , you can go to ahealthyshiftcom . I'll catch you on the next one .