Snacking late at night: a habit you should embrace rather than be embarrassed about!
Jul 25, 2021ir. Yvana van den HorkRelaxation and sleep, Digestion & digestive tract, Fat loss, Nutrition
Snacking late at night: a habit you should embrace rather than be embarrassed about!
One of the most persistent food myths that are still lingering around and is almost universally believed, is how eating late at night is bad for you: you will gain fat, sleep poorly and suffer from gastric distress.
Since the early 2000s I grew accustomed to eating a late night meal of dairy protein before going to bed because it helped me to fall asleep more easily, especially after strenuous exercise in daytime.
My partner would not eat that very same meal before regular bedtime, but eat it after waking up after his first sleep cycle at around 3-4am.
While both of us used to stick to quark in the past due to its higher protein content , we now prefer yoghurt because of the live probiotics in it, and may add extra protein powder to raise its protein content when we aren't eating skyr yoghurt.
Since starting on this habit I've been annoyed by hearing this perpetual nonsense and would love to put this myth at rest.
Whether or not eating late at night is good for you or not depends on the quantity and quality of the food you eat eating throughout the day.
Most people who do snack at night, don't make healthy choices, and go for that tub of ice cream, that bar of chocolate or bag of crisps, which is why eating late at night got such a bad reputation.
However, time doesn’t really matter.
Taking cues from your body and eating a balanced plate are far more important than what time you eat. It If you are not hungry at other people's 'usual' mealtime, then just don't eat if you’re not hungry,” Other than that, the time of day really doesn’t matter. As long as you’re hungry, it’s a good time.
So, don’t dismiss those hunger pangs. Pay attention to your body’s other signals that you may be hungry.
Sometimes you don’t even feel that belly growling. It might be a dip in energy or it might be this feeling that you have an emptiness in your stomach.
Benefits to eating a night-time snack
Improves overnight muscle synthesis
One of the common reasons you've heard that you shouldn't eat before bed is that it will cause you to gain weight. And sure, binging on snacks in bed isn't great for your waistline. But it turns out that night-time meals can actually help you improve your body's appearance.
A study in 2015 found that a bedtime snack helped men synthesize muscle in their sleep. The researchers of the study recommended limiting the meal to 150 calories for the best effects. A study published in 2017 suggests 40 grams of protein for your nightly meals. That's a little more than 150 calories, but sticking to proteins is still a good idea.
However you fill your 150 calories, the good news is you're not gaining weight from it. And if you are, it's muscle weight. Now that's the kind of weight you want to gain, right? The type of weight that makes your body look toned and fit, not soft.
Improves your morning metabolism
If you're concerned about gaining weight, then you don't want to neglect your metabolism. It's the process that your body uses to convert food into energy. When it's not functioning at its fullest, your body will store more fat. So if you want to lose weight, you want to ensure that your metabolism is functioning at its best.
Recent studies show eating before has a bed positive impact on the metabolism in the morning. Both healthy men and women who had obesity, according to the Nutrients study, had improved metabolisms from bedtime meals. The study showed that eating a small snack before bed causes the metabolism to kick into gear by morning. So when you eat breakfast, your body will have an easier time turning your food to energy.
A 2014 study had similar results. The participants — active men — showed increased metabolic activity in the morning. This study noted improved metabolic impacts of eating different proteins and carbs, which means that you don't have to limit your snack to a protein bar to get this benefit.
Improves your morning appetite
It might sound counterintuitive, but eating before bed can make you less hungry for breakfast in the morning. If your goal is to lose weight, then reducing your appetite is a good start. So while a pre-bed snack sounds like more food, it may not be as long as you listen to your reduced appetite come breakfast.
The study examined the capacity for late night meals to reduce morning hunger. The researchers focused on populations of men who were healthy and athletic and women who had obesity. There was evidence of glycemic blowbacks in the females studied, but regular workouts combated this effect. Still, additional studies need to be done on other populations, such as healthy women, before claims can be made.
Another study focused on women who had obesity. They observed the same side effects as the other study. The article noted the reduction of morning appetite following consumption of a bedtime snack. Research continues to provide evidence that eating at night may reduce your morning appetite.
Some foods help you sleep
One of the benefits of eating before bed that isn't all about weight is its ability to help you sleep. You may not realize this, but some foods contain nutrients that improve sleep function. So if you eat a snack packed with melatonin, for example, you'll likely have an easier time falling asleep. In some cases, it'll even help you stay asleep. From personal experience, I can confirm that almost everytime a late night meal is skipped, I'd either have problems falling asleep or staying asleep, which was exactly why I'd started this habit.
A study in 2017 looked at the melatonin levels of certain foods and found that snacks with additions such as nuts and wheat supply a good amount of melatonin. Melatonin plays a vital role in falling and staying asleep — something particularly helpful for those suffering from insomnia.
Melatonin is a hormone made in your body that regulates your sleep cycle, with levels going up at night and coming down in the morning. Many people supplement with melatonin to improve sleep, but adding foods that contain the natural hormone may work just as well.
If you don't have insomnia, there are still reasons to make sure you're getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation causes weight gain. So you might want to start working harder on getting better sleep. Melatonin has a lot of other benefits as well; for example, it improves your immune system, reduces signs of aging and is anti-inflammatory.
The best bedtime foods
With so many benefits, why wouldn't you want to eat a night-time snack? It's time to discard the myth that eating before bed will make you gain weight as research has shown that bedtime meals can actually do just the opposite. As with any dietary decision, though, you want to make sure you're choosing the right foods to get the best results.
If your goal is to regulate your hunger and energy usage then rye is the perfect bedtime snack. Eating rye before bed can improve glycemic regulation. That means that it reduces blood sugar spikes and plummets. So when you wake up, you won't feel starved for your breakfast.
Whether you're trying to lose weight or just looking for a tasty snack, there are lots of options. And you might as well go for foods that will improve your sleep. Here's a list of foods packed with melatonin:
- nuts
- corn
- pork
- salmon
- eggs
- cow's milk
- whole short grain rice
- wheat
- barley
- oats
- cranberries
- lentils
- pistachios
- green beans
- black pepper
- grapes
- strawberries
- cherries
Protein is an excellent option for a bedtime snack. You might try eating peanut butter on rye to combine recommendations from two studies. But if you'd rather have something sweet, try fruit.
Eating a pomegranate at night is just as good as a peanut butter sandwich. Chocolate, on the other hand, isn't the best snack. Sure, it'll curb your sugar craving, but it also has caffeine, which may make it harder for you to sleep.
Whatever you choose, keep it light. While eating before bed doesn't mean you'll gain weight, going to bed with a full stomach can be uncomfortable and may also make it harder for you to fall asleep. Besides, the benefits of eating at night are best experienced with small snacks.
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