It may not have a good rap, but it may sometimes be good to eat at midnight - of course, if you eat healthy late night snacks, rather than food that keeps you awake at night.
In fact, we are not talking about a feast - most nutritionists agree that when it comes to chewing late at night, it is better to limit food to light snacks - but it is important to listen to your body and pay attention to the signs of hunger it gives you. If your stomach growls in the middle of the night, the nutritionist will provide you with the right food to satisfy these desires.
You may be familiar with the myth of sleep. You should not eat at night because your metabolism will slow down; However, experts say this is not the case. "Contrary to popular belief, metabolism does not stop when we sleep. It rises and falls, but generally consistent with our metabolism when we are awake," suggests Madeline McDonough MS of RDN. "The key to [late night snacks] is to choose nutritious snacks to support an overall balanced diet."
In other words, you should skip the leftover pizza and choose a nutritious snack to keep you up until the morning.
Eating late at night is not only OK, but also recommended if you are really hungry. If you ignore your body cues, you may even sleep less that night, or it may be harder to fall asleep. "If you are excessively hungry at night, you may be more difficult to sleep, and you will be more greedy in the morning, and even feel sick because of hunger," said Diana Galilee O'Cleland, RD, CDE balance a supplement. "Eating before bed may even be beneficial to people with low blood sugar at night, such as those taking insulin."
What is the best type of food for a healthy snack?
Especially the food that helps to increase the level of melatonin in the body, especially the good news of eating before sleep. "For example, foods such as cheese, milk, turkey and peanuts contain tryptophan, which is the precursor of serotonin and melatonin. The body will naturally produce serotonin and melatonin, which helps to induce calm and regulate the sleep wake cycle," said Edwina Clark, MD, RD, CSSD, registered dietitian and nutrition director Bai.
For best results, Clark recommends matching tryptophan rich foods with carbohydrate sources. This "helps [tryptophan] cross the blood-brain barrier and play its role in enhancing sleep."
