The 4 Foods To Eat BEFORE Bed...

I was talking to one of the nutrition coaches about eating and timing and you may have heard that eating before bed is a horrible time to eat if you are looking to maintain or lose weight. In fact, even the doctors have told you that eating "late" or after 7 pm will cause you to GAIN weight...quicker than any other time!

Well, there's some good and bad news, in that YES - there are foods that can lead to increased weight if eaten after 7 pm - but for all those late night folks out there, there is good news as well.  The good news is that not every food that you eat past 7 pm will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles.

So if we know certain foods are not good for us and certain food are, then the goal is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid not only during the day but as the hours continue through the day.  Here is a simple guideline to follow:  Avoid carbohydrates before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality protein.

 You see, eating carbohydrate in general causes  the body to produce more insulin and we know that Insulin is a fat storage hormone.  If we increase Insulin at night we stop the production of fat burning hormone and this creates a downward spiral cause the body to lower it's metabolism rate along with decreasing production of fat-burning hormone.  This is a double trouble problem that can actually be avoided by eating slow-digesting proteins!  

If you consume slow digesting proteins, you  provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help give you the building block you need to recover from the traumas and stresses of the day and it helps and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle helping you burn fat.

Here are some of my top pre-bedtime choices:

1. White Meat Animal Protein (not red meat or fish) - White meat protein sources such as chicken and turkey are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win!   On the other hand - it's important to note that red meat and fish have a significantly higher insulin response than white meat, so it's best to avoid them all together.  

2. Cottage Cheese - Although dairy is a difficult choice for many people, cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. Similar to the white meat protein it can stimulate glucagon release; which helps encourage fat burning.  One tip - make sure you're using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars or fruits.

3. Green Vegetables - While these aren't considered proteins, they contain essentially no calories, are high in fiber, and they're very filling. This is one quick way to feel full and eliminate cravings - helping you stick to your eating plans!  

4. A Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - There are a number of slow-digesting protein shakes available to you.  For many people it is a great pre-bedtime routine to have a shake to end the day.  This is easy for many people and  offers a variety of choices to make a healthy but tastey night-time snake.  Although you have multiple choices - we need to give a "thumbs up" to our friends at BioTrust.  They have a protein shake that works very well for this tip.

If you have questions on what proteins may be right for you - then talk to your Health 1st Doctors - and they can find a program that is right for you.