Food and the BBC

I am interested in food and rather enjoy eating^*; this is probably why I now have to diet. I remembered that the BBC used to have a television program Food and Drink (1982) and I wondered if I might like to watch such a thing. I doubt that anything quite like it is among the current lineup; it is not as if I find Saturday Kitchen (2006) compelling. Now there tends to be more in the way of cookery competitions and instructional series by chefs and the like; Food and Drink used to tell us about things like which decent ingredients we could pick up cheaply in grocery stores at the moment and what they are good for. Here in Scotland we do seem to have a Gaelic show Fuine (2016) (which might mean baking), perhaps I ought to give that a try.

^*For example, I recall that last time I visited an Indian buffet in Dundee I ate garlic naan, steamed rice, pilau rice, chicken madras, tarka dhal, okra dopiaza, shrimp kebab, thai red shrimp curry, chicken biryani then some halwa. I enjoyed it all and could have eaten more. I elected not to count calories on that day.

Timing my eating

For some years now, on most days I follow the 16:8 diet: I fast for sixteen hours and eat within the remaining eight, in practice often within only five or so. Others will choose differently for themselves and of course that is fine with me. In keeping an eye on research I have been intrigued to see hints that when one eats may matter considerably.

I typically eat a little before leaving work then more after I work out at home. However, for example, in section 2.5 of Dietary modifications for weight loss and weight loss maintenance^* M. Yannakoulia et al. suggest the possibility that, an early day chronotype in energy intake and especially allocation of a significant amount of daily energy intake at breakfast may beneficially impact weight loss. My current practice hardly takes advantage of this though I am somewhat constrained: I need to drive to work quite early in the morning to park near my office and I want to eat with my family.

Last year we heard of The Big Breakfast Study: Chrono‐nutrition influence on energy expenditure and bodyweight^† in which L. C. Ruddick-Collins et al. describe careful plans to understand how and why morning vs. evening distribution of energy intake, affects energy balance. They noted back then how, early evidence supports morning‐loaded energy distribution as a beneficial strategy for weight control, but I have yet to notice any final summary; maybe it is all still ongoing.

Given enough evidence I should consider changing my habits. Eating more earlier may overcome my issue of being unproductive before my evening meal on days that, probably relatedly, I feel both hungry and not like doing anything useful.

^*Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental 92 (2019) 153-162
^†Nutrition Bulletin 43(2) (2018) 174-183