Issue No.148: The 1-hour breakfast trick that burns visceral fat
January is my detox month each year. No alcohol, no carbs. I know! People say I’m crazy but I have been caught too many times by the December / January holiday over-indulgence and I just hate starting the year feeling like a blob – so detox it is! Bigger picture though, my annual detox is part of my research and learning about the modern science of nutrition and how very specifically what, how and when we eat can help or hinder our bodies strength, repair and regeneration. Over summer I have been reading and listening to Eat to Beat Disease: Optimising Your Health by Dr. William Li, one of the most influential voices in modern nutrition and a world renowned physician and scientist. Dr Li’s groundbreaking work focuses on how we can use food as medicine to support our body’s five key defense systems. Dr. Li argues that health isn’t just the absence of disease; it’s an active state supported by five biological systems. When we eat the right foods, we literally fire up these Five Defense Systems: Angiogenesis: Keeps blood vessels in balance, preventing tumours from being ‘fed’. Regeneration: Triggers stem cells to repair and renew tissues. The Microbiome: Supports the trillions of ‘good’ bacteria that manage immunity and mood. DNA Protection: Repairs damage caused by environmental toxins and aging. Immunity: Strengthens the cells that identify and destroy threats. Timing is Everything One of the key takeaways from Dr. Li’s work for me was that our metabolism is governed by circadian rhythms, internal clocks that dictate when we store energy and when we burn it. He is a proponent of giving your body a rest through Intermittent Fasting (IF) or time-restricted eating: The Over-Night Fast: Dr. Li suggests that the most natural time to fast is while we sleep. By extending the window between your last meal of the day and your first meal the next morning (e.g., a 14:10 or 16:8 split), you allow your insulin levels to drop. Burning ‘Harmful’ Fat: During fasting periods, the body switches from burning glucose to burning stored fat, specifically harmful visceral fat. This process also triggers autophagy, a cellular ‘spring cleaning’ where the body clears out damaged components. Circadian Rhythms: Dr. Li advises eating in alignment with your biological clock. Eating late at night can disrupt metabolism and negatively impact the gut microbiome. Dr Li’s advice for a daily routine is as follows: Breakfast: extend the burn Dr. Li views breakfast literally: ‘breaking your fast’. While you sleep, your insulin levels drop, shifting your body from fuel storage to fuel-burning mode. The Strategy: Don’t rush to eat the second you wake up. Delaying breakfast by just one hour can significantly extend your body’s natural fat-burning window, allowing you to burn more stored visceral fat before your first meal triggers insulin again. Lunch: the metabolic peak Your metabolism is generally most efficient in the middle of the day. The Strategy: Dr. Li highlights research showing that eating a bioactive food (like a tomato rich in lycopene) roughly one hour before lunch can prime your metabolism. Making lunch a substantial, nutrient-dense meal helps maintain steady energy levels and prevents the mid-afternoon slump. Dinner: The eat ‘early and light’ rule Eating late at night is one of the biggest disruptors of metabolic health. When we eat close to bedtime, the body is forced to focus on digestion rather than the deep cellular repair and fat-burning that should happen during sleep. The Strategy: Aim to finish dinner by 7:00 PM (or at least 3 hours before bed). This ensures your insulin levels have time to subside, allowing for better sleep quality and a seamless transition back into fat-burning mode overnight. So what am I doing in 2026? Firstly, I am doubling down on what Dr. Li’s, appropriately for this month in Melbourne , calls the grand slam foods: Green Tea: Boosts metabolism and DNA repair (you’ll notice a lot of green tea at Be Well!) Extra Virgin Olive Oil: High in polyphenols for heart health. Broccoli: Contains sulforaphane, a powerful anti-cancer compound. Blueberries: Rich in antioxidants that fuel stem cells. Fatty Fish: Provides Omega-3s to reduce inflammation. Secondly, I am finding it really hard to get the right amount of protein into my diet for my age and weight so I have added protein powder to my longevity supplement stack each day. Thirdly, I am inspired by Dr. Li’s research published in 2021 that regeneration is possible at any age, our stem cells (the regeneration system) can be reactivated even in your 70s or 80s through specific ‘bioactive’ foods like dark chocolate or squid ink, meaning it is never too late to reverse damage and do repair work. Here’s to eating for health, happiness and longevity! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousIssue No.147: Staying in the Liminal Zone Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia. Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.
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