Late Night Snacking Tips
Dear Patients,
I have decided to join the “modern revolution” and communicate more regularly electronically. I will be sending out an email every couple of weeks with a short “health tip” that I think most people will find interesting and helpful. This will also be posted on my website and Facebook page.
My first tip will be about late night snacking. What, I don’t do that! Yeah right, this is one of my biggest weaknesses. So if you are like me, and the “gremlin” comes out in you late at night, here are 3 simple rules to try and follow:
- Avoid carbs: Eating carbs causes the body to release insulin, which helps the body absorb the “carbs” quickly. Therefore, it doesn’t fill us up, and we keep snacking! Insulin also turns off the fat burning “mode” in our metabolism and instead it allows the carbs to be easily stored as fat when we eat too much. So unfortunately that means we should avoid Doritos, cookies, pretzels, and even fruit late at night.
- Choose, slow digesting proteins: “white protein” like turkey and chicken are slow digesting, help us to feel full, and fail to produce an insulin response. Milk protein (casein) is another excellent choice. It coats the stomach, digests slowly and doesn’t produce a lot of insulin. Items like cottage cheese and unsweetened greek yogurt.
- Add fat. Quality, healthy fat like nuts, oils and nut butters are a great addition to a late night snack because they slow digestion and make us feel full, preventing us from snacking all night.
Until next time, I hope you and your family are healthy and happy!
Dr. Jim
