How To Beat Late Night Munchies – Tammy’s Tidbits

The kids are in bed, the house tidied (or not) and you finally get to sit and relax. Whether you’re watching tv, reading a book or chatting – it hits you- the munchies! You try to ignore it but like an incessant whiny voice it just won’t leave you alone until you give it the attention it desires, but at what cost? When counseling clients on nutrition and weight loss, it’s imperative to identify those sneaky diet busters like portion size and snacking. One thing that many people do not realize is that eating later in the evening is a key (and insidious) culprit to weight gain. Late night munchies hit us all and the best way to combat them is to be aware of them and have a game plan when they attack. Here are 3 tidbits to beat those after dinner cravings.

1. No food after 7 (allow at least 3 hours post-eating before sleep) – your body needs a good 8-12 hours to completely digest and effectively use the food you’ve eaten and then eliminate the wastes. Most of us definitely do NOT wait that long. When we sleep, our metabolism slows down and the body focuses on repair NOT digestion, so if you have a full belly, chances are much of that food will just get stored as fat.

2. If all you’re tactics to avoid snacking (drinking water, going for a walk, keeping busy) are for naught and you still feel hungry, opt for a low calorie (less than 300), healthy snack, high in protein and packed with nutrients. Try frozen grapes or blueberries that are crunchy and sweet. Or have a small bowl of protein – rich, non-sugary, cereal with skim milk. Click here for other nutritious late night snacks that wont weigh you down.

3. If all else fails, follow Dr. Oz’s advice and retire early to bed (with your partner)…