Late evening. With a sense of accomplishment, she turns off the computer, yawns sweetly, stretches, and gets up with the firm intention of going to bed. But suddenly, she feels a sharp pang of hunger and, instead of the bedroom, heads to the kitchen. Standing by the refrigerator, she agonizes over the question, “To eat or not to eat?” Sound familiar?
The solution to this problem would seem obvious. But… In reality, the problem of nighttime hunger pangs has many pitfalls and requires a comprehensive approach.
Let's look at the problem of evening overeating from the point of view of physiology and the biological adjustment of our body.
1. Human life is inextricably linked to the Sun. It is known that in the morning, with sunrise, the human energy system is activated, and in the evening, after sunset, its activity decreases. This observation is reflected in the widely used weight loss method of limiting food consumption after 6 p.m.
In the evening, a person's metabolism slows down by 40%. At night, when the body is at its lowest biological activity, food is digested more slowly, which not only creates unpleasant feelings of heaviness and fullness but also contributes to the accumulation of fat deposits, as the body is not in a waking state.
2. How does our body function at night? It's now scientifically proven that if a person is awake at night, their body continues to produce gastric juice from midnight until 1:00 a.m., which can cause hunger. Meanwhile, by 4:00 a.m. or 5:00 a.m., our muscles and liver begin releasing glucose into the blood, preparing the body for the active phase.
3. Nighttime sleep. Nature designed our digestive system to need rest at night. During 8-9 hours of sleep, the gastrointestinal tract cleanses itself, the system is restored at the cellular level, and the microflora is activated.
4. Melatonin, also known as the sleep and longevity hormone . 70% of melatonin is produced at night. The body begins producing it at dusk, increases its production by 4:00 a.m., and then begins to decrease its production by morning awakening. Melatonin activates our body's defenses, increases stress resistance, and protects against colds.
5. “Secret Eating.” This is the name of one type of functional eating disorder. As the name suggests, the person eats as if in secret from everyone, and most importantly, secretly from themselves, without even realizing it. While dieting during the day, such a person experiences acute hunger pangs at night, which they satisfy with nightly, often uncontrollable, trips to the refrigerator.
In a milder and more common form, this functional disorder may have been observed by all of us. Alone in the kitchen after a family lunch or dinner, a woman clears the table, washes the dishes, and… simultaneously finishes off whatever's left: pieces of bread, cheese, sausage, cookies, remnants of food heated in a frying pan, and finishes off the drink left over by her husband or child…
The only way out of the impasse called “secret nutrition” is to stop setting prohibitions and restrictions for yourself and give the “green light” to the body’s natural needs.
So, if it's midnight and you're still awake and feeling hungry, follow these steps:
1. Ask yourself: “ Am I really hungry? Will I be able to fall asleep without food?” Over the next few seconds, listen to your body. If there's no response, or you're unsure how it's interpreted, it means you don't really need food and can sleep peacefully without it.
2. If your body signals you need to eat, follow the Slim Person formula: “ What I want, What's best, and How I'll feel afterwards.” The best choice in this case is a small amount of protein or fat: a piece of cheese, mild meat, a buttered sandwich, soup, or any side dish. An apple, carrot, or other fruit or vegetable is not the best option, as they contain fiber and take a long time to digest.
These simple recommendations are based on a basic understanding of our body's general functional characteristics. However, your body may specifically crave an apple, a carrot, or a salad. Listen to your gut and make your choice.
For this, you can use the “weighing” technique. Hold your chosen fruit or vegetable in one hand and a piece of cheese or any of the foods listed above in the other. Assume the scale pose: bend your elbows and extend them out to the sides, without holding them close to your body. Inhale and exhale, close your eyes, and ask yourself what you'd like to eat. Choose the food that feels heavier in your hand—that is, the one that literally “outweighs” you.
I can already see your smile as you imagine yourself standing in the middle of the kitchen at night, holding a scale with groceries in your hands. It probably looks unusual, if not downright ridiculous. But… What's truly important to you: understanding yourself and making the right choice, or worrying about how you look? Besides, soon you won't need to physically weigh your groceries; you'll learn to mentally “weigh” your groceries.
The main thing, no matter what you choose, is to analyze how you feel in the morning: how quickly you fell asleep, how your sleep went, how easy it was to wake up, whether you feel hungry, whether you feel alert and rested, etc. And next time, make your choice based on how you feel.
And the dilemma “To eat or not to eat” is resolved very simply: you need to sleep at night!