What foods to eat at night. What is useful to eat at night

15.08.202027.05.2017

Health professionals may argue about the benefits of milk or the best time to go, but there is one thing that everyone agrees on: sleep is extremely important for the human body. The quality of sleep affects the clarity of thinking, reaction speed, mood and a number of other important functions of the body. Lack of sleep leads to increased appetite and weight gain, growth problems in adolescents, a general decrease in the body's immunity and other negative consequences. Therefore, it is important to get enough sleep!

Sleep quality is influenced by many different factors, but one of them - food - unites all people. In this article, we've compiled a list of foods and recommendations that you can follow to help you sleep well every night.

Best food before bed

Tryptophan-rich foods. Tryptophan is an amino acid found in most plant proteins, especially in legumes. Of interest to us is the fact that the level of tryptophan affects the level of serotonin in the body. And serotonin has a significant effect on appetite, mood and sleep. This means eating foods rich in tryptophan before bed can improve the quality of your sleep.

What foods are rich in tryptophan? Turkey, soybeans, pumpkin seeds. They can be combined with other products. For example, whole grain bread, pasta, crackers, rice paired with turkey, eggs, dairy products are some of the best ways to eat before bed. The thing is, carbohydrate-rich foods help foods with tryptophan to be absorbed faster.

Cherry. It is one of the few natural sources of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that is often recommended for sleeping pills. One study found that drinking sour cherry juice before bed helped older adults fight insomnia.

Magnesium-rich foods. Foods high in magnesium, such as dark green leafy vegetables or, are the very same natural remedies that can help you sleep. Magnesium has been shown to improve sleep quality in older people (sleep duration and ability to wake up easily) with insomnia.

Food that steals sleep

Caffeine. It will not be news that caffeine interferes with healthy sleep, but nevertheless, this advice is worth recalling. Reduce your daily caffeine intake to 200–300 mg. And most importantly, do not consume it before bed. Remember that caffeine is found not only in espresso or lattes, but also in chocolate, energy drinks, and tea.

Alcohol. Of course, a glass (or two) of red wine at night can be accompanied by sleepiness, but drinking more alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, do not consume more than one glass of light alcoholic beverages per day.

Fatty food. Fatty foods such as fried foods or ice cream are bad for your sleep. The fact is that fat is absorbed for a long time, which means that all this time the body works, instead of resting.

What is there and how much

To sleep soundly like a baby, it is best to avoid large meals just before bed. If you're having a late dinner, make your portion smaller than usual. If you are just having a snack, place the required amount of food on a plate. Otherwise, you risk eating the entire pack, especially if you are sitting in front of the TV. Here are some snacks you can take without harming your sleep:

low-fat milk and whole grains;
natural peanut butter and whole grain bread;
yogurt with half a banana or a tablespoon of chopped walnuts;
two cups of popcorn (no additives) drizzled with olive oil.

conclusions

Sacrificing sleep for another nightly snack is not a good idea. You can have a snack at any time, but usually only get a good night's sleep. But what to do if it’s time for sleep, and the stomach is rumble? Have a glass of warm milk and a couple of crackers. This will be enough for the stomach to hold out until breakfast.

If you have to eat just before bedtime, here are three rules that are recommended to be followed:

Prefer foods that are rich in tryptophan (turkey, eggs, milk).
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and fatty foods.
Eat smaller portions and control the amount you eat.

Uncontrolled food intake is unacceptable when it comes to evening (night) meals. Therefore, the question of what can and can not be eaten before going to bed becomes relevant. Let's consider the relevant aspects.

Is it possible to eat at night

Before talking about permitted or prohibited food, it should be clarified whether it is generally possible to eat at night? The answer is obvious - yes, but only certain foods. It is strictly forbidden to consume carbohydrates. They speed up the production of insulin by sending a signal to the brain to burn glucose, not fat.

If we talk about the interval that follows immediately before bedtime, the answer is no! You can't eat before bed! When the body stops awake, it stops burning calories and fat. During rest, samatropin, or growth hormone, is released, which is responsible for gaining muscle mass. During this period, cortisol is not produced, and premature aging of the body begins.

The harm from eating food at night

At the first sensation of hunger in the evening, the body gives a signal that you need to refresh yourself. Do not give in to the first provocations. In this case, the tissues save glucose by being forced to process fat layers.
If you go to rest with a slight feeling of hunger, then you will not only restore strength and energy, but also actively renew tissues at the cellular level. This process prevents premature aging of the body.
During wakefulness, such a process is impossible due to stress and food intake. When eating food at night, you should understand that such a move does not bode well. It is worth remembering that everything is individual.
It is undesirable for children and people under 25 to go to rest on an empty stomach, but it is also forbidden to overeat. The younger a person is, the later they are supposed to eat. Thus, the baby's body develops according to its own schedule as it needs.
Older people are advised to limit their last meal 5 hours before bedtime. For dinner, it is better to give preference to protein dishes with kefir and vegetables. Fats and carbohydrates are needed only at lunchtime.
When the body needs food, melatonin is produced. The enzyme helps a person maintain sound sleep and feel alert upon awakening. If eaten at night, melatonin is no longer produced.
Often a person experiences sleep problems at the same time. Again, it is worth considering the individual characteristics. Some individuals are contraindicated to go to rest with a feeling of hunger. This category includes people suffering from ulcers and gastritis.

What can you eat at night

If you cannot live without eating at night, a handful of almonds or walnuts are allowed. Also, half an apple or pear without a peel, a small persimmon, a whole avocado, a slice of melon are allowed to be taken. You can eat cucumber, a handful of broccoli, lettuce without restriction, low-fat cottage cheese, or yogurt.

An omelet made from low-calorie milk made from egg whites with spinach or broccoli is suitable for the night. Do not fry the eggs, the yolks are too high in calories. To add nutritional value and, accordingly, calories, eat half a banana, boiled potatoes, a slice of beets, and a third of a carrot.

For people with a healthy stomach, boiled beans and all legumes, baked apples with peel, boiled chicken breast, shrimps are suitable. Consume seasonal or frozen berries, low-fat kefir without any restrictions.

What vegetables can you eat at night

Celery is a negative calorie vegetable. It occupies a leading position among the products admissible for the night. Celery helps to destroy more calories than those that it contains.
Boiled carrots and beets are suitable for reception in the evening. You can make a salad by taking half of each fruit. The dish is dressed with vinegar or low-fat sour cream.
Suitable for reception are white cabbage, broccoli. These vegetables are best added to a protein omelet, cooked not in oil. You can chop 1/3 of the potatoes or a handful of boiled beans into a salad.

Fruits are considered to be the main components of the human diet. And it doesn't matter if it is a meal at night or an everyday meal. Fruits of this type do not adversely affect body weight, therefore they are indicated for intake 2-3 hours before bedtime.
The main place is occupied by apples. They quickly quench the raging feeling of hunger, but provoke increased production of gastric juice. Therefore, an apple can be eaten an hour or two after dinner. In addition, fruits are widely used in dietary nutrition, as they accelerate weight loss.
Particular attention is paid to citrus fruits. They excite the nervous system, so they should not be eaten immediately before bedtime. Make sure you eat your nightly meal 2 hours before going to bed. Preference is given to grapefruits, pomelo, oranges, tangerines.
If you really want a snack, use 1 kiwi or half a handful of grapes. 1 / 3-1 / 2 banana will also work. Figs do not belong to the category of fruits, this is an inflorescence, but 2-3 pieces will not harm the figure.
Nectarines, peaches, quince, pear, plum and cherry plum are also suitable for a nighttime meal. The main thing is to know the measure in everything. Avoid picking up a whole plate, limit yourself to a few things.
All of these fruits will help you satisfy your sudden hunger and keep you feeling full until the next meal. In this case, in the morning you will not wake up with a heaviness in your stomach.

What dairy products can you eat at night

The leading position is given to low-fat kefir. When the drink is consumed before bedtime, intestinal peristalsis is normalized. Dairy products have laxative properties, so you cleanse the body of toxins.
Milk is used to extract thick or liquid natural yogurt. Give preference to "Bio Max", "Danone", "Activia". The main thing is that the percentage of fat content does not exceed 1%.
There are special milkshakes with lactobacilli for weight loss. Also skim milk is suitable for taking at night.
In order not to harm your health, warm the food you eat to room temperature. Consume in small sips, if possible through a tube.

What you can't eat at night

Caffeinated products. Many people know the special effect of a substance on the body. Drinking coffee or an energy drink before bed will keep you awake. You should also refrain from taking tea before bedtime, especially green tea. Hot drinks can be consumed 2 hours before rest.
Sweet products. If you are trying to keep your figure in good shape, it is worth refraining from sweets altogether, not only before bed. First of all, chocolate is the main enemy on the list of foods prohibited at night. It will provide you with insomnia and strongly invigorate the body. In addition, chocolate significantly increases the appetite after digestion.
Fatty food. By themselves, such products, regardless of the time of day, carry potential harm to the body. Eating such food before bedtime, you doom yourself to the development of chronic pathologies and the build-up of extra pounds. Fatty foods slow down the metabolism, so even dietary and healthy meals in this case will only harm a person.
Spicy dishes. Spicy food significantly increases appetite. In the process, gastric juice is produced. After a hearty dinner with a spicy dish, you will soon want to eat again. Such food, in addition to feeling hungry, causes heartburn, flatulence and bloating.
Beans and cereals. Cereals and legumes are invaluable for the body. Products should not be consumed before bedtime if there are any ailments or contraindications. Beans and cereals are rich in fiber, the substance is not fully digested, therefore colic, gastrointestinal upset and flatulence often occur. Cereals are especially contraindicated for consumption at night, as they are rich in carbohydrates.

Food not only satisfies the physical needs of a person, but also gives the body vigor, restores the spent energy. Deliciously prepared meals are known to cheer you up. For this reason, it can be argued for sure that food affects the psycho-emotional background.

Video: eating before bed is a huge harm or benefit

Tell me what you eat and I will tell you how you sleep. For fans of a healthy lifestyle, it is more customary to associate a set, what is better to eat at night, with the effect on weight. However, waking up with a feeling of fatigue and heaviness also largely depends on the choice of what to eat before bed. A charge of positiveness and a feeling of cheerfulness will become part of the morning after answering simple questions. What is healthy to eat before bed? What can you drink at night?

Why is it better to eat at night?

Heavy dinners before bedtime cannot make you slimmer and healthier, but you should not rush to extremes and suffer from hunger either. The difference between the last meal at 18:00 and waking up at 8:00 will be 14 hours. The body will perceive the interruption in the supply of food as an emergency and will begin to stock up. The food received during the day will be mostly processed into fatty acids and sent to the well-known "storage sites": sides, buttocks, stomach.

In the absence of nutrition, the enzyme lipoprotein lipase, which is responsible for replenishing the fat layer "for a rainy day", becomes more active. Add to the above insomnia and a disgusting mood in the morning, and it becomes clear that a hunger strike only leads to saggy sides and an accumulation of fatigue.

What to eat before bedtime?

Let's immediately cross out foods that spoil sleep and figure at the same time. Snacks and light dinners are welcome, but when choosing what to eat for the night, beware of the following foods:

1.Salty.

You can use seasoning within reasonable limits, but you should not get carried away. An excess of salt will provoke fluid retention and edema in the morning. This seasoning, like all spicy ones, whet the appetite, so it is not recommended to get carried away with enhancing the taste of evening dishes. It is better to eat bland food at night.

2. Sweet and flour.

A well-known problem with excess fast carbs makes this food dangerous for the waistline. When thinking about what to eat at night, gather your will in a fist and give up the tempting quick satiety for a slender figure. Take the time to prepare a light and healthy dinner.

3. Fatty foods.

The attractive taste properties of these dishes are outweighed by off-scale cholesterol. Even in the daytime, it is difficult to cope with it, and in the evening the body relaxes, and all the excess is laid out in reserve. Also, the rate of falling asleep slows down, the quality of sleep worsens, and the likelihood of an upset stomach, on the contrary, increases.

What can not be loaded at night? Fat burgers. What can you eat before bed? Lightweight and nutritious foods.

4.Alcohol

High-calorie appetite-boosting drinks are a poor choice for evening drinks. Drinks and snacks tend to go around in circles, bringing the number of calories to the critical level. REM sleep cycles, which are responsible for recuperation, are lost. Long-term alcohol consumption disrupts circadian rhythms and causes insomnia.

The group of dangerous preferences for a snack at night is not just coffee. A product with a similar side effect that makes you feel awake and interferes with sleep is chocolate. Excessive stimulation of the body before bed is completely unnecessary, leave the energy shake for the morning. For a similar reason, it is best to avoid black and green tea.

What is better to eat at night? Certainly none of the foods and drinks listed above. The benefits for the figure and for sleep are absolutely impossible, but the harm is obvious.

What can you eat at night?

You should not die of hunger, and it is not recommended to pounce on sweet, fatty, salty foods. When thinking about what is best to eat at night, follow these simple rules: food should be satisfying, easy to digest, and conducive to falling asleep quickly. Here is a list of what you can eat before bed.

Dairy products

If you have doubts about what you can eat before bedtime, give preference to this group of foods. Kefir is great and lovely, embodying the perfect choice for an evening snack. Yogurt, low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt can be excellent analogues and significantly diversify the evening menu.

A quick satisfying hunger thanks to live protein is combined with a beneficial effect on the microflora. Good activity of the gastrointestinal tract is the key to accelerated food processing. With proper nutrition and well-coordinated work of the internal organs, there will be no material for the fat layer.

Calcium richness is good for the body as a whole, protein richness mildly induces drowsiness and lowers acidity, negating the likelihood of heartburn. Thanks to its beneficial properties, fermented milk products are an excellent answer to the question of what to eat at night.

Beets contain a minimum of calories (42 Kcal - 100 g) and thanks to betaine they burn fat perfectly. The pectin contained in the composition normalizes the intestinal flora and removes toxins from the body.
Celery is rich in fiber, good for the stomach, and has negligible calories (13 Kcal - 100 g). It is worth considering the property of this product to remove excess water from the body. Eat celery in moderation.
Cabbage contains few calories (white cabbage: 29 Kcal - 100 g), has a beneficial effect on the intestines, promotes fat burning and strengthens the immune system.
Potatoes are recommended for use only baked. Other cooking methods will not work for this product.

It is almost impossible to make a mistake in choosing what you can eat before bedtime, preferring vegetables. Steam, boil, stew, cut into salads - they will retain their beneficial properties and form the basis of an amazing evening menu.

Fruit

As a great and healthy dessert, fruit may not always contribute to sound, restorative sleep. Only a few fruits are considered the best in the category "what to eat before bedtime".

Citrus fruits are rich in fiber and quickly saturate, improve digestion, lower cholesterol levels in the blood, remove toxins and toxins and prevent undigested food from fermenting in the evening.
Bananas ensure the normalization of sleep, promoting the release of serotonin ("the hormone of happiness"), cleanse the body and speed up metabolism, and have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract due to their fibrous structure.
Cherries are a natural source of melatonin, which helps regulate circadian rhythms and help you fall asleep calmly.

If a strong desire for sweets creeps into the dilemma of what to eat before bed, allow yourself some dried fruit. An excellent alternative to candy, they contain vitamins and are great at satisfying hunger. The downside is the high calorie content, and the plus is the ability to combine with almonds, which help the muscles to relax due to the high magnesium content.

Many options for light and healthy desserts will become more affordable if doubts are forever gone, what is better to eat at night: fruit or sweets.

Meat

Vegetables make a great independent dish, fruits are an excellent alternative to sweets, but sometimes dinner requires more serious measures. In doubts about what to eat at night, give vegetables a place for a side dish, and for the main course choose a "bigger animal".

Chicken breast is a dietary product due to its low carbohydrate content. The complex of minerals, vitamins A, B, E and phosphorus make this meat incredibly healthy. Boil the breast or steam it, and for dinner you will receive a dish absolutely harmless to the figure.
Fish contains a small percentage of fat and is rich in iodine and phosphorus. When easily absorbed, this product helps to lower blood cholesterol. Ideal of what is recommended to eat before bedtime are pollock, cod, pollock, hake varieties.

Avoiding caffeinated drinks (coffee, black and green teas), give preference to herbal infusions that promote overall relaxation of the body, including muscles.

Warm milk with added honey will quickly calm and induce drowsiness thanks to the combination of protein, melatonin and calcium. The ideal natural sleeping pill will relax the nervous system and give a pleasant awakening.

You can get by with a glass of water. The body will be cleansed, the feeling of hunger will dull, the water-salt balance will be restored, the work of the gastrointestinal tract will normalize.

However, drinking too much fluids is not recommended in order not to overload the bladder and cause swelling.

The answers to the question of what you can eat and drink in the evening with proper nutrition come on an intuitive level. Don't overload calories, focus on fruits and vegetables, eat protein, and keep it in moderation. The body will definitely say thank you in the morning.

Despite many disagreements, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat at night is mostly found by supporters who make a positive decision. In fact, there are foods that will not harm your body if you consume them after the “standard” six hours. We will tell you in more detail what you can eat at night, how late snacks affect the body.

Night dojoor

It often happens that dinner is left far behind, the time is late, and you do not want to sleep at all, and the treacherous rumbling in your stomach does not allow you to relax. Then the night trips to the refrigerator begin. The question arises in your head about what you can eat at night?

Late dinner simply makes us split in two: on the one hand, frightening with the possibility of gaining excess weight, and on the other, hungry insomnia. How to find a compromise solution in such a situation? This is quite real. You just need to know some of the rules for late meals, as well as a possible diet that will not harm our body. Consider the options that are considered the most useful for our body, what foods can be included in the late dinner diet.

Blood sugar control

In order to wake up vigorous and healthy in the morning, it is important to correctly compose your late menu. What you ate before bed is of great importance. Everyone should know what to eat at night. Research shows that what you eat for dinner influences your health after breakfast the next day. Scientists have found that those people who ate foods with a low glycemic index at night, the next morning after breakfast, better control their blood glucose levels. Such control is important not only for those who suffer from diabetes, but also for everyone who wants to accelerate weight loss, and in general for the body of any person. To make it easier to manage blood sugar in the morning, it would be more correct to eat carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index for dinner, for example, potatoes, legumes, lean meat, chicken breast with herbs, beef, salmon.

Not every carbohydrate is converted to fat

Sport greatly affects the processing, assimilation of food. During physical exertion, the body directs the necessary nutrients in order to restore the expended energy, the muscles consume more carbohydrates during work. It does not depend on the time of day. Many, even while playing sports, are afraid to consume carbohydrates at night, worrying that they, even despite training, will turn into fat.

You should not, especially after intense training, refuse dinner. It can even eliminate the positive outcome of the exercise. After exertion for 45 minutes, nutrients are used to restore strength and strengthen muscle mass. From this it follows that in no case should you refuse carbohydrates, use them, even if it's too late. What can you eat at night in such cases? Energy reserves will restore and prepare the muscles for the next workout carbohydrates - these are potatoes, bananas, grains, legumes.

Protein works at night

There is a myth that you cannot eat before bedtime, because the body is asleep and does not digest food, that everything eaten turns into a fat layer, since energy is not consumed. This complete stupidity does not correspond to reality. During sleep, our body works, the lungs do not cease to perform the functions of gas exchange, the heart pumps blood, and the stomach processes the contents. If dinner is planned wisely, then muscle mass grows at night. Knowledgeable bodybuilders eat protein-rich foods before bed for muscle growth: cheese, milk, yogurt, protein supplements. Research activities have already proven useful. In 2012, their results showed that protein eaten at bedtime promoted muscle recovery and growth during sleep after exercise. Eat a serving of yogurt or a casein supplement at night to recover from a heavy workout.

Fermented milk products with minimal fat content

The question of what you can eat at night is completely resolved if, before going to bed in a late dinner, you include easily digestible foods that normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract. Dairy products with a minimum percentage of fat will bring and provide the intestines with lactobacilli (beneficial microorganisms). You can drink kefir at night or eat low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, fermented baked milk or yogurt. In addition, fermented milk products are rich in calcium, which is the key to the health and strength of your bones.

Is it possible to milk at night

Many people who lose weight have a negative attitude towards drinking milk at night. They are supporters of the point of view that milk helps to gain excess weight. This can be considered true if you constantly drink a liter of fatty, close to cream drink before going to bed. In such cases, the result will be unimportant: excess calories can be harmful. But if you take an open-minded attitude to the question of whether you can drink milk at night, and consider it from a different angle? One glass of warm, low-fat milk at night will do much more good than a glass of sweet tea with cookies or a sandwich.

Many people are interested in how milk affects sleep. And here disagreements arise. Everyone knows the recipe - a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey perfectly promotes falling asleep. Tryptophan in the drink reduces stress, sleep becomes stronger, calmer. Many people solve the problem of insomnia in this way. But there are also exceptions. For some people, milk or honey has a diuretic effect, and frequent trips to the toilet disrupt healthy sleep. So everything is individual in this case.

On the question of whether it is worth drinking milk at night, everyone must answer to himself, based on his own feelings. In principle, there is no harm from it if the fat content of the product is low. Many people argue about the lactose content and its intolerance in an adult body. Some scholars argue that this is not entirely true. Each organism reacts differently to lactose. Milk can cause unpleasant sensations in people with low stomach acidity. So it's worth listening to your own reactions and drawing conclusions.

Can I have tea at night

The healing properties of green tea are vast. It saturates the body with nutrients and improves metabolic processes. Perhaps for this reason, many drink it not only during the day, but also before bedtime. For this reason, some people complain of insomnia. Not surprisingly, green tea contains a lot of caffeine. This substance is able to give the body energy and vigor. Many nutritionists do not recommend drinking green tea at night. But all people are individual, for some individuals caffeine does not cause insomnia. Therefore, if you do not notice the negative consequences for yourself, then a cup of green tea in the late evening is perfectly acceptable.

The best option would be herbal tea - mint or chamomile. It will relax, soothe, strengthen the immune system, and also protect against certain diseases. The main thing is that herbal tea does not contain a drop of caffeine, it contains only vitamins and useful antioxidants.

As for black tea, it does not contain caffeine. A cup of this drink won't hurt you. For good, you can add a spoonful of honey or a little lemon juice to it.

Boiled and stewed vegetables. Chicken breast

Heat treatment of food of plant origin ensures easy absorption of fiber by the body, and the functioning of the digestive system depends on it. Steamed or steamed vegetables can be a great side dish to light meat dishes you decide to eat in the evening. Cooking vegetables is considered useful in a multicooker or double boiler without adding any oil or fat.

For those who are wondering whether it is possible to eat apples at night, it is worth saying that fresh apples have a lot of fiber, which is poorly digested, for this reason colitis and flatulence occur. Pain, bloating of the abdomen may occur. Even one apple at night can disrupt your sleep. Before using it, you need to at least clean it. You can eat baked apples at night.

An excellent dietary product is the chicken fillet (breast). It contains vitamins A, B, E, minerals, protein, which will not harm your body in any way if you eat breast in the late evening. There are no carbohydrates here, this is appreciated by those who are worried about their figure.

Fish paradise

Can I eat fish at night? This product is considered a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. Fish contains iodine, which is necessary for the thyroid gland to function, phosphorus is a participant in the process of bone tissue formation, and amino acids. Fish dishes can lower blood cholesterol, and often contain a low percentage of fat, which plays an important role if such food is consumed at night. Low-fat types of fish are suitable for a late dinner: cod, pike, hake, pollock, pollock.

Seafood has a high protein content, which in turn allows you to quickly saturate the body. Therefore, you can feast on seafood without fear for your figure, if you suddenly wake up with a night appetite.

What else can you eat at night

Is it possible to eat at night not just healthy food, but also something special, tasty? We offer several of these dishes that will not harm your body if you eat them before bed.

Berries and cream... A hearty and simple dessert. Whisk in Greek yogurt, add 1/4 cup raspberries, blackberries.

Protein dessert... A creamy protein shake is delicious and healthy. The taste can be anything - vanilla, chocolate, fruity.

Dark chocolate... You can eat a few small pieces of real 70% chocolate, not to be confused with sweet shop chocolates. Be aware that this product contains caffeine.

Pistachios in shell... Great late dinner. The absorption process is delayed as they need to be cleaned. The body will be saturated faster, while receiving many useful substances.

Pumpkin seeds... Roasted seeds can be consumed overnight. They contain magnesium, which is an excellent relaxant.

Opinions are divided about how many hours before bedtime you can eat in order not to gain excess weight. "Post-Soviet" nutritionists advocate a three-hour interval between dinner and sleep. Women's magazines say it's better not to try after six. Almost all bodybuilding and fitness sources insist that we eat something like a chicken breast with cucumber, or a pack of cottage cheese without any sweeteners. Say, this way the fat will not be deposited, and we will lose the excess faster. And Israeli scientists argue that we can eat carbohydrates at the last meal, and lose weight. How are things in reality?

Carbohydrates at night and hormonal levels

Researchers from Herbue University in Jerusalem "fed" a group of people with carbohydrate foods at night. The test group in the study received a classic “fitness menu” of fish or breast and vegetables at night. At the same time, only the distribution of macronutrients during the day differed, but not their quantity.

Imagine the surprise of the scientists when, six months later, almost all participants in the experiment with a carbohydrate dinner showed a decrease in the percentage of fat. In addition, the levels of the hormones leptin and ghrelin rebalanced, and the respondents' sleep and quality of life improved.

The test group in the study also received a diet of 1500-1700 kcal, but the carbohydrates were evenly distributed throughout the day. In the control group with carbohydrates at night, a more stable glucose level was noted, and there were no changes in appetite throughout the day. Therefore, tolerance to the diet was good for them.

Insulin levels in the night-eaters group were relatively stable throughout the day, and did not provoke them to overeat.

Why do we overeat in the evening

About a quarter of obese patients suffer from the so-called "night dozhor". They wake up late at night from hunger and walk straight to the refrigerator. Scientists have found that this behavior is not a bad habit or licentiousness. Blame the "raging" hormones, namely - cortisol and insulin. After a modest meal of a bite of protein and a serving of vegetables, the stress hormone cortisol increases dramatically. This is what wakes up the unfortunate, and drives them to the refrigerator. Nighttime meals disrupt sleep mechanisms, fatigue the nervous system, and prevent full recovery from physical exertion.

"Food sleepwalking" does not contribute to weight loss, since a person consumes most of his calories in a semi-conscious state. It is clear that he will not overeat chicken breasts with cabbage, but something more interesting and high-calorie. At the same time, many people do not even remember evening snacks, and cannot understand why, with the "canonical" diet, excess weight only increases.

Obviously, the more we chew dry chicken breasts with cucumbers for dinner, the more we risk being in the group of “food lunatics.” All the more, one should not adhere to popular advice - do not eat anything other than protein and vegetables after 4 pm, or even abstain from food altogether all evening.

An ideal dinner from the point of view of researchers is:

about 25 g of pure protein... So much we get, for example, from 130 g of boiled chicken breast, or in a grill format;
about 50-75 g carbohydrates... Think of something like 100g of boiled pasta or buckwheat, you can also eat legumes, wholemeal bread, brown rice, or even pita bread;
about 15-20 g of fat... A salad with a spoonful of vegetable oil or avocado slices will complement your evening meal

Don't like counting macronutrients? Take a simple 20 cm dinner plate. Divide it in half, fill half with vegetables. Let it be stewed vegetables with vegetable oil or some kind of salad. Next, put a piece of meat or grilled poultry on a quarter of the plate, and take another quarter with cereal or durum wheat pasta. Do not add fatty cheese or sour cream sauces, and you will get almost the same set of macronutrients as in the scheme.

At dinner, you can drink water or herbal tea, but stimulating drinks and alcohol are best avoided at dinner. The amount of drinking should be moderate, with an adequate caloric intake of food (about 400-500 kcal), there is no point in “drinking hunger”.

Obviously, this is a fairly voluminous and "heavy" meal that we cannot digest in a couple of hours. It is recommended to eat such a supper 3-4 hours before bedtime so that the hormonal system “calms down” and the sleep is deep and calm. Eat regularly and properly, do not forget about physical activity, and you will definitely achieve all your fitness goals.

Can you eat carbs after exercise? What to eat before and after exercise for weight loss