Bedtime: Do you know what to eat and what to avoid?

Dietitian Vaida Kurpienė said what to do (not) before going to bed.

What products to avoid at dinner

Roasted, dried and smoked products, canned – difficult to digest, often with excess salt. Because of this, they stay in our stomach for a long time and we can hardly plunge into a deep sleep state at night.

Pickled vegetablesAlthough there are healthy options, it is best to save them for lunch. Treated in this way, they have a lot of salt and after eating them at night, you may not be happy in the morning, because it will swell, there will be fluids in the body. People with high blood pressure who eat a lot of salt for dinner in the morning may need to take medicine to lower their blood pressure.

Fresh vegetables have reserves. Its use is recommended, but there are cases in which it can be harmful. If you sit at the table after 8 pm, avoid raw vegetables, especially leafy ones in large quantities. Vegetables are rich in fiber, which slows down the journey of food from the stomach to the duodenum. This way, when you lie down, your stomach is still full. Lying down changes position and makes digestion difficult. Dreams are hard and in the morning we feel tired.

Lots of protein Having produce is a good option when we have dinner on time, but poor if there is only an hour or two left before bed. The situation is the same as with fresh vegetables.

Caffeine products – consumed after 15 hours a day. Caffeine is associated with coffee, which many no longer consume in the afternoon. These ingredients have black, green and saw teas. Sweets enjoy chocolate at night, but the latter also has caffeine. The more cocoa in the chocolate, the higher the caffeine concentration. Some medications, such as cough syrup and pain relievers, are used to control PMS. If you use them, read their composition. Caffeine doesn’t necessarily make it difficult to fall asleep, but it interferes with the smooth transition between phases of sleep and we wake up at night and can’t get deep enough into the phases of deep sleep. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic: it promotes the elimination of fluids, which is why it is another reason to get up at night and disturb your sleep.

The spicy food It has many health benefits, but using it before bed can lead to excessive gastric acid secretion and heartburn. The latter can be intensified while lying down. Acids can enter the esophagus and burn our sensitive mucous membranes.

Mint tea It has a relaxing effect on the esophagus and can also cause gastric acid to leak into the esophagus while you are lying down. So avoid these great teas for those with heartburn problems.

If it seems that alcohol It helps you fall asleep faster, but sleep works badly – you wake up many times at night, even if you don’t remember. Also, alcohol disrupts the deep sleep phase and the sleep phase, so you will not rest properly, you will be irritable, and your appetite will increase.

Superior fluids or products rich in them, such as several plates of soup, five apples, consumption from 7:00 p.m. You will likely get up to urinate at night and this interrupts your sleep. If you wake up at night thirsty, your mouth and nose will most likely dry out. Rinse mouth with a sip of water and swallow. This amount of fluids will be enough and you will avoid going to the bathroom after a few hours.

Lots of foodand the healthiest bad idea before bed. When you go to bed, your stomach should remain empty, only then will we sleep soundly, when we wake up, we will want to have breakfast, and we will be energetic and refreshing during the day.

The best products for dinner

When we want our body to sleep well, let’s do a complete diet. The diet should contain four main substances that improve sleep: the amino acid tryptophan, the mineral magnesium and calcium, and vitamin B6. Most of them are sold as over-the-counter supplements, but it is much better to obtain them from edible foods, thus avoiding side effects and better absorption.

Some of these substances help the body make melatonin. It is a hormone responsible for regulating a person’s daily rhythm and sleeping and waking habits. At night, the production of melatonin increases naturally. In the morning, when you’re ready to wake up, melatonin production slows to keep you awake and alert during the day. I wrote about the production of this hormone and the rules of sleep hygiene in my book “Lean for Life”. In this article, I will highlight the products that have the aforementioned ingredients and are perfect for dinner.

The amino acid tryptophan is converted to the neurotransmitter serotonin, called the happiness hormone. The latter is processed into the hormone melatonin. As you may have already noticed, this substance will bring happiness and improve sleep. Sources of tryptophan:

• Dairy products plain or Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese, such as cottage cheese with little flour or cold borscht.
• Poultry: turkey and chicken, small in quantity and gently prepared.
• Seafood such as shrimp and fish: salmon, halibut, cod. Ideal for dinner as it is easy to digest.
• Nuts and seeds: flax, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts. I recommend 20-40 grams at night. They are a great market to sprinkle on western salads.
• Legumes: beans, chickpeas and lentils, always good.
• Vegetables: spinach, broccoli, turnips, asparagus, onions, seaweed, for soups and salads.
• Cereals: wheat grains, black and red rice, barley, corn, oats, only for children.

Magnesium is a natural relaxant that helps “turn off” adrenaline. Magnesium is often referred to as a dormant mineral. Excellent sources of magnesium are:

• Dark green leafy vegetables: small spinach, kale (kale).
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, sunflower seeds, Brazilian nuts and walnuts, cashews, cedar nuts, flaxseed; note that they also contain tryptophan.
• Fish: salmon, halibut, tuna, mackerel, a source of magnesium and tryptophan.
• Soybean.
• Banana: ideal after a night workout.
• Avocados – Add to salad instead of oil.
• Plain or Greek yogurt is also a source of tryptophan.

Calcium helps the brain make melatonin. It is said that calcium deficiency can alter the combination of sleep phases and encourage us to wake up. If this happens to you frequently, even if dinner is early, check for ionized calcium in your blood. If there is a deficiency, monitor your diet and talk to your doctor about supplements.

• Dairy products: cheeses, the solids of which contain mainly calcium, curd, kefir and natural yogurt.
• Soy milk cheese – tofu – is also a good choice for dinner with a vegetable stew or a perfect pair of legumes.
• Green peas: add to soup or salad.
• Okra and broccoli.

Vitamin B6 deficiency is associated with reduced serotonin levels and poor sleep because it helps convert tryptophan to melatonin. Vitamin B6 deficiency has been suggested to be associated with depressive symptoms, mood swings, and anxiety. Sources of B6 in food:

• Nuts and seeds: sunflower, pistachio, linseed.
• Fish: tuna, salmon, halibut.
• Meat: chicken, tuna, lean pork, lean beef.
• Bananas are also a source of magnesium, a good idea to eat after a night sport.
• Avocadas.
• Spinach: contains tryptophan and magnesium.

These foods can help our bodies make melatonin. It can be found naturally in food. Melatonin sources for a valuable dinner:

• Vegetables: corn, asparagus, tomatoes, olives, broccoli, cucumbers.
• Nuts and seeds: walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, flaxseed.
• Cereals: brown and black rice, barley, oats; it is better to leave the children at night. I guess you move around a bit at night, you may not be able to burn off the energy you get. These cereals are perfect for breakfast or lunch. You can be sure that melatonin will work when the time is right.

In conclusion, I can say that dinner is worth starting with a serving of suitable fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers, dark leafy greens, broccoli, asparagus, and avocados. Season with olives, corn, nuts and seeds, peas.

The main dish is perfect for the foods we usually choose for breakfast, such as cottage cheese with vegetables or egg dishes, as well as fish. At night you will be perfectly satiated with legumes like lentils, chickpeas, green beans.

In the cold time of year, when you want warmth, thick soups and stews are perfect. Just remember that the vegetables they contain must remain crisp, uncooked.