Straight from the vault..... You may have heard that eating before bed is a big-time no no for those looking to lose weight. In fact, youve probably even heard that eating late at night will undoubtedly cause you to GAIN weight...even worse! Well, theres good news, and that good news is that not every food that you eat past7PM will be automatically deposited to your butt, thighs, and love handles. In fact, there are certain foods that you can eat as a late-night snack that can actually INCREASE your fatloss results! The key is knowing which foods to eat, and which to avoid, as the evening progresses. Heres a good rule of thumb: Avoid carbs before bed in favor of slow-digesting high-quality protein. Carbohydrate consumption causes significant rise in the storage hormone insulin, which also puts the breaks on fat-burning. Thats a recipe for disaster in the late evening hours as your metabolism is winding down, but fortunately, slow-digesting protein isnt. Instead, slow digesting proteins provide your body with a steady flow of amino acids throughout the night to help you recover from exercise and maintain your calorie-burning lean muscle as you lose fat. Here are some of my top pre-bedtime choices: 1. White Meat Animal Protein (not red meat or fish) - White meat protein sources such as chicken and turkey are great pre-bed meal choices because they digest slowly and have a very low insulin release. These sources also promote the release of another hormone, glucagon, that assists the body with breaking down stored carbs and fat within your body to be burned for energy...a double win! Red meat and fish have a significantly higher insulin response so theyre best to avoid in the evening. There are also 4 types of fish that you should really avoid at ALL times...well go over those in just a minute. 2. Cottage Cheese - Cottage cheese is very slow digesting and coats the stomach to be assimilated by the body over many hours. As a protein, it also stimulates glucagon release; a solid pre-bedtime choice. Just make sure youre using plain cottage cheese, not the flavored varieties with added sugars. 3. Green Vegetables - While these arent considered a protein, they contain virtually no calories, are high in fiber, and theyre very filling. Often times when I get a late night craving I eat a big bowl of green veggies and it completely kills my craving...a diet savior! 4. A Slow-digesting, Low-carb Protein Shake - I use a slow-digesting protein shake before bed literally every day. Its become somewhat of a ritual and great, tasty way to end my day. The vast majority of my gym friends have grown to love the habit as well...who doesnt love dessert before bed? :) I normally blend the shake with almond butter to get some healthy fats in there, and man, it sure does taste good with BioTrust protein! Now, going back to the 4 types of fish I mentioned earlier, while we have been led to believe that fish is one of the healthiest food choices around, there are actually 4 specific types of fish that you should literally NEVER eat due to incredibly high levels of contamination that can and WILL hammer the delicate cells of your body with toxic inflammation... In the end, this toxic inflammation build up contributes to achy joints, premature aging of the skin (and less visible organs like the heart, kidneys, and liver), difficulty shedding excess weight, cognitive decline, forgetfulness, feeling blue and moody, and so much more...
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 03:19:05 +0000