Traditionally, we consumed food twice a day, Take the example of our ancestors who farmed. After completing the first work shift early morning, they ate food by 11 am and then took a nap, got back to work and returned home before sunset, and ate the next meal. That was the natural lifestyle. No snacking in between. 2 solid meals/day.
Consider the body clock based on Circadian Rhythm where 24 hours are divided into 3 parts:
A] 12 noon to 8 pm – when the sun is up, digestion is aided – building phase – we consume food
B] 8 pm to 4 am – repair phase – we don’t consume food
C] 4 am to 12 noon – elimination phase – we abstain from consuming heavy, difficult to digest food
That’s why it is recommended to consume fruits in the morning, whenever hungry, as they are easy to digest, give us energy and don’t obstruct the elimination cycle.
That being said, we in India don’t have to wait till 12 noon to break the fast as the sun is up early. We can start our eating phase by 9/10 am whenever hungry and finish it by sunset with dinner, 2-3 hrs before bedtime so that there is no undigested food when we go to sleep.