Maintaining a healthy waistline always comes back to the same old chestnut of a healthy diet, but the timing of meals appears to be equally important.Nutritionists have long argued against pre-sleep pecking at leftovers. Reaching for the right ingredients, however, can prove beneficial to a weight loss journey.Plant-Based Nutrition Expert Allison Christel, MSN, FNP-C, shared her wisdom with GB News, explaining keeping your evening meal on the lighter side is essential.”I always tell my patients to eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at dinner because your metabolism is most efficient earlier in the day and gets less efficient as the night goes on,” she said.Many nutritionists recommend leaving a gap of two to three hours between your final meal and when you go to bed | GETTYPut simply, consuming calorie-heavy dishes late in the evening sends a signal to your body that it should be storing energy rather than burning it off.This is why, like other experts, she recommends leaving a gap of two to three hours between your final meal and when you go to bed.”Eating a heavy, calorie-dense meal late at night signals your body to store energy instead of burn it, so giving yourself a 2 to 3 hour gap between your last meal and bedtime makes a real difference,” she told the People’s Channel.If late-night cravings do strike during that window, Christel recommended reaching for foods packed with protein and fibre.”A small protein-rich snack before bed, like edamame, cottage cheese, or plain Greek yoghurt, can support overnight muscle repair without spiking blood sugar,” she explained.And beyond protein, magnesium-rich options can also make a difference.”Foods rich in magnesium, like pumpkin seeds, dark leafy greens, and legumes, also support better sleep quality, which is one of the most underrated factors in weight management,” Christel noted.When it comes to late-night eating, Christel recommends swapping pudding for Greek yoghurt | GETTY”While you sleep, your body releases growth hormone and repairs muscle tissue, and more muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate.”In simple terms, building and maintaining muscle helps your body burn more calories even when you are doing nothing at all.”If you’re skimping on sleep or not eating enough protein throughout the day, you’re leaving serious fat loss results on the table,” she warned.Our Standards:
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