It’s that time of the day when you’re all tired because of the whole day’s work. You want to treat yourself with something by watching that ‘one episode’ and finishing that tub of ice cream or maybe a pizza but oh, something stopped you from doing that- your inner voice says you will gain weight if you eat late at night and will gain all those calories which you worked very hard losing.
Eating at night can really cause weight gain? Is this a fact or just a myth that has been spreading for so many years? Let’s find out.
Circadian Rhythm and eating at night
Circadian Rhythm or a cycle is a natural process that internally controls the human body’s 24-hour sleep-wake-up cycle. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, you must get 7-8 hours of sleep at an appropriate time each day. Eating at night goes against the ideal circadian Rhythm, as night is for sleeping, taking rest and not consuming food.
Several studies show that eating at night causes weight gain as the body doesn’t do any activity and the calories your body gets stored, leading to bloating.
But only some of the studies support this belief. The only thing that matters is what you eat and how much you eat.
People who sleep late or do not sleep at night normally do some work, binge-watch some show or may even study and learn something useful, but during this, they tend to choose food that is not healthy and has too many calories, such as chips, chocolates, ice cream, and soda.
This way, their eating choices gets affected. There may be many reasons, like lack of healthy available food options, emotional eating, and others.
Eating habits and healthy choices
Eating at night doesn’t harm your body if you are starving and want a healthy diet. You can consider low-calorie food, which has high nutritional value.
Late-night healthy snacks option:
1 – Banana and almond butter: Bananas are rich in magnesium, vitamin E and healthy fats. A small banana with one spoonful of almond butter gives you 190 calories.
2- Kiwi: It is light fruit which gives about 61 calories, is rich in vitamin C and is a definitive source of serotonin which assists in relaxation and better sleep.
3- Yogurt: Known for keeping bones strong and a good source of protein, yoghurt is also rich in calcium which curbs hunger and leads to better sleep.
4- Boiled Eggs: Boiled eggs have about 155 calories, are easy to cook, are also an excellent source of protein, and constrain hunger for a reasonable amount of time.
5- A Smoothie: What’s better than a yummy smoothie to fill your stomach, which can include avocado or cherries or even pistachios and other nuts that instantly boost your protein intake for the day. Drinking the smoothie with Chia seeds is a better option.
Bottom Line
You don’t need to eat unhealthy food at night and increase your weight. If you want to satisfy your hunger, eat snacks with less than 200 calories. You should only eat if you are starving and not just because you’re bored or stressed.
Snacks can be tasty and have minimum calories. If you choose that food that helps you fulfil your craving and does not harm your diet, you will enjoy being healthy and glow even more.
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