"4 Surprising Benefits of Eating at Night" Review
Introduction
I've always told my personal training clients that "avoiding food after 7 p.m." should be carefully considered, and here's why (from the article “4 Surprising Benefits of Eating at Night).
List of Benefits
1. Low Glycemic Dinner Tonight Can Help Control Your Blood Sugar Tomorrow
Starting your day off on the right foot doesn’t just start with getting a good night’s sleep. It actually starts beforehand-- at dinner.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that what you eat for dinner can affect how your body responds to what you eat for breakfast the next morning.
The findings showed that people who ate a low glycemic dinner the night before were able to better regulate their blood sugar after breakfast the next morning.
Optimizing blood sugar control is not only important for improving weight loss but also for your overall health.
For a dinner that will help you better control your blood sugar in the morning, try pairing a low glycemic carb like lentils, black beans, sweet potatoes or your favorite green vegetable with a lean protein, such as chicken breast, lean beef or salmon.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: All meals should be a careful combination of complex carbs, protein, and fiber (good fats too).2. Not All Carbs Will Turn into Fat If You Eat Them Late at Night
Exercise is the one activity in your life that has the biggest effect on how your body processes and metabolizes food.
When you exercise, your body changes what it does with the food you give it.
These changes preferentially shuttle nutrients toward recovery, meaning that following exercise your muscles will absorb more carbohydrates.
This occurs regardless of time of day. But still many people abstain from eating carbohydrates at night out of fear that those carbs will be stored as fat, even after they have exercised.
Not eating after a workout, especially a tough one, can put a damper in your post-workout recovery as well as your results.
In the 45 minutes after a workout, one of your top nutritional priorities should be recovery from exercise as it helps get you and your muscles stronger and better.
Don’t skip the carbohydrates after you exercise just because it is later in the day.
Eat carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes and bananas to refuel your muscles’ energy stores so they are ready to go when you are ready to start training again.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: You always want to minimize any deficiency and inflammation in the body. If your body is depleted, it's time to refuel.3. Eating Carbohydrates at Night Can Help Control Hunger
A recent study found that eating carbs at night may actually help you control your appetite throughout the day.
In a 2011 study published in Obesity and Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, researchers put a group of 63 obese female and male police officers on one of two diets.
The first diet plan spread the officers’ carbohydrate intake evenly throughout the day, while the second diet plan concentrated the majority of the carbohydrates at dinnertime.
The findings showed that the participants who ate most of their carbohydrates at dinnertime experienced hormonal changes that reduced hunger.
The ability to control hunger is a key strategy in long-term weight loss success.
A previous long-term weight loss study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that your body’s hunger sensors don’t adapt to you eating less over time.
What’s more, the study found that hunger hormones remain elevated at least 18 months into dieting.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Your best bet is to eat an even amount of carbs throughout the day. You don't know your true need (unless you're taking blood tests every hour) and eating more carbs than usual could be risky.4. Protein Before Bed Can Help You Build Muscle While You Sleep
A myth about eating before bed is that you don’t digest food while you are sleeping.
This could not be farther from the truth. While you are asleep, your body doesn’t stop working – your heart is pumping blood, your lungs are passing air. Strategic eating before you go to bed can help optimize your muscle building efforts.
A 2012 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, found that protein consumed immediately before going to bed helps muscle growth, repair and maintenance during overnight recovery after working out.
Personal Trainer Wisdom: Similar to your approach to carbs, your protein intake should be spread throughout the day as well. This section just affirms your need...skip the protein load and keep your plate balanced with a protein/fiber/complex carbs approach.
Does this article change your perspective on eating at night?
Picture Credit: Livestrong.com - Will eating this dish late at night cause weight gain? You might be surprised by the answer.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MICHAEL MOODY, PERSONAL TRAINER
As an author, a personal trainer in Denver, and podcast host, Michael Moody has helped personal training clients achieve new fitness heights and incredible weight loss transformations since 2005. He also produces the wellness podcast "The Elements of Being" and has been featured on NBC, WGN Radio, and PBS.
Michael offers personal training to Denver residents who want to meet at the 2460 W 26th Ave studio….or in their homes throughout LoHi (80206), LoDo (80202), RiNo (80216), Washington Park (80209), Cherry Creek (80206, 80209, 80243, 80246, 80231), and Highlands (80202, 80211, 80212). Michael also offers experiences with a personal trainer in Jefferson Park (80211) and Sloan's Lake (80204, 80212).
If you’re looking for a personal trainer who can curate a sustainable (and adaptable) routine based on your needs and wants, Michael is the experienced practitioner you’ve been looking for. Try personal training for a month…your body will thank you!
