New Years Resolutions: Late Night Noshing In The Cold Light Of Day

Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Tis the season for food folly. And then comes the often overly optimistic list of New Years Resolutions. Maybe this New Year can be different. Instead of a totally unrealistic guilt list, you could hone in on a set of more realistic and entirely do-able goals.

Let's start with late night noshing. We've all heard the siren call of the fridge beckoning us to partake of a late-night feast. Sometimes its allure is impossible to resist. My favorite was ice cream. After all these years, I can still hear it wooing me seductively. But, alas, succumbing to that seduction proved to be treacherous to my health.

When To Eat What

When you eat and what you eat really does matter. For me, 10 p.m. was the bewitching hour when my cravings revved up full bore. Both the International Journal of Obesity and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition have shared the results of recent studies indicating that people who eat after 10 p.m. experience more weight gain than those who eat earlier during the day and come to a full stop.

But if you must eat late at night, smart food choices can make all the difference.

Your body doesn't sleep when you do. It continues to circulate blood and oxygen.

The Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise suggests that eating proteins before bed can actually strengthen muscles.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recommends eating a low glycemic dinner at night because it can help stabilize blood sugar after breakfast the next morning. Low glycemic foods include meats, poultry, fish, watermelon, plums, peaches, berries, apples, mangos, pineapples, pears, and papaya as well as eggs, tofu, carrots, and most other vegetables.

So consider preparing a dinner of lean meat or fish, vegetables, and fruit for dessert. They can help you get off to a healthier start in the morning when its time to break that eight-hour fast.

Mindful Musings Vs. Mindless Munching

Ever down a whole bag of chips while watching a football game and not remember how the chips tasted? Feeding your mind with your favorite program while filling your belly with empty calories is the worst kind of mindless munching.

Try the silent treatment at meal time. That is, turn off the boob-tube and all of your other digital gadgetry and focus on your food. Think about what you're eating while you're eating it. Meditate on each morsel. Savor each bite.

Even if you're eating fast food fare, slow down and saturate your senses with it. When your mind and your belly are both full, it will make it a lot easier to forgo a late night binge, because you'll already be satiated and satisfied. Happy New Year and pleasant dreams.

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Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.