Stop Snacking Before Bed

When night time comes, do you overeat after dinner? Are you having a huge bowl of cereal before bed? Do you feel anxious, lonely are you really still hungry? Did you cut your calories so much during the day that you are making up for it at night?

At night, we are tired and want to relax and fall asleep and using eating to get through the dark hours of night spells bad news for your health. Typically, the foods we reach for are high in refined carbohydrates like cereal or breads. They do increase our serotonin levels in the brain making us feel calm and full. But these choices will pack on the calories and cause our blood sugar levels to spike, and over time, will lead to insulin resistance and diabetes, as well as sleep deprivation.

Eventually, your body expects to be fed at night which can delay you waking up hungry for breakfast and the cycle keeps repeating itself over and over again causing weight gain. For many of use, night time is the first quiet time we have, but it can feel overwhelming with pent-up emotions or stress.

Here are some strategies that can help you get back on track:

1. Use the time at night to write down your feelings in a journal and figure out what else would be helpful to you besides food. It might be calling a friend, listening to a Meditation CD, taking a hot bath, reading a good book with a cup of chamomile tea.

2. Are you skipping meals during the day? Are you not eating breakfast? Regulate your eating throughout the day by having 300-400 calorie, mini-meals every 3-4 hours. Include good quality protein like eggs, chicken, turkey, tuna and include some complex carbohydrates like steel-cut oats, quinoa, and of course, vegetables and good fats like olive oil. This will help prevent over-eating at night.

3. Wean yourself off foods that spike your blood sugar. Include beans and lentils in at least one meal during the day. Eat protein at Breakfast. Add pumpkin seeds or almonds to a snack - my favorite is an organic apple dipped in almond butter for a mid-afternoon snack.

4. If you still feel like you need to have some food before bed, choose foods that will increase your serotonin levels in the brain without increasing your blood sugar. Have a couple slices of roasted turkey breast - stay away from the highly processed deli meats, or have a 1/2 cup of chicken salad made with mustard and relish.

5. Take advantage of the rotisserie roasted chicken at your local grocery store. My favorite thing to do is to bring it home, and while it is warm, debone and shred the chicken. Toss with mustard, relish, celery, onions and cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve.

6. Find ways to get away from food at night. Go for a walk after dinner. Listen to soothing music or read a book and tell yourself the kitchen is closed for the night. You will be amazed how easy it is to reprogram yourself with ways to take care of yourself and your health.

Whether it is dealing with loneliness, stress, anxiety or making up for NOT eating enough food during the day, night time eating has become very common. Unfortunately, it has contributed to the weight gain problem in this country and insomnia issues. You may want to include all of the strategies listed above so it doesn't escalate into a health problem like diabetes or insulin resistance. Have a good night and sweet dreams.