Should We Avoid Eating Late At Night?
I often get asked if this is a no-no, or is it a myth that we should avoid it?
Well, We do hear it
so often that like many things we hear in the media, we believe it to be true. Just like at one point we believed in the “low fat is better for you" myth until we realised it was then packed full of sugars or chemical sugars instead!
So what does the research tell us?
Dependent on our energy requirements and lifestyle we can eat at various times without health consequences:
“When it comes to eating at night, there are no studies that show eating at night facilitates any
additional accumulation of adipose tissue when compared to eating the exact same food at an earlier time period.”
Errr ...in other words, no research proves that eating late makes us fatter!
“…some research suggests eating the majority of carbohydrates at night might improve satiety and lead to weight loss, and eating protein just before bed increases muscle protein synthesis and improves whole-body protein balance.”
Errr ... in other words, eating starchy (healthy)carbs
late might fill you up and leave you less likely to over eat..... and eating proteins just before going to bed is good for repairing and building muscle!
The research shows us if you work late and can’t eat until a little later, or work shifts, then DON’T WORRY, it isn’t the be all and end all!
Eat GOOD food that fuels your body and eat when you can.
However, the negative to eating at night is that it can become a mindless act - as you rest and relax it may become more of a
habit than a need for fuel.
This can therefore lead to weight gain and if you are restricting your food intake in the day this can soon become a binge!
For some people eating at night isn’t right, it can cause sleep disturbance or stomach upset, so whatever works for YOU is right!
I suggest you experiment…your body will soon tell you if it is wrong!
All in all it is safe to say healthy eating is all about WHAT you are eating, forget about when. If you fancy breakfast
at 11am that is fine, if you want dinner at 9pm that is fine, just make sure it is good quality and healthy food and stop when you are satisfied!
So... not a straight answer, but a simple one:
Listen to your body!
