Perfect timing

When you do something could be just as important as what you do if you want to reap the full health benefits, studies suggest. Kim Jones looks into it and finds the best (and worst) times of day

Go for a walk first thing

Morning walks can be good for your blood pressure.

A study published in the Journal of Hypertension found that taking a 30-minute walk in the morning lowered blood pressure in participants for the rest of the day. If they also took frequent three-minute walks during the rest of the day, results were even better.

■ Avoid: There’s no bad time to stride out. Regular walking is one of the best exercises there is – it can keep your heart and immune system healthy, cut your risk of stroke, zap stress levels and low mood, burn calories and tone your bottom and legs. So take a hike whenever you can.

Take vitamin D with brekkie

Vitamin D helps the body absorb bone-boosting calcium, and sun exposure is the most important natural source. But in the UK, the sun’s rays just aren’t strong enough for us to make vitamin D all year round, so taking a D3 supplement is recommended.

As it is fat-soluble, it’s best absorbed into the body when taken with high-fat breakfast foods such as full-fat yogurt, nuts (in muesli), eggs or avocado.

■ Avoid: Taking the supplement on an empty stomach, as this will lower the absorption rate.

Drink coffee at 9.30am

While many of us look forward to that first sip of coffee as soon as we wake, we may be better off waiting a little longer to get its full benefits.

That’s because your blood cortisol levels, the hormone that naturally increases your alertness, are highest just after you wake and for the following hour or so. Then they slowly decline through the rest of the day.

So having your caffeine as soon as you wake is pointless if you’re drinking it to give you an energy boost – your body is already doing that naturally for you. It’s wiser to wait a couple of hours, until around 9.30am, when your cortisol levels have dropped and you could do with a pick-me-up.

■ Avoid: Coffee late afternoon. Caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine, a brain chemical thought to be involved in promoting sleep. The effects can take eight hours to wear off, so a cup of coffee this late could interfere with falling asleep later.

Snack when you’re hungry

Eating between meals isn’t all bad – it can actually help curb cravings, prevent overeating and add important nutrients to your diet. Just swerve salty, sugary foods and go for something rich in vitamins, protein or healthy fats such as a piece of fruit, wholegrain toast with peanut butter, or unsalted nuts.

■ Avoid: Snacking after breakfast. A study in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that women dieters who snacked between breakfast and lunch (10.30am to 11.29am) lost less weight than those who skipped snacking at this time. They were also more likely to have more than one snack a day compared with women who snacked in the afternoon or evening.

Nap at about 2pm

If you’ve had a poor night’s sleep, then a short nap can help refresh you and make up the deficit the next day. Taken at the right time, it

shouldn’t impact on your sleep that night, either. Between the hours of 1 and 3pm we experience a small dip in core body temperature, which acts as a signal to the brain to release melatonin, the sleep hormone. To work with this natural dip in your circadian rhythm, the ideal nap time might be around 2pm. But keep the nap short – just 10 to 20 minutes and never longer than 30. After this, you enter a deeper stage that’s difficult to wake from and can leave you feeling groggy and more tired than before. It will probably interfere with your nighttime sleep too.

■ Avoid: a late afternoon or early evening nap. This can decrease your homeostatic sleep drive – the body’s natural urge to sleep that builds up in us steadily in the day.

Go food shopping after eating an apple

Researchers from US Cornell University gave people either an apple, a biscuit or no snack at the supermarket before sending them food shopping.

They found that those who had the apple bought 28 per cent more good-for-you fruit and veg than those who had the biscuit, and 25 per cent more than those who had no snack.

Eating something healthy primes you – or motivates you – to choose more healthy foods.

■ Avoid: Shopping when you’re hungry. Research has found shopping on an empty stomach can lead lots of us to choose more unhealthy foods and larger portions, including foods we can eat immediately.

Eat dinner at 7.13pm

According to a new study from the University of Teramo, Italy, this is the perfect time to dine. Researchers examined eating habits of people in their 90s and those over 100 living in the region of Abruzzo. As well as eating at this time in the evening, they also had a gap of 17.5 hours between dinner and the following day’s lunch, with minimum calorie intake in-between. This sort of eating pattern supports findings that intermittent fasting (a period of zero or lower calorific intake for a certain number of hours each day) can boost health.

■ Avoid: Late-night suppers. Other studies have shown that eating late at night is associated with increased incidence of cardiovascular disease, such as stroke or heart failure.

Take certain statins in the evening

Short-acting statins have a half-life of less than six hours – that’s the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body. A review of studies found that cholesterol-lowering short-acting statins such as these are more effective at lowering LDL cholesterol when taken in the evening. That’s because cholesterol-producing enzymes are more active at night. Long-acting statins, however, take more time to be processed by the body and work well whether taken in the morning or evening. You should ask your doctor if you don’t know which type you take or for more guidance.

■ Avoid: First thing in the morning for taking your short-acting statins.

Take hay fever meds at lights out

Once-daily antihistamines start working within an hour but reach their peak effectiveness about eight to 12 hours after you take them.

So taking them before you sleep should put you in a better position to fight the morning sniffles.

■ Avoid: Taking them as a reflex action when you’re already sneezing and with a runny nose and itching eyes. Antihistamines work best when you take them regularly as a preventative measure, before symptoms occur.

Head to bed between 10-11pm

Scientists examined the nighttime habits of more than 88,000 people aged 43-79 and found those who hit the hay between these hours were less likely to develop heart disease in the following five-and-a-half years.

The figures come from research published in the European Heart Journal Digital Health.

■ Avoid: The study found that night owls who retired past midnight had a 25 per cent higher chance of developing heart problems, potentially because it could mean they don’t see morning light to reset their body clock. Heading to bed before 10pm was linked with a 24 per cent higher risk too. It’s thought going to bed too early or too late may be more likely to disrupt the body clock and have adverse effects on cardiovascular health.