Is Eating at Late Night a Healthy Habit?

Eating at night has been associated with so many discussions these days. Is it really linked with weight gain? Let's have a quick look at it.  The main reason for weight gain is calories without physical exercise itself. Generally, it does not matter at what time you eat. What matters is how much you eat and how much physical activity you do? 

Why do People eat at night? 

Recently I was talking with one of my friends and he was saying when I get stressed due to my night shifts at work I have something to eat. It seems funny, still these days most people have little to do with hunger on having food at late night. Mostly they eat for satisfying cravings to coping up with boredom. And often what they eat at late night would be a packet of chips or a scoop of ice cream, that too sitting in front of television or computer. 

Leave the extra calories, but eating too close to bedtime can cause indigestion and may also cause sleeping problems. 

• Eating late can cause acid reflux problems since it's important to stay upright immediately after food. Lying down straight after food can aggravate acidity and stomach problems.

• Another finding was that late-night food can cause heart problems, and may contribute to the failure t reduce blood pressure.

• Also, if you are feeling too hungry at midnight, instead of trying to satisfy your sweet tooth with a packet of biscuits, or a slice of pizza, go for a banana. That is a healthier way of satisfying a craving.

Now, let’s go to the Ayurveda facts on eating late at night. 

To understand the Ayurveda concepts on eating right, you should know the relation between the time of day and dosha. Ayurveda describes three doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and how their influence changes throughout the day. 

The Kapha time of the day starts from 6 am to 10 am. In order to align with your daytime Kapha cycle, wake up at sunrise or before. Sleeping more will create stiffness and leave you more tired and lethargic. Do some physical exercise in the morning, yoga, cycling, dance..anything will do. You can even practice sun salutations for 20 minutes. Do not overeat your breakfast. Have a healthy nutritious breakfast.

The second cycle of the day is between 10 am and 2 pm. This time is governed by Pitta dosha. The digestive fire will be powerful enough to digest the largest and heaviest meal of the day. 

Next is the Vata cycle, which starts at 2 pm and ends at 6 pm. This daytime Vata cycle is a period to evaluate your daytime activities and know oneself with meditation. After this again the Kapha cycle starts from 6 pm to 10 pm and the digestive fire will be below. 

This is the reason one should take an early dinner at around 6 to 7 pm. Again from 10 pm to 2 am, the Pitta cycle starts. This is the time when the body actively detoxifies itself and makes it ready for the next day.  Though the digestive fire will be there at this time, eating a heavy meal will disturb the system and ends up in acidity and indigestion. Late meals and late nights disturb this cycle and compromise the body’s ability to detox efficiently. 

2 am to 6 am is again the Vata cycle. After eating an early dinner and sleeping early your body naturally wakes up at an early hour. Thus the internal clock will be well maintained and can result in a healthier happier you. 

There's a connection between the body's natural biorhythm and weight gain. Research that helped discover the clocks running in every cell in our bodies earned three scientists a Nobel Prize last year. Ayurveda has been highlighting the same for centuries. For example, if a person is not getting adequate rest at night, the Vata in his body tends to increase, resulting in tiredness and the body craves Kapha foods to reestablish balance. This will increase the weight and can cause several health problems. 

There’s nothing wrong with eating a light, healthy snack after dinner as long as you plan for it as part of your daily calories. To keep from overeating, pay attention to your food while eating, avoid eating in front of the TV, and choose a portion-controlled snack. 

Try following a proper diet and regimen as per your body constitution and thereby maintain a healthy body and mind.