The light dinners are the best option to take care of food, avoid gaining weight quickly and get to enjoy a more pleasant rest. But do you know what foods it is preferable to avoid before going to bed? It is important to identify them to, on the one hand, keep the line and not gain volume and, on the other, so as not to interfere with the quality of sleep, since there are certain ingredients that can make digestions very heavy and hinder our daily rest. Keep reading this article and make note of the 8 foods you shouldn’t eat before bed.
- Red meat
Eating red meat from time to time is advisable due to the large amounts of protein and iron that it provides to our body, but it should be avoided at night before going to sleep. The reason? It is too heavy and complicated to digest, so the entire digestive system will have to take care of processing it, and the great feeling of fullness will complicate sleep and good rest. It is best to leave that appetizing steak or ribeye to enjoy at mealtime.
2. Pasta
If you do not want to gain a few pounds, pasta is one of the foods that you should avoid the most before going to sleep. Think that a plate of macaroni or spaghetti is a great contribution of carbohydrates, which you will not burn during the night and will become fat by not doing any type of physical activity.
3. Pizza
Ten or fifteen minutes in the oven is enough to have a delicious and tasty pizza ready on the table. And although it is one of the most popular fast dinners, we must know that it is not convenient to eat it before going to bed. It is a very fatty and light meal that our digestive system will have a very hard time processing, but it also contains ingredients with high levels of acidity, such as tomatoes, which increase the chances of having heartburn problems in the following hours.
4. Lettuce
Although it may surprise us, lettuce, despite being a healthy and nutrient-packed food, is not a good option to consume at night. It contains high amounts of insoluble fiber that require a fairly long digestion process, since they must ferment in the stomach. And not only this, it also increases the risk of intestinal gas, bloating and belching.
5. Snacks and chips
Both snacks and fried potatoes are very rich in calories, so regular consumption is not adequate in the diet, day or night. However, if we add to this that they contain a high concentration of monosodium glutamate, they become a time bomb before going to sleep, as this substance causes sleep disorders and does not promote rest.
6. Cereals with milk
Many believe that a bowl of cereal with milk is an ideal light dinner to have at night just before bed. And nothing is further from reality, it is a preparation with many sugars and carbohydrates that when you relax and do not move, they will transform into fat quickly. In addition, milk, as it contains lactose, can cause digestive problems that make it difficult to sleep. In the event that you are lactose intolerant, it is important that you buy lactose-free milk or substitute it for other plant-based milks that are very healthy.
7. Chocolate
Eating a small ounce of chocolate does not have to be counterproductive, the problem is that this sweet is so addictive that we can hardly stop eating it easily. In addition to the extra calories that will result in increased fat storage, dark chocolate contains caffeine and stimulating substances that will not allow you to easily relax and enjoy a pleasant rest during the night.
8. Spicy foods or meals
We finish the list of foods that you should not eat before sleeping with those ingredients or hot sauces. When we consume this type of food, our body temperature increases considerably and this causes the quality of sleep to be impaired. In addition, its composition is not very beneficial for the digestive system and can lead to the appearance of acidity, burning or reflux. Taking all this into account, it is best to avoid eating spicy foods during the hours before going to bed.
