Does eating late impact your metabolism - myth or fact?
It’s commonly recognised that eating dinner at least two hours before bed can help our metabolism. Many attribute this to allowing the body time to effectively digest food and because we are more sedentary later in the evenings. But is this merely a myth?
A recent study looked in to how aligning our food intake to our internal body clock, may influence our metabolism. Researchers have suggested that specific genetic markers related to the sleep hormone melatonin, may play a role.
They found that late eating can reduce insulin production and impair our ability to process the glucose from our food. This means that it becomes more difficult for our body to transport the glucose into our cells to be used for energy. The scientists also found that some individuals carry a specific gene variant which will have a greater impact on this mechanism.
This is where an individual approach comes into the mix. Eating late may impact how you process your food. It may affect how quickly you fall asleep as well as the quality of your sleep. (Which also has the potential to impact your appetite and how you process food!)
However, I have found that some of the women I have since helped, have taken this concept to extremes. They have become fixated on eating by a certain time, often eating too little. Then later on in the evening they experience intense cravings. This often leads to snacking or bingeing on less helpful foods. Or they may go to bed hungry and with blood sugar dipping too low. This also has the potential to have a negative effect on sleep.
Additionally, there is the psychological aspect to consider, when eating behaviours become obsessive. When working with my clients, my aim is to empower each individual to connect with their own body’s needs. This helps to foster flexibility with a balanced approach to food and eating habits – essential in the journey of healing their relationship with food.
If you need some support with this do book in a complimentary call HERE to see how I can help.