You've had a hearty dinner, gone to bed, and seem ready to fall asleep and sleep soundly until morning. But at the same time, you're drawn to the refrigerator like a magnet: after all, you can find something else edible there and have a hearty snack before bed.
Of course, such "nighttime binges" are difficult to combine with a diet and proper nutrition. Therefore, you will have to wean yourself off them. How? Here are some tips that will help.
To avoid waking up hungry in the middle of the night and to avoid "catching up" with a sandwich or a portion of salad after dinner, make sure that you plan to have variety and nutritional value for dinner.
It must necessarily include whole grains, protein and fiber-containing products.
Fish with boiled beans, scrambled eggs with a slice of whole grain bread and spinach, boiled chicken breast with vegetable salad, oatmeal with berries - choose any menu for dinner that will keep you full until the morning.
And it is advisable to finish a hearty and nutritious dinner with a cup of herbal tea. Chamomile, linden, mint - any of these teas will help digestion and suppress the feeling of hunger, even if you do not feel it now. Or drink a glass of kefir to definitely feel satiety and bliss.
Would you like to have a cake, some chocolate or fruit jelly for dessert after your main meal?
It’s worth waiting a couple of hours for dessert: when you want to have a snack, you won’t have to think for a long time next to the open refrigerator, but rather just take out the dessert and give it its due.
A little trick that can be very effective in combating late-night snacking: when you leave the kitchen, close the door tightly.
A slightly open door to the "food block" will definitely not become an obstacle on the way to food at night, and a closed one will discourage the desire to enjoy delicious food while everyone around is sleeping.
Are you already in bed, squinting sweetly in anticipation of sleep, but thoughts of food won't let go? Think about it, but a little differently: to avoid having a second dinner, start planning what you want to eat for breakfast.
This way, you will inform your brain that you will start the morning of a new day with food, and the desire to eat right now will pass.
It would also be a good idea to aromatize the air in the bedroom by adding lavender, jasmine or rose oil to the aroma lamp.
Their aroma can reduce appetite and at the same time promote relaxation. And to the meat/fish dish that you are going to eat for dinner, add a sauce with sage leaf powder or a seasoning containing fennel seeds.
If thoughts about food are overwhelming you, switch to something else. Read a book, remember the most interesting moments from the day, dream about a vacation, new purchases, think about how you will spend the weekend.
While you're thinking about it, you won't even notice how the slight attack of hunger will disappear, and you won't be drawn to the refrigerator again until the morning.
Finally, a simple breathing exercise will help you overcome the habit of snacking at night. Lie on your back, relax all your muscles and begin to smoothly and slowly inhale and exhale air through your nose.
You can count the number of exhalations to keep your brain busy and not think about food. Thanks to this method, you will calmly fall asleep and sleep until the alarm goes off without thinking about an unplanned snack.
Earlier we wrote about who benefits from eating dark chocolate .
Expert: Elena Gutyro
