It’s no doubt that people are finding themselves held up with tight schedules, which in most cases leave them with less or no time to pay attention to their health. This is no exception with irregular timing of food consumption, especially with when and how much to eat. Dinners in particular, have set rules, in that, improper timing and how much you eat can lead to severe health issues. Advantages of taking early and light dinner A light dinner that has been taken early, Joseph Uwiragiye, a nutritionist at University Teaching Hospital (CHUK) says should be made a habit, as it helps the body maintain its levels and functions. In addition to this, he says it also helps clear one’s bowels. He however cautions that people shouldn’t in any way skip dinner, rather, make it light as the body needs to fuel up after a long day of exertion. Making your dinner light can have very positive effects on your health. “A late night and heavy dinner will mean that one goes to bed bloated and with difficult digesting, which affects your sleep and does nothing to relieve anxiety,” he says. He goes on to note that having an early, light dinner ensures better digestion as it also ensures quality sleep. Uwiragiye explains that with a gap of 2-2.5 hours between one’s last meal and sleep, the primary digestion has already taken place, and the digestive system won’t be working overtime during sleep. And for this reason, the digestive system gets much-required rest. Moreover, this practice also reduces oversleeping. Besides, taking light dinner and having it early also helps with weight loss and triggers metabolism. Erick Musengimana, another nutritionist says an early and light dinner has also been associated with added benefits for diabetic patients. It is also related to intermittent fasting which has been proven to provide a host of benefits including a better immune system and cellular regeneration and repair, he adds. “Light and early dinner helps relieve constipation, and a properly rested digestive system leads to a much healthier excretory system. It can make one feel lighter and more energetic in the morning,” he notes. What to eat at night According to nutritionists, foods rich in tryptophan are recommended. Examples are dairy, bananas, meat, oily fish, and nuts. Scrambled eggs, grilled fillets, or salmon can be great for dinner. Carbohydrates like rice and pasta are not recommended. “It’s good to control your intake of foods that cause gas, acidity, or reflux because they won’t help you to have a good night’s sleep,” says Uwiragiye. So, dinners that include amino acids and phenylalanine, such as red meat, or vitamin C, like oranges, are not appropriate.
