People have this belief that eating light and early dinners can aid in weight loss. Well, they're not wrong.
There are some benefits to light dinners other than weight loss. For one, it's great for digestion and metabolism. Eating heavy, carbo-loaded dinners and having them too late in the night leaves your body at high-alert mode, which can destroy your body's circadian rhythm.
You don't want to feel bloated and heavy at night. So, mind not just what you eat for dinner, but also the timing. This will greatly improve digestion and your sleep.
Changes you need to make to your night routine for better digestion and sleep
As the sun sets, your metabolism also slows down, therefore sending your energy levels low. This is the time of the day when your body needs not a lot of food. That being said, here are the changes to make to your night eating habits:
Eat light
This can be challenging for some people, but getting a smaller plate is one technique to achieve this. One takeaway is that you can eat anything you want, including your comfort foods! Only, eat a portion of it, and not one huge plate.
Mind the gap -- two hours at least between dinner and sleep
Don't immediately sleep after dinner. There should be a gap of at least two hours prior to hitting the sack. This will give your body enough time to digest everything you've eaten and feel alright at bedtime. It can also help benefit your weight loss goals.
Don't eat till your too full
Nutritionists say that you must always eat till the time you are 80% full. Confused? Well, when eating, eat enough so that you're not dissatisfied but also eat till the time your hunger has been satiated. Don't wait till you're so full you can barely move. You'll end up feeling bloated and sluggish and will lead to gaining weight.
Be choosy of your midnight snacks
Because you're eating early, you're likely to brave in the middle of the night. This is especially challenging in the first few weeks of practicing this new routine. But there's a solution to this issue -- be mindful of what you're grabbing at midnight. Go for a warm cup of milk, some nuts, or throw in some trail mix in there. Chips and a bar of chocolate are tempting, but to achieve your goal, avoid these at all costs.
