What time you eat is every bit as important as what you eat when it comes to your general wellbeing, according to recent research funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).5 When you eat at an unusual time of day, researchers found a protein called ‘period’ is triggered, which disrupts the circadian rhythm of cells and, in turn, increases the risk of a number of health concerns, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. For night workers, or jet lag sufferers, the researchers suggest timing your meals as consistently as possible.