Late Night Eating – DO IT.

As I sit here and type this, the time reads 11:06 PM. And you know what? I’m eating.

*Gasp*

What?? Eating after 7 PM?! Yes, I know, I’m breaking the rules.

But frankly, that’s what I do.

When rules don’t make sense to me, I simply choose not to follow them (unless, of course, those “rules” are “laws”…not really into the whole illegal activity thing).

But as far as the whole “no eating after 7” nonsense goes, I break that one just about every day.

And so should you.

Here’s why:

Well, first, let me just say that most general rules of thumb in the fitness world are oversimplifications, and the whole “Don’t eat after X o’clock” is no exception.

The recommendation is based on the idea that metabolism slows in the evening hours as you prepare for bed, and eating during this time should be avoided so as not to have those calories stored as fat.

A good premise, but again, oversimplified.

What we really want to avoid in the evening are foods that give rise to insulin, specifically carbohydrates, and for several reasons.

First, when blood insulin levels rise, fat burning takes a dive and a “storage” environment is created within the body. This is a good thing after exercise or after an overnight fast to allow the body to “refuel”, but not so good when metabolism is falling off in the evening hours.

Secondly, something called insulin sensitivity drops drastically in the evening, which simply means that your body is not as responsive to insulin at night as it is during the day. When insulin sensitivity is low, carbohydrates are easily stored as fat.

Needless to say, we can see why eating carbohydrates late at night isn’t a smart move, but that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t eat anything.

So, what should you eat to curb late-night cravings and support muscle tissue maintenance as you sleep?  Simple: a small meal consisting of mostly slow digesting protein and fibrous green veggies within a couple hours of bed works best.

Animal protein (chicken, fish, beef, etc) are great choices for a late night meal, as is something like cottage cheese. Both digest slowly over time, providing a mild, but steady influx of nutrients to muscle throughout the night, all while not interfering with your insulin levels.

Or maybe I’m just a rebel who doesn’t know what the heck he’s talking about? ;-)

Got a favorite late night meal or snack? Agree? Disagree?

Drop the comments below!

Joel

P.S. Want to up your nutrition IQ even more?  Watch this video from my good friend Isabel where she reveals 4 other “healthly” foods that you should NEVER eat, along with her TOP 5 foods for a flat belly: