Try clockwatching to beat stress

TIME Restricted Eating (TRE) — where you stop eating or drinking anything with calories a few hours before bed, and then ‘fast’ overnight for 14 hours (known as the 14:10) — gives your body a rest from digesting, absorbing and then storing food.

It also switches on autophagy, a process where the body gets rid of old or damaged cells, making way for new ones. Studies have shown that TRE can lead to modest weight loss, a reduction in blood pressure, improvements in your blood sugar levels and a better night’s sleep. And now we can add reduced risk of heart disease to this list — as new research on firefighters has shown.

Firefighters are at greater risk of being killed by a heart attack or stroke than by a fire. This seems to be due to a combination of shift work, exposure to heat (which makes the blood stickier) and stress.

A study last year from Texas State University found firefighters who stuck to a 14:10 eating regimen for six weeks had reduced levels of harmful compounds — advanced glycation end-products — in their blood, and so potentially reduced their heart disease and stroke risk.

Last month another study from the same researchers found that after eight weeks, TRE reduced firefighters’ cortisol levels and other markers of chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a sign that the immune system is on constant alert (like a fireman), and lies at the root of many serious conditions including cancer.

And even if you’re not a firefighter, it’s highly likely TRE could help switch off your internal alarm, too.