Eating late at night

I found this article to be very helpful. It is about late-night snacking. I am pretty sure most of us do it and I am pretty sure we all know we shouldn't if we want to really tone up and get a more lean physic.

I suggest you read the whole article, but here are some highlights:

Why we snack?

Eating carbs raises serotonin levels which make you feel great. Then a little later, your serotonin levels drop and your brain is screaming at you to eat more carbs and sugar to spike your serotonin levels back up! The other factor is simple boredom. Most people are just plain bored at night and there is really nothing else to do other than continuously snacking on junk food. If you feel yourself slipping into a boredom scenario, the first thing to do is understand what is happening and then get up off the couch and get moving. Go out for a quick walk or even drop down on the floor and bang out 20 pushups.

It takes Mental Discipline
If you want to get truly shredded and you're not a naturally lean person, then it simply comes down to overall mental toughness. Its called discipline and it's the #1 factor which will separate you from all the others out there that want a lean physique.

The problem with carbs
One of the issues with eating carbs at night has to do with insulin. As the day progresses, your insulin levels are less sensitive which means you have an easier time converting carbohydrates into fat stores. Later at night, your body is winding down from a long day and you usually kick back and cuddle into the couch for a night of TV watching. Your body is basically sedentary and little energy is being used. Couple this with a nice big bag of popcorn, a bowl of fruit or some tortilla chips and the combination is the perfect storm for packing on a roll of fat around your midsection similar to the Goodyear man.

Another problem with carbs is they are so darn addicting. How many times do you crave a broiled chicken breast or a plate of steamed broccoli at night? Probably not too much. We crave carbs, carbs and more carbs! Simple or complex, it doesn't matter. Carbohydrates are the main source of our snacking arsenal and this powerful desire for sweet and salty food is genetically programmed.

Scientists who have studied taste believe that we are born with a built-in desire for sweets and a distaste for things bitter. Since sweets are high in energy, we are genetically programmed to seek the sweetness of mother's milk. On the other hand, we are genetically programmed to shun bitter foods because in nature, many bitter foods are poisonous.

The salt sense also developed a nice, distinctive taste to drive humans to seek out foods which contained salt. Salt is essential for the correct function of our brain and nervous system. Most basic foods which made up a large portion of the diet in primitive times contained little salt. Thus sensing salt in food was beneficial in order to obtain enough for human needs.

LATE NIGHT SNACKING & EFFECTS ON GROWTH HORMONE
What happens when we fall sleep? As much as 90% or more of all HGH (human growth hormone) is released in 5 short pulses during deep stage rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. If you miss your scheduled 8 hours of sleep, your secretion of HGH will be less than optimal and the benefits of maximal HGH release will be effected.

According to researcher Dr. Bill Misner Ph.D., "allowing the body to settle into a fasting state 3 hours prior to bedtime totally clears gastric-related digestive activity, allowing the maximum 5-pulsatile human growth hormone (HGH) bolus to be released from the pituitary gland. The mechanism of postprandial diurnal pulsatile growth hormone peak is largely dependent upon lowering blood levels of free fatty acids, blood sugar (including insulin) which in general takes 3 hours before levels reach their respective nadir."

Research also shows that HGH released at night has an amazing effect on the mobilization of fats transferred into the energy cycle rather than being stored as fat. By eating your last meal of the day 3 hours before bedtime, you can help your body release maximal HGH which in turn will help you lose fat and achieve a leaner physique!

Here are some great high protein, low carb snack choices for late night:

LEAN PROTEIN SNACKS

• Cottage Cheese
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Egg Whites
• Fibrous Veggies (broccoli, mushrooms, romaine lettuce, etc.)
• Protein Shake (ideally casein protein since it's a slower acting protein)
• Turkey Breast

KEY POINTS FOR NIGHT TIME EATING

• Try not to eat anything within 3 hours of going to sleep
• Try cutting out starchy & simple carbs after 6pm (fruit, rice, bread, potatoes, pasta)
• If you have to snack at night, stick to lean protein sources & veggies (low carbs)