Protein is essential for fat burning and weight loss, but consuming too much animal protein at dinner puts a lot of pressure on the digestive system, making it heavy and difficult to get the body into a good sleep state.
Dinner is often the most "heavy" meal because of the reward mentality after a stressful day at work. However, this habit makes it harder for you to lose weight, and some dishes can also affect your sleep. What you eat for dinner plays an important role, so limit your consumption of the following dishes to support your weight loss goals as well as ensure your body gets optimal rest, limiting the impact on sleep quality.
1. Fried foods
Expert Lisa Testa has a Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition with 20 years of experience in this field, recommends not eating fried foods, foods high in bad fats at dinner because they can "disrupt digestion", hinder weight loss efforts, and make it harder for you to sleep.
This category of foods includes deep-fried foods, cold cuts, sauces, cheese dishes... "They take a long time to break down in the body and can cause heartburn or acid reflux when you lie down in bed," the expert explains.
2. Soft drinks
Master of Applied Nutrition Avery Zenker notes that "regular consumption of sugary drinks is associated with the risk of weight gain, obesity, especially a lot of fat concentrated in the abdominal area". The expert emphasizes that this habit is even more harmful when consumed late at night, close to bedtime.
“The sugar in these drinks is absorbed quickly, which can lead to sugar spikes and crashes that can impair sleep quality. In addition to the obvious sugar sources from soft drinks, many other foods, such as sauces, canned foods, etc., also contain sugar. Eating a lot of these foods at dinner is not a good idea if you are having problems with your weight or sleep,” Zenker explains.
3. Spicy foods
Lisa Testa warns that these pungent ingredients can be harmful to the digestive system, especially late at night. “Foods with hot peppers, strong spices, and hot sauces contribute to digestive upset, especially heartburn and acid reflux. The burning sensation in the stomach and throat after dinner can easily affect your ability to fall asleep and maintain sleep quality. If you like spicy food, try eating it earlier in the day,” the American expert advises.
4. Animal protein
Protein is often mentioned as the foundation for more effective weight loss. However, Lisa Testa explains that eating a lot of meat at dinner without balancing other nutrients can lead to “taking a long time to digest and disrupting the sleep cycle, because they require hours to be fully broken down in the digestive tract”.
Avery Zenker also notes that processed meats, such as sausage, pepperoni, and many cold cuts, “have been linked to an increased risk of obesity” and are also high in sodium, which can rapidly increase blood pressure, causing sleep disturbances.
5. Snacks
Regularly eating salty snacks like potato chips not only causes weight gain, fast weight gain but can also disrupt sleep. "Ultra-processed foods are often delicious, energy-dense, and consumed quickly, contributing to a loss of appetite control. This group of ultra-processed foods is also high in added sugar, carbohydrates, and fat, while being low in protein and fiber. Diets high in saturated fat and low in fiber are associated with less sleep. In addition, high intakes of sugar and refined carbohydrates are also associated with sleep disruption," said Zenker.
(According to She Finds)