Throughout our day, we consume healthy and nutritious foods, but just one plate of the wrong meal at the wrong time can spoil your whole day’s effort and hard work. Yes, while working late at night or binge-watching, we often feel hungry or have cravings which result in the intake of junk or heavy foods.
A recent study finds that late-night and unhealthy eating habits may take a toll on your heart health. It has been proved recently that many Americans have a change of lifestyle known as “Delayed Lifestyle” – they go to sleep later at night, and having short naps and the delayed lifestyle results in late-night eating habits.
Effects of Late Night Eating
A new study concludes that late-night eating habits not only affect your brain and heart but also create major changes in your body. Not only do late-night eating habits create such changes but also the modern lifestyle of working and changes in our regular life cycle affects our body. The following are the changes that occur due to late-night eating habits and other unhealthy routines.
- Increased Risk of Obesity
Eating late at night can lead to several health issues like obesity, weight gain, and acidity. Most importantly, if you are eating between 11 pm and 5 am, you are at risk of obesity.
- Increased Risk of GERD
Another major risk of late-night eating habits causes GERD ( Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease). If you are having late-night snacks or food, then your stomach acids start to track back up your esophagus which causes an uncomfortable experience.
- May Cause an Eating Disorder
People who usually eat late at night are about to make poor food choices as they will have unhealthy cravings during the night. Not getting enough sleep might also lead to unhealthy eating habits.
- Disturbed Sleep Disorder
When your stomach rumbles at night and asks for more food that’s when your sleep gets disturbed. When your regular 8 hours of sleeping cycle changes, your body tends to face a lot of unhealthy signs.
- Can Affect Metabolism and Digestion
Generally, our body’s metabolism will be low at night as we don’t move from one place to another. Eating late at night makes the low metabolism much worse, which results in slow digestion of food.
How to Stop Late-Night Eating Habits?
- Identify the cause & triggers
- Follow a routine
- Plan your meals
- Increase your protein intake
- Avoid junk foods
- Seek emotional support
- Don’t stress yourself out
- Distract yourself from overthinking at night
Researchers have found that people who engage in unhealthy eating habits are more likely to report physical and mental illness. Follow the above-mentioned tips to lead to a healthy lifestyle.
