With changing schedules and stress of everyday life, food is what we turn to for comfort. And after going through the long day, you look forward to that perfect last meal before you go to sleep. As, waking up fresh the next day is what you hope for during bed time. But often in this routine, we tend to eat the wrong kinds of food for our body. After a long day, even your organs need to rest as you sleep. But eating the wrong food does not allow your stomach to get the rest it needs. Here is a list of some foods that you should try to avoid before going to bed.
Sarah Remmer, a Dietician, tells to Huffington Post Canada –
Certain food have a harder time to digest, especially when you are lying horizontally. It depends on what you’re eating and how quickly you eat it. Foods that are high in fat, fibre or protein are slower to digest. If someone were to eat eggs and bacon right before bed, they’ll likely feel uncomfortable and won’t be able to sleep. They may also feel full and bloated in the morning.
1. Spicy Food
Indian meals are largely consisted of a variety of spices. Spices work at stimulating the senses, which is the exact opposite of what you need when you are trying to sleep. When you sleep, your organs are slowing down and this does not allow the spice to digest properly which can lead to an upset stomach.
[ Also Read: Food Poisoning From Fish]
2. Ice Cream
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of ice cream as a post dinner dessert? And if you have had a bad day, that one bowl could end up becoming the entire ice cream tub. But howsoever soothing it may seem to frazzled nerves, it’s safe to say its wreaking havoc on your body. The high sugar content in the ice cream will charge you up and makes it difficult to fall asleep. Also the fat content rests in your body over night as you don’t give your body a chance to burn it off.
3. Pizza
You’ll wonder how this is on the list when it is one of the staple meals of the Italians. How do they eat it all the time with no trouble? Well the pizzas that we have here are quite different from the original. Pizzas are loaded with ingredients from all categories, acidic tomatoes, greasy cheese, and bread full of carbs which are all set to give your stomach a hard time. All these ingredients give your stomach a harsh workout when it is trying its most to relax. So, all you pizza lovers try to make it an Italian lunch instead.
4. Celery
Celery is supposed to be one the healthiest foods right? And it’s so low on calories. Wouldn’t that make it the perfect snack? Well no actually! Celery is a natural diuretic. A diuretic is a substance which promotes urine production in the body. This means eating celery will make you want to pee more than usual. So unless you want to keep interrupting that beauty sleep with multiple bathroom breaks, its best to avoid the celery sticks.
5. Heavy Proteins
Proteins are great and a much needed supplement for the body, but they are also equally hard to digest. Eating a large quantity of red meat or other heavy proteins late at night will sit in your stomach and not get properly digested. This makes it harder to fall asleep since you will have a bloated sensation. If your diet requires you to have some protein in your dinner, try to opt for smaller proteins like fish, lentils, yogurt etc. before bedtime.
[sc:mediad]
6. Oats
Oats are sometimes a quick fix dinner solution. And they don’t mess with the diet either. But oats (and other cereals like bran, barley etc.) are high in insoluble fibres. These fibres slow down your digestive system and sit in your stomach overnight due to the lack of movement. This in turn leads to gas, making it one uncomfortable night, and a terrible next day too.
7. Fizzy drinks
Fizzy soft drinks and colas are high on sugar content. And they may taste good, but they do not help your body in any way. Ideally it is best to avoid them altogether, but even more so before bedtime. The sugar and caffeine will give your system a rush, keeping you up through the night, and the chemicals also lead to bloating and gas. As if that wasn’t enough, the liquid will fill up your bladder and ensure repeated bathroom visits through the night.
8. Fried Food
Comfort food! Yum! But your stomach will groan at that thought. Fried foods like chips, French fries, pakodas, onion rings etc. have high fat content which takes longer to digest. Not only that, the fat gets stored in your body when you sleep as there is no way to burn it off. Your stomach tries to work extra hard to digest, which can lead to cramps, bloating and even acid reflux. Definitely not what you would call a peaceful night!
Have you made up your mind to avoid these foods before you go to bed? Our sleeping beauties!