If you are someone who is trying to lose weight, then we are sure you are making every calorie count to help accelerate the fat burning process and trying to eliminate anything that would stall your progress. There are a lot of doubts of what one should eat and when to eat to lose weight, and that’s why Rati Beauty weight loss program helps you overcome all those apprehensions. We often encounter this query – will eating fruits at night make you gain weight? Most fruits are powerhouses of nutrition – with impressive levels of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, flavanoids, fiber, folate, and every other essential nutrient. But there’s a lot of debate on whether one can eat fruits at night, either along with dinner or as a snack after dinner. Though calorie deficit is the engine which runs the whole weight loss game, what matters also is the time of the day one consumes the calories. Since fruits are low in calories and a good source of vitamins and antioxidants, most nutritionists debunk this theory that fruits towards at night are not good for weight loss. In this post, we would like to clear the air over “will eating fruits at night make you gain weight.” Read on for more details on this topic.
Why Fruits are Good for Weight Loss and Overall Health?
- Fruits are low in calories.
- High in dietary fiber (and fiber is so essential for weight loss).
- Most fruits are rich in vitamins (A, C, E, K).
- Rich in minerals (potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, folic acid, phosphorous, copper, iron, manganese, selenium).
- Lowers inflammation in the body.
- Low in fat.
- Antioxidants in fruits help fight free radicals.
- Instant source of energy.
Why It’s Okay to Have Fruits at Night?
- As a late night snack or to satisfy hunger pangs in the night, a fruit is a better option than a bag of chips or slice of pizza or a scoop of ice cream (all of which add a lot of empty calories).
- Since fruits are low in calories and high in fiber, they provide nutrition to the body.
- Much better than eating a nutritious fruit rather than indulging in high calorie junk food before bed.
Why It’s Not that Okay To Eat Fruits at Night?
1. Fruits have a naturally-occurring sugar called “fructose” along with glucose. These sugars, though natural, spike insulin, and raise blood sugar levels. Fruits get digested faster and get to the small intestine earlier than meals which are high in protein, carbs, and fat. It is hence advisable to consume fruits by the evening so as to not upset the digestive process since these sugars get digested relatively quickly.
2. In some cases, the body is unable to break down fructose leading to bloating, stomach pain, gas, and heartburn. Though it is believed to be a hereditary disorder, an imbalance in the gut bacteria and irritable bowel syndrome can also cause fructose malabsorption. For someone with irritable bowel syndrome or fructose malabsorption, it is not advisable to eat fruits towards the end of the day.
3. It is widely believed in ayurveda, that if meals and fruits are taken together, the body tends to pick fruits first for digestion and then the meal leading to low absorption of nutrients from the food. As stated earlier, eating fruits before bed can lead to indigestion and stomach upset, so it’s advised to avoid fruits during dinner or after.
4. Citrus fruits like pineapple, oranges with their high acidic content can lead to heartburn and acid reflux, so it’s best to avoid such fruits at night.
5. Come to think of it, all sugars, even if they are natural, will raise insulin release, and raise blood sugar, and as we all know by now, “insulin” is a fat-storage hormone too and if you have fallen out of calorie deficit, all that extra sugar will get stored as fat.
6. We tend to forget counting calories of healthy food, especially fruits, but since all calories matter, you may fall out of calorie deficit, leading to weight gain, particularly at night when you are snacking just out of boredom or to satisfy cravings.
7. If you have reached your total calorie target by dinner and then indulging in a fruit or two, it will add up to quite a few number by the end of the month, and that would explain weight gain.
8. The sugar rush from having fruits at night can disrupt sleep pattern and can keep you awake during the night, and less sleep hours would increase the level of hunger hormone “ghrelin,” that would eventually make you hungrier as soon as you wake up in the morning, leading to indulgence in high-carb food. Read about “20 Ways to Control Hunger Hormone Ghrelin to Lose Weight.”
9. Since release of natural sugar from fruits would lead to disruption of sleep, it also releases to increase of stress hormone “cortisol,” which, as we all know, not only prevents weight loss, it causes weight gain as well.
Extremely Awesome Diet Tips For Everyone:
1. Try to have dinner early, ideally before 7 pm and eat least 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
2. Don’t eat fruits or any other snacks at night just because you are bored or while watching tv, eat them only if you are hungry.
3. Try to pick from this list of fruits that have low glycemic index and would not spike your insulin levels that much.
4. Pick fruits high in fiber that would boost weight loss efforts (melon, kiwi, pears).
5. Pair fruits with food that would offer healthy fat and protein to the body to help you keep fuller for longer. For example, slices of apple with a spoonful of peanut butter is a great snack option, at any time of the day.
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