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00:17It's one of the oldest pieces of nutrition advice out there.
00:22Don't eat after 8 p.m.
00:24But is there any truth to it?
00:26Well, joining me now to help separate fact from fiction is registered dietitian, Maria Elias.
00:33So Maria, so tell me, let's settle this once and for all.
00:39Eating after 8 p.m.
00:41Does that help or does that make, sorry, one gain weight?
00:47Yes and no.
00:50So there is a little bit of truth that the body does process food a little differently later in the
00:58evening.
00:58There's no magical cutoff of 8 p.m.
01:01It depends on your body clock.
01:05But there is a fact that our body clock, our metabolism is usually higher when the sun is highest.
01:13So at midday is when your metabolic and digestive power is highest.
01:18So eating in the evening, your body will struggle a little bit more to fully digest and utilize those calories.
01:27So that is the bit of truth where that myth may have come from.
01:32So we do want to be conscious of the fact that ideally we're not eating our heaviest meal, I would
01:39say, after dark.
01:40Is the time we eat the problem or is the type of food that we eat?
01:45I think it's more the type of food because let's be honest, if someone is eating at 10 p.m.,
01:51they're not reaching for salad or broccoli, right?
01:54It's usually for high-fat, high-sugar foods, comfort foods.
01:58So whether it's ice cream or your favorite kind of cake or dessert, you know, if you're out liming, it
02:06might be burgers and fried chicken.
02:08So it tends to be more the type of foods you're reaching for at that time.
02:13But again, one late-night meal is not going to determine your long-term health or even your weight.
02:19The problem is when it becomes habitual.
02:22If someone is genuinely hungry before bed and it happens to be after 8 already, right,
02:29should they ignore the hunger or should they still eat something but maybe something light?
02:35Never ignore your hunger.
02:37If it's real hunger, that is generally a sign that you did not get enough nutrients that your body needed
02:44for the day.
02:45So it would be better to eat something, usually something with protein.
02:50Our metabolism is wired to seek protein.
02:53And when you don't get enough protein throughout the day, you tend to feel hungry at night.
02:58So you want to go with foods that have a balance of protein and maybe a little bit of carbs.
03:05So that could be as simple as like a yogurt, which has some carbs and protein.
03:10It could be some nuts and seeds.
03:13It could be a small fruit, a small banana with a handful of almonds.
03:17The portion is also important.
03:19So, you know, you're not eating a second dinner.
03:24You just want something to kind of, you know, get makeup for whatever you didn't get throughout the day.
03:31So the takeaway is not necessarily the time on the clock that determines whether you'll gain weight.
03:37It's your overall eating habits, portion sizes, and the choices you make throughout the day.
03:42But if you do get hungry before bed, what should you actually eat?
03:46Hmm, that we'll explore in part two of Health Watch.
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