There have been plenty of studies that both highlight the benefits the intermittent fasting—because that is what this is, shortening your eating window—and its drawbacks for various age groups. Dr. Antoun notes that eating earlier forms the basis of The Longevity Diet, a clinically backed way of eating based on decades of research by Dr. Valter Longo, analyzing the eating and lifestyle habits of the world’s healthiest, longest-lived populations. The emphasis is on plant-based foods, healthy fats, low sugar, and moderate protein intake, with a focus on consumption in the earlier part of the day.
There’s no disputing that protein is in fashion too—cottage cheese in all of its forms and recipe hacks are all over the TikTok FYP, and everything on the supermarket shelf has been protein-ified. And while there’s no one-size-fits-all rule for your protein consumption, timing can be just as important as how much you’re consuming. So is eating your steak frites at 5:30 p.m. going to affect your protein goals? For these Gen Z dusk diners, maybe.
“During our first two decades of human life, higher protein supports growth and development,” explains Dr. Antoun, “but around age 18, our biology shifts: excessive protein, especially from animal sources, can overstimulate nutrient-sensing pathways like mTOR and IGF-1, which accelerate aging.” Between ages 18 and 65, Dr. Antoun says experts generally recommend keeping protein to ~0.8 to 1.1 g per kilogram of body weight per day, leaning toward plant-based sources. Convenient, clinically formulated options, like protein powders and bars, “can help meet daily needs while supporting muscle health and longevity goals, without overshooting the body’s optimal protein range.”
Many in the Gen Z generation are currently in the “slow the aging” window, as Dr. Antoun calls it—where their lifestyle choices and health habits will impact their aging and vitality. It’s now that these earlier dinners—preferably that are balanced, plant-forward, and protein-rich—can “help meet their needs for muscle maintenance and recovery, while keeping those aging pathways in check,” he says. “Combined with the circadian benefits of eating earlier, it’s a simple but powerful longevity habit.”
So what is the sweet spot for dinner time? Dr. Antoun puts it between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and ideally, about 3 to 4 hours before sleep. “That window gives your body time to fully digest before overnight cellular repair kicks in,” he says. Breakfast—when you “break fast”—ideally happens within the first one to two hours of waking “to set your circadian clock and stabilize energy,” while lunch should be taken in the middle of the day, “when calorie utilization and metabolic efficiency are at their peak.”
