Nutritionists have suggested that eating dinner by 8 PM can work wonders for your health.
Eating your last meal as early as 8 PM can have several benefits on your health. Our body has an internal rhythm called 'circadian rhythm', according to which it schedules major body functions. This internal clock enables the body to regulate activities such as sleep, digestion, and eating. Thus, the timing of your meals can affect the regulation of your body weight, metabolism, heart health, and also your sleep cycle. Let’s look at a few benefits of finishing dinner before 8 pm.
Good sleep
Eating too close to your sleep time can cause indigestion, making it harder to fall asleep. Health experts warn against bedtime munchies too. Eating late in the night leaves the body in a 'high alert' state, which interferes with the circadian rhythm and prevents the body from powering down. The sleep quality is always better when there is a gap of at least two to three hours between the last meal and your bedtime.
Weight loss
Health experts claim that eating your dinner before 8 PM can mitigate the overall calorie intake drastically. It also triggers metabolism. This practice leads to overnight fasting, offering your body the time to reach a state of ketosis - a natural state for the body, where it fulfills its energy demands from the body fat instead of the glucose in the fed state. The later you eat, the more are the chances of the food lying in the intestines, slowing down digestion. On the contrary, if you have your dinner early, you reach the satiety value earlier, enabling the body to utilize the food better.
Better heart health
You likely eat more when you have your dinner late at night and the calories aren’t burned off and they are converted into fatty acids, thereby increasing the risk of the onset of heart conditions. Eating late can also trigger acid reflux causing a burning sensation near the chest region.
Improved energy and levels of concentration
Eating early will enable your body to stabilize blood sugar levels, which in turn will lead to less irritation and fatigue. You will face less trouble waking up, and your body will have much fewer toxins to deal with, making you feel energetic and calmer.
Better appetite
The overall appetite becomes more balanced and will prevent you from skipping the most important meal of the day, which is breakfast.
Try taking your last meal by 8 PM and see how it benefits your health!
