Breaking the myth: “Don’t eat after 7pm” & Avocado Power Pudding!

Hi all !

So I recently got an e-mail asking about what would be a good snack before bed.
You all know that I LOVE to break myths & prove that some of those diet fads aren’t always true.

A few years ago, someone was on the Oprah show
(which I have nothing against Oprah)
but the specialist said “Don’t eat after 7pm, it will make you gain weight!”

Well, this sparked a huge craze and people started to think they were
being healthy by not eating into the hours of the night.

I have to say that this is a HUGE myth because I truly believe that
it doesn’t matter WHEN you eat, it matters WHAT you eat!

It’s probably not the best idea to eat a huge
hamburger & fast food fries right before bed…
but I see nothing wrong with a
MINI MICROWAVE POWERCAKE

or one of my Cottage Cheese “Powerbowls”

*Cottage cheese topped with
my healthy chocolate sauce,
cinnamon, & walnuts!

try some Greek yogurt mixed with Chia seeds,
cinnamon, stevia, & pumpkin!

Or you can make some
Avocado Power Pudding!

1/2 avocado
1 scoop of vanilla sunwarrior protein powder
1/4 cup of almond/coconut milk
(or more depending on how thick you want it)
& some stevia!
*blended in my magic bullet & topped with CHIA SEEDS!

I’ve also added 1TB of Cocoa Powder
to make it
Chocolate Power Pudding

If you think about it this way…when you sleep, you’re body is essentially “Fasting”
for anywhere from 6-10 hours before you eat your next meal.

Now I don’t expect you to get up every 2 hours while you’re sleeping to keep up your metabolism,
but what I am saying is that it is important to eat something
that is slow digesting before bed that will also help with your muscle repair while you sleep!

Then you wake up with energy,
especially if you’re an early morning worker-outer

This was a huge myth with my high school students;
they all heard about the “don’t eat after 7pm” craze
& I love being able to TEACH them what the facts really are!

I practice what I preach and I gave them examples of things I ate before bed and why.

So here are the FACTS that I’ve researched to share with you!

[Science]
When you sleep, you’re on a fast. During that fast, your body is forced to turn
to your own muscle protein for fuel, converting those amino acids into glucose.
In other words, while you’re in dreamland, you’re experiencing the nightmare of cannibalizing your own muscles.
The longer you go before sleep without eating, the more your muscle will be eaten away.
That’s why we always recommend that you end your day with a slow-digesting protein,
such as a casein protein shake or cottage cheese.

Research from the Weider Research Group discovered that trained bodybuilders
drinking a casein protein shake right before bed
for eight weeks gained significantly more muscle than those who
consumed the same casein shake in the middle of the day.

[ Verdict ]
We started with the easiest myth to shoot down, for not only is it OK to chow down long after sundown,
it’s crucial to eat a protein meal immediately
before going to bed in order to feed
your muscles the nutrients they need
to recover and grow while you sleep.

Go with 20-40 grams of slow-digesting protein. 

Why? Protein stimulates muscle growth, but only for two to three hours after exercise.
If you’re an after-work gymgoer, you may not have an extra meal to stimulate muscle production while you’re sleeping.
This is why slipping in a protein snack before bed could give your body
the opportunity to break it down into amino acids, which stimulate muscle growth,
says van Loon. (Don’t know everything about protein? Here’s your perfect guide.)

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your bedtime snack,
aim for about 25 grams of a high-quality protein like whey,
which studies have shown to exhibit the best muscle-growth rates.
[Source]

Adequate protein is eaten at the
four most critical times of day:
first thing in the morning,
before and after work outs,
and before bed.

Eating Late Myth

If you're worried that eating late will make you pile on the pounds -- don't be.
Research has shown that if your pre-bed meal doesn't tip you over your recommended calorie intake,
then eating late is no more likely to cause fat gain than would eating any other time of the day.

During the night, your body still is metabolically active, burns calories, and actually needs a certain amount of fuel
to help you recover from your training sessions.

[source]

Try to leave around an hour between eating and going to sleep though,
as any less than this may cause digestive discomfort.

surprisingly my sensitive stomach can handle me eating my last meal,
brushing my teeth, & then falling asleep!

Again, it’s whatever works for YOUR OWN BODY!

If you haven't trained, then a little fat from nuts, peanut butter, coconut or seeds
will help slow down the digestion of the protein, which may be of benefit.

I try to stay away from a healthy fat right after a workout,
due to it slowing down the rate at which protein refuels my muscles,
but before bed is a great idea to slow it down
since you won’t be eating for another 6-10 hours!

So hopefully I’ve helped break the MYTH
of not eating after 7pm & I wanted to share with you some of my
favorite night-time meals!

enjoy your day!!

xoxo

What is your last “meal” of the day?

Did you ever believe that eating after
7pm would make you gain weight?

More Posts You Might Enjoy