On the occasion of National Nutrition Week, Mac Singh shares eight reasons why you should eat light at night
We have come across a number of dietitians suggesting that it would be best if you have your meals early. But have we ever wondered why is it so?
Read on to understand the science behind this popular piece of advise.
DISTURBS THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
Let's first understand the circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm or the biological clock governs your hormones. At sunset, the circadian rhythm signals your body to release hormones which cause your body to go into a state of rest. Anything consumed after sunset does not go through the optimum digestion process and gets stored as fat.
AFFECTS YOUR SLEEP
Having food late in the night not only gets stored as fat but also makes it hard for the body to rest. This affects your sleep and as a result you remain tired and lethargic.
AFFECTS YOUR SKIN’S HEALTH
Eating at abnormal hours disrupts the skin's biological clock, blunting the efficiency of the enzymes that protect your skin from ultraviolet rays, increasing the chances of sunburn.
RAISES YOUR GLUCOSE LEVELS
Since the body is in a state of rest, the insulin production decreases too. As a result, your sugar levels rise as there is no insulin available to regulate the entire process.
CAUSES ACID REFLUX
Have you ever had a burning sensation in your chest, when you prepare to sleep within a short while after having your dinner? Have you ever experienced the regurgitation of food or the presence of some sour liquid in your mouth? When your stomach is struggling to digest food while you lay on your bed, it leads to the loosening of the esophageal sphincter which causes acid reflux in the middle of the night. Acid reflux is a digestive disease in which stomach acid or bile irritates the food pipe lining.
POOR MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION LEVELS
Irregular eating patterns can affect your mind and concentration levels. Don’t believe us? Feel free to look it up, and I hope that would lead to the formation of new, healthy habits.
INCREASES WEIGHT
Eating late in the night hampers your digestion. This results in all the food you eat not getting digested as the digestive system is at rest, thereby getting stored as fat.
CAUSES HORMONAL IMBALANCES
With the setting of the sun, our body goes into a state of rest. This onset of rest is regulated by hormones. If you choose to eat at abnormal hours your hormones are likely to get confused about their functions which can cause their malfunctioning and hence a number of hormonal disorders such as PCOD and diabetes.
DEVELOPING EATING DISORDERS
Consuming food late in the night, if carried out every now and then, can cause the mind to demand food at the wrong time which leads to an eating disorder called Night Eating Syndrome (NES), problems associated with which have been already covered above.
What you eat is just as important as when you eat. Hence keep a check on your timings as well to maintain good health while achieving sustainable weight loss.
(The author is a dietician and the co-founder of Fitelo, a mobile app for weight loss, diet planning and better overall well-being.)