When someone comes to me as a client, they usually have certain symptoms they want to alleviate with the top three being improvement in their weight, energy or their ability to sleep. I see these three things as symptoms or a message that something is out of balance in their life. One cause that I often see with many of my clients is that they are eating too late at night or too close to bed time.
When we sleep, our bodies set out on a task to build, repair and clean up. We are like a fine automobile, we need tune-ups. But unlike a car, we need daily tune-ups. Sleep is a necessity of life. Even though many people sleep at night, their bodies are not able to do the maintenance it needs because it is too busy using resources to do other things, like digesting food. Our last food intake should be no more than 70 minutes to 2 hours before we go to bed and our last full meal should be closer to 3 hours before bed.
Both your mind and your body will benefit from this practice. Digestion brings about changes in blood sugar, cholesterol, and circulation which may disrupt blood flow to the brain. Studies show that people who eat late at night or close to bedtime have more issues with being overweight and on average gain 3 ½ pounds more a year than someone who does not eat at night.
I have this conversation with most of my new clients. Especially those who have issues with not sleeping well or their weight. I have yet to meet someone who does not want to age a little more slowly or add life to their years. Here is a way to do just that! If you are a night time eater, try to start training yourself not to graze to close to bedtime. Let your body do what it was intended to do during sleep, repair itself, and not digest food!
Dr. Tina Paul, BCND, Traditional Naturopath, Vibrant Living Wellness Center, 144 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, (626) 470-7711 or visit www.vibrantlivingwc.com.