There is a lot of effort and dedication that goes in when you are trying to lose weight. Right from following a balanced diet to hitting hours at the gym, one has to do it all. Sometimes, even that is not enough. There, still, can be certain reasons why you might be noticing unnecessary weight gain.
Midnight snacking or binge eating towards the later hours of the evening can lead to weight gain and bloating. It is always too tempting to devour a huge bowl of ice cream or gulp down a mighty slice of cake, but you have no idea the amount of damage that can do to your body. It takes several hours for our bodies to be able to digest a heavy snack and that can mess with our sleep. Although certain studies prove that a bedtime snack can actually do you good, you must just know what to eat.
Here’s a list of 5 things you must avoid if at all you feel like snacking late at night.
1. Chocolate: In case you didn’t know this, chocolate too has caffeine. A 100 grams of chocolate has about 43 milligrams of caffeine in it. And caffeine is one thing you must avoid before sleeping as it energizes you and keeps you awake making sure your sleep goes for a toss.
What you can replace it with: A healthy protein enriched granola bar. Protein boosts weight loss and will also help is satiating your hunger. The sweet and crunchy bar of granola will also give you the feel of having a bar of chocolate. There are also various other protein supplements like whey protein available that can be a great alternative for a healthy midnight snack
2. Cake: High-fat foods like cake may cause acid reflux and make you super uncomfortable while sleeping. Cakes usually contain tons of cream coupled with sugar making it heavy and difficult to digest. It’s also loaded with carbs that can potentially increase weight gain.
What you can replace it with Cheese! Surprising right? Cheese seems straight up fattening but it is actually very healthy. Cheese contains the so-called “healthy” fat that is easier to digest and is light on the body. Also, who doesn’t love cheese? You can team it up with whole wheat crackers or a slice of whole wheat bread.
3. Ice cream: First of all, dairy products can be a bit of an issue for the tummy. It can upset your stomach and requires lots of time to be broken down and digested. Moreover, ice cream too is laden with carbs, sugar, and fat that just adds on to your body fat.
What you can replace it with Frozen yogurt! Low-fat frozen yogurt is actually delicious and can totally fulfill your ice cream cravings. It is easy on the stomach as it is easier to digest. There are also many yogurt flavors available like strawberry, blueberry, mango, etc for you to indulge in.
4. Pizza: Pizza is like the flagbearer of carbs. It also contains tomatoes which are very acidic. The acidity of the tomatoes along with the heavy carbs make pizza a snack that must be strictly avoided late night.
What you can replace it with: A protein like Turkey. A scrumptious yet healthy turkey pie can be super filling and can be prepared in under 30 minutes. Turkey also contains tryptophan, an amino acid found in poultry that induces sleep making it the ideal 12 am a delight.
5. Citrus fruits: Citrus fruits are acidic and that can cause discomfort during your sleep. Moreover, citrus fruits are a natural diuretic that can induce repeated urination making you run to the loo several times during the night.
What you can replace it with Bananas! Although bananas are typically associated with boosting energy they are also a great source of magnesium which has a relaxing effect on the muscles of our body. Moreover, bananas are also said to encourage sleep as they have serotonin and melatonin.
Sleep is an important aspect of our daily lives that help keep our weight in check and also maintains a certain level of optimal health. Make sure you are smart when you pick what to eat and what to skip, and that does not necessarily mean depriving yourself of tasty food. The main idea is to avoid carbs, sugar and heavy meals at night, and stick to simpler, easier to digest food items. Also, make sure to drink loads of water throughout the day as it will boost your metabolism and aid digestion.