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The consequences will always be unpleasant: insomnia, digestive problems, weakness, swelling, excess weight … Maybe, well, them, these wrong dinners?
Food is a whole science. And it’s not even a matter of how to cook some tricky dish. You also need to know what can be combined with what and what not. There are other subtleties as well. As they say that each vegetable has its own time, so here: each product has its own time. And in fact, you will not drink coffee at night, will you? But there is other food that is completely inappropriate in the evening.
Cheese
Eating a slice of mozzarella before bed is one thing, but a slice of Gruyere is another. Aged hard cheeses are good in small quantities during the day and will keep you awake in the evening. These foods contain teramine, a chemical that activates the brain and inhibits the production of melatonin. Too low a level of the latter will not allow you to feel fresh and rested in the morning. Quite the opposite.
Sausage and sauerkraut
Favorite dishes from German cuisine can cause insomnia if you overdo it at dinner. This list also includes red wine (alcohol, by the way, is also a provocateur of insomnia). The reason is in the technology for preparing aged products. During fermentation, histamine is released, which acts on particularly sensitive people, provoking problems with the digestive, hormonal and cardiovascular systems and increasing adrenaline levels. The result is insomnia, anxiety, and poor health.
Citrus
Cool water with a slice of lemon, a refreshing orange, or a popular grapefruit among nutritionists – it would seem, what could be healthier than fruit? But in fact, these healthy foods are good in the morning and during the day, but not before bed. Due to the presence of a large amount of vitamin C, citrus fruits have tonic properties, invigorate. In addition, the fruit eaten in the evening can negatively affect your well-being: during sleep, the digestive system slows down its work, and citrus acid in the stomach can cause an attack of heartburn or even an exacerbation of gastritis. So at night looking it is better to choose another snack.
Fatty food
Some types of fish, meat, any fried food fall under this definition. The body requires strength to process them, and before going to bed, the metabolism slows down. Fatty foods force the gastrointestinal tract system to work in an enhanced mode, that is, it will not rest. There will be no benefit from such food – all the substances received will be deposited in reserve in the form of a fat layer. In addition, after such a dinner, you will want to drink, and you will be thirsty all night. And in the morning, there may be a feeling of heaviness in the stomach, swelling on the face. Do not torture yourself, replace a hearty dinner with a portion of vegetable salad, for example, and you will have a sound sleep, beauty and vigor in the morning.
Nightshade vegetables
You will probably be surprised to learn that low-calorie and vitamin-packed tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and even potatoes have a secret danger to night owls. The point is that these vegetables produce the chemicals glycoalkaloids, which have some toxicity. We will not go into the details of the description of the mechanisms of action of glycoalkaloids, we will only say that among the possible reactions to nightshades are allergies and nervous excitement. Of course, this applies to people sensitive to this substance and manifests itself in the abuse of vegetables. But nutritionists say that glycoalkaloids can accumulate in the body, and if you begin to notice some anxiety, insomnia, give up for a while from tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes.
Chile
And along with it, and other spices and seasonings. Substances that irritate the taste buds have a similar effect on the nervous system. Therefore, if in the evening you have tasted a well-peppery meal, then not a trace of fatigue will remain – only pep and a burst of energy. And the body needs to sleep in order to recover from a day’s work. But if there is spicy food no later than three hours before bedtime, then, on the contrary, it will help to fall asleep in hot weather: spices make us sweat and cool the body.
Instant noodles
No matter how funny the situation may look when in the middle of the night someone from the household rustles in the kitchen, brewing “Doshirak”, but this often happens in life. Perhaps a night work schedule, or a person returned from a business trip, and only a supply of noodles from food – the situations may be different. But this dish is not for dinner. It’s all about preservatives, stabilizers, thickeners, emulsifiers, food colors and other chemical additives. They give an appetizing aroma and taste to the product, yes. But they have side effects: they can cause allergies, oxygen deprivation, impaired blood pressure, gastrointestinal ailments and even nervous disorders.
Oatmeal
Nutritionists never stop proving how healthy food is oatmeal. Long carbohydrates give satiety for a long time, provide the body with useful substances, porridge is easily digested, etc. All these statements are true for making a breakfast menu. When the whole day is ahead, energy is needed, and porridge really does a good job with this task. After all, among other things, oats have a tonic effect. Therefore, in the evening it is better to refuse it. In addition, this dish is quite high in calories (310 kcal). Therefore, any coach will tell you: at night you need to snack on protein foods. And he will be right. Try turkey – its protein contains a substance that has a relaxing effect.
Ice cream
The sweet dessert raises your blood sugar levels, which gives you a sense of energy for a while. Sleep will take off as if by hand. But then lethargy and hunger will come, and you will want to eat again. And you will eat too much before bed. In addition, ice cream, like other desserts, is high in sugar, fat and food additives. Such a set, eaten at night, will definitely be deposited on the sides.
Caffeinated Products
Everyone knows that you can’t drink coffee at night because of caffeine, a chemical compound that has stimulating and psychostimulating properties. At night – this means 4-5 hours before bedtime. But the list of products containing caffeine is much broader: tea, mate, cocoa, coca-cola, energy drinks, some types of seeds, cola nuts. Caffeine-free coffee is also on this list, don’t flatter yourself. With insomnia, we advise you to at least forget about coffee in the afternoon – despite the large list of advantages, caffeine is easily absorbed in the body, irritates the mucous systems of the gastrointestinal tract and is processed for a long time, especially in the elderly.