Eat Big Before Bed!
What if I told you that eating your biggest meal at night was the best way to honor the natural cycles of your body? Would you give it a try or would you dismiss it as false because “everybody” knows that we should eat big during the day when we’re active and can burn off calories? Well, here’s what Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet, has to say about the subject.
Our body’s autonomic nervous system regulates our circadian clock and controls all our actions throughout the day and night. It’s divided into two parts; the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS). The SNS, commonly known for “fight or flight”, regulates our activities during the day. The PSNS, known for “rest and digest”, regulates our activities during the night.
During the day, our SNS keeps us focused, observant, and prepared for action. It promotes energy expenditure and fat burning. The SNS is in control when we are working and exercising. However, this system cannot accept large meals. When you eat a full meal, your SNS shuts down and the PSNS activates. Have you noticed how tired and sluggish you feel after a big meal? That’s the effect of the PSNS (and we’ve always blamed it on tryptophan). So, if during the day we eat a large meal and engage our PSNS, we shut down the system that is burning fat and by default, actually encourage weight gain.
Then how do we eat in accordance with our body’s natural cycles? We consume our biggest meal at night. Hofmekler warns that this does not mean eat whatever we want but instead he encourages slow-digesting proteins to help replenish our energy reserves and help elevate our metabolic rate. Hofmekler also recommends low-glycemic meals and proper food combining.
For more information on Ori Hofmekler and The Warrior Diet please visit his website.
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Michelle Woodworth
Reconsidering my evening meals.
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Hey Michelle I wanted to say thank you for your blog about eating in the evening! Oh my goodness you wouldnt believe how much I have learned from it! Ever since reading it I started tracking when my highs and lows are compared to when I eat and what I eat and its true that after a meal where I fill up I get really tired the rest of the day but if I just grab something small like a granola bar, a small sandwich or banana it isnt as bad. Jon is doing it too and has noticed a difference. For example yesterday I was so busy I kept just grabbing a small bite on the go so I had energy all day but come night time I couldnt fall asleep! So I grabbed a bowl of cereal and after 20 minutes I was tired! Jon did the same thing when he couldnt sleep Wednsday night. Maybe that is where midnight snacking comes from
Also we have been noticing some foods are worse than others at making you tired such as your carbs like pasta and breads they give you a sugar spike for about 1/2 an hour then you crash so we are really staying away from them during the day.