Evening is the time when hunger strikes the hardest and self control is at its weakest. Whether it is physiological or psychological is hard to distinguish.
Eating inappropriate snacks in the evening and pushing dinner late into the night compounds the dietary mess. Not only does it increase the caloric intake, it also loads the system at the wrong time. It is no wonder that almost every other urban Indian complains of hyper-acidity, gastritis, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, fatigue, sleeping disturbances and expanding waistlines. Unchecked, this eventually results in dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, increased uric acid, diabetes and even cardio-vascular disease.
After work, most urban Indians snack with tea or drinks between 6 and 8 pm. According to diet recalls, people report peak hunger at this time, but consume unhealthy food and extra calories. This is largely due to easy availability of oily, starchy and processed snacks coupled with poor planning. So extreme is the need to eat, that many grab the first thing they can reach. Typical snacks include fried namkeen, chips, biscuits, samosas, kachoris, pakoras, pizzas, noodles and sandwiches. Worse still, this may be followed by a round of alcoholic drinks and end with a hearty dinner close to midnight.
Research says, eating late into the night can disturb hormonal balance and lead to developing obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes. Circadian rhythms are regular mental and physical changes that occur in the course of a day and influence hormones including insulin and leptin, associated with diabetes and obesity respectively. Disturbed circadian rhythms also adversely affect blood pressure, gastro-intestinal function, immunity, mental alertness and concentration. According to recent studies, even the obesity gene exhibits day-night variation, increasing after a meal at night.
According to traditional Indian wisdom and ayurvedic principles, eating large meals after sunset is undesirable. Changing meal timing and eating the last meal 3-4 hours before going to bed helps improving energy levels and resolving several digestive complaints. When you dine out, eating a light home cooked meal or snack like vegetables, yoghurt, nuts, seeds, dal or salad before leaving for a party can prevent excessive hunger as you reach the party. Decrease your food intake as you progress into night.
Simply eating a healthy meal when you are hungriest will do great service not only to your waistline and your gut, but also prevent several serious degenerative diseases.
