Sunday, July 10, 2016

"Midnight snacking is one of the worst things you can do"

LA TimesPeople who midnight munch don’t experience the same “food high” we get when we eat earlier in the day — and that high contributes to a feeling of fullness, regulating the amount of calories consumed, according to a study by Brigham Young University. Without that reward sensation, the tendency is to eat more food. (And let’s face it, if it’s midnight, we’re more likely to be reaching for ice cream and potato chips rather than broccoli

Snacking when you’re supposed to be sleeping can alter the ability to remember things accurately the next day, according to researchers at the Semel Institute at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. Most likely this is due to your body’s circadian clock, which is affected by day to night changes. ”Try to match your light exposure and food consumption periods,” suggests study author Dawn Loh.

Late-night eating, especially if you’re sleep deprived, slows mental reaction times and attention, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Study subjects who fasted while being limited to just four hours of sleep per night “did not show… performance decline.” But sleep-deprived subjects who snacked away “showed significantly slower reaction times and more attention lapses,” according to the study.

5 comments:

edutcher said...

I have pretty bad GERD when it flares up. The doctor told me some time ago don't eat after 8.

It's been a pretty good rule.

Rabel said...

I would argue that midnight snacking is one of the best things you can do. Fried chicken out of the fridge at 1 AM, oh yeah.

Methadras said...

Any study out of BYU should be met with suspicion. Do you really want mormons suggesting what your level of pleasures should be? They are the last people I would want on my nirvana train.

Chip Ahoy said...

PIsh tosh. Eat whenever you're hungry and conversely don't bother when you aren't. How much easier can it be than that? And why wouldn't you?

1) because it's noon
2) because it's assigned lunch time
3) because we always have dinner at 5:00
4) because breakfast is the most important meal of the day
4) because you're nervous
5) because you're sad
6) because you felt something down there
7) because somebody brought cookies
8) because somebody offered to buy you lunch
9) because they're on sale
10) because free samples at the store
11) because Dad's putting sushi on his card
12) because of animal fear of not knowing where the next meal is coming from
13) because it's melting and something must be done with it.
14) because Mum said, eat, eat, eat, here eat, eat, eat eat, have something to eat.
15) because you're in prison and you feel like taking the wimp's dessert
16) because you found berries and felt lucky
17) because you happened upon an orchard
18) because the smell of teriyaki downtown is irresistible.
19) because face it, you're a grazing cow.
20) because you have an oral fixation
21) because you mistake not being full with hunger
22) because you haven't actually felt real hungry in over 30 years.
23) because "never missing a meal" means never missing any in-between meals either.
24) because you haven't a clue about appropriate portions.
25) because you cannot figure out the whole combination of fat/slow carb sugar glycemic thing.
26) because you mistake commercial goodies for genuine food.
27) because you honestly don't know what real food is.
28 because manufacturers and providers for reasons of marketing and transport storage etc, have you completely faked out.
29) because you cannot tell the difference between Hamburger Helper and ground beef with pasta and spices.
30) because, you know what? Given your abject food-related ignorance best you don't raise any children and pass it on. We see a massively fat woman feeding a massively fat husband and look at their little pig in their stroller and think privately to ourselves, "you're doomed." Out of concern and kindness in our hearts.

Eat whenever you're hungry. 12:00 straight up midnight is an artificial construct. Your work schedule is slavery. They're trying to teach you how to be a more comfortable slave by forcing your diet to fit their work schedule. Listen to them and become fat and miserable

Eat when you're actually hungry, not in anticipation of eliminating the prospect of hunger, and sleep when you're sleepy not when your schedule says that you must and you will be happier and healthier. If it is possible, and that takes not being a slave to somebody else's schedule. And that's almost impossible given our culture's work situation.

That's my opium and I'm sticky with it.

ndspinelli said...

Meth w/ an astute observation.