Daylight Saving Time: Why You Should Eat Sugar at Lunch

The shift to winter time in the early hours of Sunday, October 25, 2026, disrupts more than just sleep schedules, altering how the human body processes starches and sugars due to hormonal changes triggered by a reduction in daylight, aufeminin.com reported. This time change between the night of Saturday 24 and the morning of Sunday 25 October 2026 is highlighted by Belgian nutritionist Chantal van der Brempt, who notes its impact on our biological clock.

Biological Impact of the October 2026 Time Change on Digestion

When clocks turn back one hour, the resulting loss of daylight exposure prompts the body to produce higher levels of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep cycles. According to Belgian nutritionist Chantal van der Brempt, speaking to RTBF and cited by aufeminin.com, this surge in melatonin acts as a temporary halt on the body’s sugar-processing mechanisms during evening hours by stating that this time shift induced by the transition to winter time between the night of Saturday 24 and the morning of Sunday 25 October 2026 is going to play on the way we are going to use our starches and sugars.

The pancreas curtails its insulin production as melatonin levels rise in the evening, diminishing the body’s capacity to handle heavy loads of carbohydrates and sweets. Van der Brempt noted that consuming heavy desserts or sugary foods during the evening diner leads to poorer blood sugar regulation and an increased tendency for the body to store fats during this transition period. Daylight has a biochemical effect and transmits messages to our organism via our hormones, while the time change reduces our exposure time to this essential light.

Adjusting Evening Meal Times to Counter Jet Lag

To help the digestive system cope with the autumnal time shift, experts advise consuming sugary items earlier in the day during lunch rather than at dinner. Because the body’s internal clock remains temporarily misaligned with the new time zone, feelings of hunger often emerge earlier than usual during the transition days.

Van der Brempt recommends shifting the evening meal forward by a full hour on Sunday—moving dinner from 7:00 PM to 6:00 PM—to maintain established biological rhythms. For individuals constrained by daily routines and evening schedules, a more gradual adjustment involves advancing dinner by 30 minutes on the transition day to ease the body into the new schedule without forcing abrupt changes to normal habits.