For years there have been misconceptions about eating before bed. Many people often tend to associate meals before bed to fat storage and weight gain. These arguments aren’t entirely incorrect, but I’ll argue that the benefits of a healthy snack before bed does more good than bad to your body.
Sleep is the body’s time to recuperate. Most tissue repair takes place during sleep. Ironically, sleep is usually the longest time we go without eating. The nutrients that we get when eating are essential for tissue repair. Therefore, we shouldn’t deprive our body from nutrients when it needs them the most.
A pre-bedtime snack should consist of almost exclusively protein and fat, but small amounts of healthy, especially low glycemic, carbohydrates may be beneficial.
Lets start with the pre-bedtime killer, carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are almost always a bad idea to eat before bed because they raise insulin levels. Elevated insulin levels can decrease the natural Human Growth Hormone level, which helps burn fat and aids in tissue building. On the contrary, muscle-glycogen levels can rapidly decrease during sleep, which is the muscle’s primary source of quick energy. To help prevent glycogen loss, eating some sort of low-glycemic carbohydrate before bed can be beneficial–vegetables are the best choice. If you are still wary of carbohydrates before made, make sure you eat a balanced breakfast in the morning to help replenish natural glycogen stores.
Protein consists of amino acids, which help repair and grow muscle tissue in the body. The most beneficial type of protein to eat before bed is casein protein because of its unique, slow-digesting properties. Casein protein is found in large amounts in dairy products. Cottage Cheese is often a go-to bedtime snack because it is high in casein protein, contains some fat, and is very low in carbs.
Fat ingestion before bedtime is less of a concern. However, fat will in the slow digestion of the protein throughout the night. I shoot for a moderate amount of fat before bed. 5-10g to be precise.
At the beginning of this article i suggested that arguments about eating before bed will make you fat aren’t entire incorrect, here’s why. You have to always remember that you must maintain a balance between calories consumed and calories burned. Eating before bedtime isn’t a free meal. If you’ve eating your daily alloted amount of calories, I’d suggest you stay away. The reason eating before bedtime has gotten such a bad rap is because it leads to overeating. If you don’t need the extra calories, don’t eat them.
Great bedtime snacks include:
- dairy products or a casein-protein supplement
- healthy fats–almonds, peanuts (butter), and other legumes
- vegetables
Proper bedtime nutrition is an essential part of living a healthy lifestyle because it pumps the body full of nutrients that it needs, when it needs them most–during sleep.
Was an interesting article, thank you..