How meals this weekend can impact your daylight saving recovery

As daylight saving time ends, your diet can significantly influence how well your body adjusts to the time change and the resulting disruption to your circadian rhythm. The one-hour shift, while providing an extra hour of sleep, can lead to jet lag-like symptoms such as grogginess, hunger swings, and mood changes, particularly for vulnerable groups like shift workers, children, teens, older adults, and those with existing health conditions. Experts recommend several dietary strategies to aid in this recovery. Starting the day with a protein-rich breakfast, like eggs or yogurt, helps stabilize blood sugar and signals to the body that it's time to be awake, promoting consistent energy levels. It's also advised to eliminate sugary, refined carbohydrates that cause energy dips. Eating dinner earlier, for the first three to four nights after the time change, can help re-establish the body's internal clock, as meal timing is a key signal for the circadian system. Incorporating melatonin-boosting foods such as turkey, cherries, pumpkin seeds, and kiwi into your diet can also improve sleep quality and facili... download the app to read more