The foods we eat can affect the quality of our night’s rest. Let’s discover the foods to avoid and prefer for dinner. Suppose that breakfast is the most critical meal necessary to give your metabolism the correct charge and recharge your batteries. In that case, dinner is no exception, albeit for very different reasons. What you eat helps you be alert and attentive the next day and mainly affects your night’s rest: the quality of sleep is influenced by the foods and the active ingredients they contain.
Furthermore, it is also essential to consider the saturated gas content and the caloric value of the food. To sleep well and not gain weight, therefore, it is necessary to carefully choose the foods that will make up the evening meal: find out which are the five foods to avoid, plus 2 to prefer, to reduce insomnia and sleep disorders and finally be able to enjoy a regenerating sleep.
Exciting Foods
Chocolate, alcohol, tea, and coffee are all foods that stimulate the central and peripheral nervous system to affect the cyclical nature of sleep adversely. The sensation that follows the intake of these foods is that of euphoric excitement and resistance to fatigue: undoubtedly, two effects alter sleep. Alcohol, in particular, is also responsible for the fragmentation of the REM phase; if you want to sleep peacefully, try to metabolize the alcohol taken before going to bed: for a moderate amount, equal to a couple of glasses of wine, the time needed is at least 60-80 minutes.
Red Meat
Red meat should be avoided or even eliminated at dinner, especially for those already who have insomnia. This type of meat contains an amino acid (tyrosine) which acts as a mental stimulant and disturbs the ordinary course of the sleep-wake rhythm. Better to opt for white meats (such as chicken, turkey and rabbit) or fish; the latter, especially in the blue varieties, also contains a considerable amount of essential fatty acids (Omega 3), which counteract the production of free radicals and the formation of cholesterol.
Dried Fruit
Dried fruit has many benefits for the health of our body: almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, vegetable “good” fats that help regulate cholesterol levels in the blood, and can speed up the metabolism, which is why their consumption is often associated with weight loss diets. However, their consumption at dinner is recommended only in minimal quantities to avoid the stimulating effects.
Licorice
The licorice is a root used for therapeutic purposes since ancient times: it has, in fact, properties anti-inflammatory, gastro-protective, expectorants, antiviral and anti-oxidants. However, since it has a positive effect on the regulation of blood pressure and has remarkable diuretic abilities, it should not be taken in the evening before going to sleep; in fact, its action on pressure causes an increase in heart function, inducing a more excellent state of physical and mental activity, and for the diuretic activity it could force you to get out of bed several times during the night!
Leavened Foods
Bread and pizza are, among the leavened foods, the most offended: the yeast contained in them can cause damage to the intestinal bacterial flora and interfere with the ordinary course of digestion, disturbing sleep and causing annoying abdominal swelling, which they can also continue into the following day. By the same principle, one should also resist the charm of a golden beer mug. However, if dinner with friends “forces” you to eat a pizza, try to choose a simple one topped with light foods; also, pay attention to the leavening, which must be natural and long enough not to be too heavy.
Let’s Dispel The False Myths: You Can Eat Pasta For Dinner
Pasta, rice and other carbohydrates are considered guilty, by the majority, of making you fat if eaten at dinner. But this belief is not supported by any valid scientific theory unless, of course, it exceeds the quantities and seasonings. Carbohydrates contain high amounts of serotonin, the molecule of good humor, and are therefore very suitable for those suffering from anxiety and insomnia: consuming them at dinner. You will arrive in bed more relaxed and with fewer thoughts.
If you want to combine shape and well-being, you can opt for whole grains with a lower glycemic index than refined ones. Prefer light condiments, perhaps based on steamed, baked or grilled vegetables, and avoid lasagna, stuffed pasta and sauces with various sausages, which, due to the high salt content, only increase the thirst at night and disturb sleep.
A Cereal To Sleep Peacefully: Oats
Avena sativa (oats or every day) is a cereal that can relax the nerves and the nervous system, favoring a peaceful sleep and deep; It is no coincidence that it is among the most used ingredients in the formulations of homeopathic anti-anxiety and relaxation supplements. In addition, it has a high content of fibers, which facilitate digestion and lower cholesterol. It contains some nitrogenous phenolic compounds that have a decisive anti-inflammatory action, protective against tumors and degenerative diseases.
Moreover, oats have a low glycemic index, are rich in proteins and essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, are a natural inhibitor of nervous hunger, have nocturnal hunger attacks, and are a great ally against constipation. You can find oats both in flakes and grains and in the form of flour: you can then use them to prepare soups, hot and cold salads, bread, or any other dish suggested by taste and imagination.