Having dinner late at night? Know the benefits of having day's last meal before sunset

Have you ever been in a dilemma about whether to eat dinner before or after sunset? According to Ayurveda, one must not eat after sunset. The sun has a lot to do with our digestive system. When the sun rises our digestive system works well and when the sun sets the release of digestive juices also reduces. And, that is why one must eat their food before sunset as post-sunset meals are difficult to digest as our metabolism slows down. Eating after sunset can result in the formation of toxins in the body causing numerous gastrointestinal problems such as acidity, bloating and constipation.

Read | Should you eat rice if you are suffering from PCOS or Diabetes?

Reasons to eat before the sunset?

A healthy diet means a healthy you. But is eating healthy food enough? The best approach to get the most out of your food depends not only on what you eat but also on when you eat. Eating at a right time has maximum benefits.

1. Times between dinner and sleep- There should be at least a gap of two hours, between dinner and bedtime. Dinner should be eaten before 7:30 ideally. An early dinner allows the body to digest the food efficiently, when we sleep the healing process in our body starts, but if we eat at night, the body doesn’t get enough time to digest properly because the metabolism slows down at night, and it spends that sleeping time digesting the food rather than repairing the body. Hence, we don’t feel fresh and energetic the next morning.

2. Eat before the sunset-Traditionally our ancestors, had dinner before sunset. Not just because there was no electricity, but there was a scientific reason behind it. Melatonin level in our body rises as it gets darker. This would prepare us to relax and sleep, hence, it is difficult for the body to digest the food at the same rate as it doesn’t either daylight when the melatonin levels are low and the body is energetic and active. But in today’s hectic lifestyle, it is difficult to eat dinner that early. So, at least aim to have your dinner 3 hours before bedtime.

3. Link to lifestyle- At times, we get so caught up in our work that we don’t have time to follow our eating and sleeping routines. So, even if you are going for late-night dinner, go for something, which is not heavy and easily digestible such as soup, salad or a glass of milk.

4. Mood matters- It is important to eat at right time, but it is also important to eat with the right mindset. Foods will only benefit you if you are stress-free. It is important to enjoy that food while eating as allowing your mind to worry about other stuff while eating can cause acidity. To get the most nutrition, you must pay attention to numerous factors such as the food you consume, the time you eat, your mood while eating, and the quantity you eat.