Sitting in front of the T.V chilling out after a hard days work and then those food hunger pains start creeping up on you like a gremlin in your tummy!! You want to eat something healthy but what foods are best to eat?
We want to avoid high carb foods, as this will result in a rapid increase in blood sugar and insulin levels.
Instead we should be focusing on having slow-digesting proteins, like chicken, turkey, eggs, cottage cheese, low-carbohydrate protein shakes and healthy fats that will keep Insulin levels low before bed.
1. White Meat Protein
White meat animal protein sources such as chicken and turkey — as well as eggs are great pre-bed meal choices. These slow-digesting proteins will provide a sustained release of amino acids, help you to feel full, elevate your metabolism, and stimulate your body to secrete glucagon.
2. Organic Cottage Cheese
Milk protein is approximately 80% casein and 20% whey. Casein is a slow-digesting protein that provides optimal recovery benefits as a pre- bedtime protein, and it provides up to 7 hours of sustained nutrition.
Make sure that you opt for good plain organic cottage cheese, as some of the flavoured varieties will have added sugar that will cause an elevation in blood sugar and insulin response that will blunt fat burning.
3. Green Vegetables
Vegetables, despite being classified as carbohydrates, are low glycemic and will not promote much of an insulin response, so before bed is a great time to increase your vegetable intake. Consuming some veggies late at night will not only help subdue cravings, they’re rich in much-needed micronutrients and can help you balance out your body’s acidity.
4. A Slow-Digesting, Low-Carbohydrate Protein Shake
A High quality protein shake that contains casein is great before bed, you can also mix some healthy fats in to it like almond butter or coconut oil. Just make sure you avoid consuming whey protein-only supplements, as they lead to a dramatic increase in insulin that rivals that of white bread. Additionally, whey protein provides amino acids for only about 1 1⁄2 hours, whereas the slower-digesting casein provides up to 7 hours of sustained nutrition.
