http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
My mother has a strict policy against specialty cleaning products in her house. I have no idea how she keeps the place so clean without the help of a Swiffer or Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, but she manages. She does, however, break her own rule for one specific cleaning product. She always keeps a little bottle of yellow stuff under the sink — and it’s since become a staple in my own apartment, too.
What is it? An adorably named product called Goo Gone.
http://chriskresser.com/
Fats, in general, get a bad rap in our heart-healthy and fat-obsessed diet culture. For years, we’ve been trained to put foods containing fat (and fat itself) in the “avoid” category, even if the alternative is sugar laden and artificially flavored. (A homemade chocolate chip cookie will likely do less damage than its phony fat-free counterpart.) Yet the right fats are important for supporting immune function, insulating internal organs, regulating body temperature, maintaining healthy skin and hair, and aiding in the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), among other crucial functions.
Fats are also a primary energy source for the body, and several types of fats are essential for survival. In this article, I’ll review everything you need to know about healthy fats, including the different types of fats, how they benefit our bodies, and the best dietary sources.
Conventional advice has gotten it wrong: fats are good for you. Check out this comprehensive guide to find out which fats are healthy, what the best sources are, and why you need to make them a part of your diet. #paleo #nutrition #chriskresser
Short on time? Use these links to jump ahead to a specific section.
Fats, also referred to as lipids, consist primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms, which may or may not be connected by what scientists call a double bond. This bit of chemistry is worth knowing because, based on the chemical configuration of these atoms, fats are typically grouped into three major categories:
Every food that contains fats has varying percentages of all three of these types. Some foods also contain trans fats, a fourth type that can be either naturally occurring or artificially made. Let’s look at each type more closely.
Saturated fats have no double bonds between carbon atoms—their carbons are completely saturated with hydrogen atoms—which results in a very straight structure that allows molecules to pack together very tightly. This is why most saturated fats, like butter and lard, are solid at room temperature. This property also makes many saturated fats great cooking fats because they are not prone to the oxidative damage that occurs with high-heat cooking.
Saturated fats are further classified based on their length.
Long-chain saturated fats (like myristic, palmitic, and stearic acid) are found mostly in the milk and meat of ruminant (grazing) animals like cattle and sheep. They form the core structural fats in the human body, making up 75 to 80 percent of fatty acids in most cells, and they’re the primary storage form of energy. (1) In other words, when the body stores excess energy from food for later use, it primarily stores it as long-chain saturated fat.
Medium-chain saturated fats (like lauric, capric, caprylic, and caproic acid) are found in coconut milk and breast milk. These fats are metabolized differently than long-chain saturated fats: they don’t require bile acids for digestion and they pass directly to the liver via the portal vein. This makes medium-chain saturated fats a great source of digestible energy. Some medium-chain saturated fats, such as lauric acid, have antibacterial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties. (2) This type of fat is also shown to enhance fat burning (by thermogenesis) and result in the formation of ketones, one of two substances (along with glucose) that the brain can use as fuel. (3) (Note: Medium-chain fats are also sometimes called MCTs—medium-chain triglycerides—as in MCT oil.)
Short-chain saturated fats (like butyric, propionic, and acetic acid) are more commonly known as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These are uncommon in the human diet, though small amounts of butyric acid, or butyrate, are found in butter and ghee. Instead, they are formed when certain beneficial gut bacteria ferment dietary fiber in the colon. These short-chain saturated fats have important signaling roles (allowing cells to exchange information), and butyrate is a source of energy for the cells that line the gut. (4)
Monounsaturated fats have a single double bond in their structure—they are unsaturated at only one carbon position. This makes them have a single kink in their structure, which is enough to usually make them liquid at room temperature. However, that double bond is also more susceptible to oxidation—being damaged from exposure to light, heat, and oxygen.
Monounsaturated fats, such as oleic acid, are found primarily in olives, avocados, some meats, and certain nuts, like macadamias. Like saturated fats, monounsaturated fats form the core structural fats of the body and are non-toxic even at high doses. Interestingly, monounsaturated fats seem to be the only fats that typically fat-phobic groups, like the American Heart Association, and fat-friendly groups, like the Atkins diet organization and other low-carb groups, can agree are completely healthy.
Monounsaturated fats are known for their beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease risk markers. They have been shown to reduce LDL and triglycerides and increase HDL, decrease oxidized LDL, reduce inflammation, and lower blood pressure, and they may reduce the incidence of heart disease. (5)
Polyunsaturated fats have multiple double bonds in their structure—they are unsaturated at many positions along the chain. This results in several kinks in their structure, which prevents them from packing tightly together and ensures that they are always liquid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats are the most susceptible to oxidative damage during high-heat cooking. (6)
Polyunsaturated fats play both a structural and regulatory role in the body. They help form cell membranes, regulate gene expression, and aid in cell function. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are further classified based on the location of their carbon–carbon double bonds. The two major types are:
This may not seem like a big difference, but as a result of their different molecular structures, these fatty acids have very distinct functions within the body.
There are six different omega-6 fats. For now, we’ll just get to know the two major omega-6 fatty acids.
Linoleic acid (LA) is the shortest omega-6 fatty acid and is referred to as “essential” (as in “essential fatty acid”) because it cannot be produced by the body—it must be obtained from the diet. LA is found in small or moderate amounts in a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, and meat, but it is present in large amounts in industrially processed and refined oils, like soybean, cottonseed, corn, safflower, and sunflower. These oils are ubiquitous in the modern diet, present in everything from salad dressing to chips and crackers to restaurant food. LA is also relatively high in most nuts and in all poultry, especially in dark meat with skin.
Excess LA has been shown to cause vitamin E depletion, gut dysbiosis, and inflammation, as well as contribute to weight gain, liver disease, cancer, autoimmune disease, and premature aging. (7)
Arachidonic acid (ARA) is a longer-chain omega-6 fat that can be produced in our bodies using LA. It is also found in animal foods like chicken, eggs, beef, and pork because animals are also capable of making this conversion.
ARA is present in cell membranes and involved in cellular signaling (aiding cells in exchanging information), and it can also act as a vasodilator (relaxing the blood vessels and reducing blood pressure). ARA is necessary for the growth and repair of skeletal muscle tissue, and, along with DHA, is one of the most abundant fatty acids in the brain. (8)
There are also six different omega-3 fats, but we’ll just briefly touch on the three most important omega-3 fatty acids.
Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) is the shortest omega-3 fatty acid and is considered essential because it cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained from the diet. ALA is found in plant foods such as walnut and flax. ALA can also be converted to the next two omega-3 fatty acids discussed here.
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are long-chain derivatives of ALA found primarily in cold-water fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, herring sardines, anchovies, and bass, as well as in shellfish, like oysters and mussels.
While ALA is labeled essential, it’s really EPA and DHA that are responsible for the benefits we get from eating omega-3 fats. Evidence suggests that deficiency of these two omega-3 fats has been a contributing factor in the epidemic of modern inflammatory disease. Even modest consumption of EPA and DHA (200 to 500 mg/day) reduces deaths from heart disease by 35 percent—an effect much greater than that observed with statin drug therapy. (9) DHA is also essential for proper development of the brain, and low DHA levels in the elderly are associated with multiple measures of impaired brain function. (10)
A common misconception is that we can meet our omega-3 needs by taking flax oil or eating some plant foods. While it’s true that the body can convert some ALA to EPA and DHA, this conversion is extremely inefficient in most people. On average, less than 5 percent of ALA gets converted into EPA, and less than 0.5 percent of ALA gets converted into DHA. (11) This conversion also depends on adequate levels of nutrients such as vitamin B6, zinc, and iron, so these conversion rates are likely to be even lower in vegetarians, the elderly, or those who are chronically ill. (12)
Consumption of EPA and DHA during the Paleolithic era is estimated to have averaged between 450 and 500 milligrams per day—a figure that greatly exceeds current intakes, which average around 90 to 160 milligrams per day for most Americans. (13, 14) Altogether, this suggests that we evolved to eat preformed EPA and DHA and did not rely heavily on conversion from ALA. (The absence of preformed DHA in plant foods other than marine algae is one of the primary reasons why I believe vegetarian and vegan diets are not optimal for health.)
Requirements for omega-3s will also depend on omega-6 intake, and you can read more about the importance of the omega-3/omega-6 balance further down in this article.
While trans fats almost universally get a bad rap, there are actually two types of trans fats: natural and artificial.
Naturally occurring trans fats are formed when bacteria in the stomachs of grazing animals, such as cows or sheep, digest the grass the animal has eaten. Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a natural trans fat found in moderate amounts (between 2 and 9 percent of total fat) in grass-fed animal meat and dairy products, and to a lesser degree in grain-fed animal products. It is also produced in our bodies from the conversion of other naturally occurring trans fats in those same animal products.
CLA is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease and may help prevent and manage type 2 diabetes by improving glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. (15, 16) CLA has also been shown to reduce cancer risk by blocking the growth and metastatic spread of tumors. Some research suggests that CLA can help reduce body fat and promote weight loss. (17)
Artificial trans fats have only slightly different chemical structures than natural trans fats, but these minor differences lead to dramatically different effects in the body. Artificial trans fats have been shown to increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, obesity, and other inflammatory conditions—even at relatively low doses. (18)
Their effects on cardiovascular health are particularly harmful. Artificial trans fats promote inflammation, damage the fragile lining of blood vessels, increase the number of LDL particles, reduce HDL cholesterol, and reduce the conversion of shorter-chain omega-3 fatty acids into beneficial longer-chain omega-3s. (19) Artificial trans fats are the quintessential junk food because they provide no benefit, have no role in human physiology, and can cause significant harm.
Here are some critical aspects of your health that rely on fat.
Long-chain fatty acids are important components of biological membranes throughout the body. Biological membranes are a fundamental structure in any living organism, separating the inside of a cell from the outside, and are usually composed of a double layer of phospholipids, each of which contains two fatty acids—saturated and unsaturated. (20)
Fats are also required for the transport of cholesterol. Like cell membranes, lipoproteins are also made up of phospholipids, which contain both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. (21) Without fats, there would be no lipoproteins to transport cholesterol from the liver to all of the various tissues where it is needed for cellular structure and repair, steroid hormone synthesis, and the insulation of nerve cells.
The brain is primarily made up of fats. ARA and DHA are enriched in phospholipids in synapses between nerve cells in the brain, and polyunsaturated fatty acids have been shown to be involved in stimulating the release of neurotransmitters into the synapse. (22) DHA deficiency can result in impaired cognitive function and learning deficits. Lack of DHA may also contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. (23)
ARA, DHA, and EPA also regulate the endocannabinoid system. Endocannabinoids are produced by the body from various fats and act as neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors. The endocannabinoid system is involved in many physiological and cognitive processes, including mood, memory, and the stress response. (24)
The retina contains a higher DHA concentration than any other tissue in the body. While the exact roles of DHA in ocular health remain unknown, it is thought that DHA may boost cellular signaling or the transport of proteins within cells. (25)
Fats play a vital role in maintaining healthy skin. Linoleic acid in particular is a key component of ceramides, which help form the skin–water barrier. This barrier helps prevent the entry of water soluble compounds and helps the skin to retain moisture. (26) In animal studies, linoleic acid deficiency can result in mild skin scaling, hair loss, and poor wound healing. (27) Saturated fats like palmitic acid are also required for the formation of sapienic acid in sebaceous glands of the skin. Sapienic acid is an unusual unsaturated fatty acid that is required for the synthesis of another kind of protective skin barrier. (28) Together with ceramides, these “skin waxes” help maintain skin moisture and prevent cellular damage.
The skin lipid synthesis just discussed is important for another reason. Loss of water through the skin elevates skin temperature and results in increased heat loss from the body. In animal models, this has been shown to lead to dehydration, growth retardation, and intolerance to cold temperatures. (29)
ARA is a precursor to molecules called eicosanoids, which act as signaling hormones. When the body is injured or infected, these signaling molecules stimulate an inflammatory response to begin the cellular repair process or signal danger to the brain. (30) EPA and DHA are also converted to eicosanoids and docosanoids. Eicosanoids are responsible for softening the cervix and mediating contractions during labor and dissolving blood clots, among many other functions. (31)
ARA-derived eicosanoids are also necessary for female fertility. Follicle-stimulating hormone, released from the brain in the first half of the menstrual cycle, stimulates the formation of the eicosanoid PGE2 in the ovaries, which ultimately triggers ovulation. (32) Eicosanoids are also produced in the testes and epididymis of men, but their role in reproduction remains unclear. Still, fats are essential in both men and women for optimal fertility. Human testes are enriched in DHA, and animal studies have shown that DHA is absolutely required for the formation of sperm in males. (33)
Short-chain fatty acids are crucial for maintaining the health of the gut barrier. Butyrate, as I mentioned before, is one of the primary fuels for gut epithelial cells, increasing their proliferation, tightening up the gut barrier, and helping to maintain a healthy gut mucus layer. (34) Loss of gut barrier integrity, or “leaky gut,” is associated with a wide range of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Dietary fat is involved in the regulation of blood sugar. When carbohydrates are eaten with healthy fat, the fat slows down the absorption of the carbohydrate. (35) This slower absorption also helps to maintain steady energy for several hours after a meal, as opposed to a quick spike in blood sugar and the subsequent crash.
While we might not typically think of storing energy as fat as a good thing, it’s actually a critical function of fats. Adipose (or fatty) tissue is the body’s primary means of long-term energy storage. If food becomes scarce, these fat stores can be mobilized and used to supply the body with energy. Adipose tissue also helps to insulate body organs against shock or injury. Note that both all three macronutrients—carbohydrates, protein, and fat—can potentially be converted to fat in adipose tissue when energy intake is in excess. So, while fat is the primary form of energy storage, increasing your dietary intake of fat does not necessarily lead to increased body fat if your total energy intake remains the same.
Fat is necessary for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Vitamin A is a must-have for eye health, skin health, and proper immune function. Vitamin D plays roles in immune function, bone health, and calcium metabolism. Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant, protecting lipids and proteins from oxidative damage, while vitamin K protects blood vessels from damage and helps prevent calcification of arteries, among other functions. (36)
Fat serves as reliable buffer against a host of diseases by protecting the body against the harmful effects of environmental toxins. When a particular harmful substance accumulates in the bloodstream, the body can effectively “dilute” the toxin by storing it in fat tissue. This helps protect organs from such substances until they can be detoxified and excreted from the body. (This is also the reason why you should always choose sources of animal fats that have been humanely raised on pasture without antibiotics or hormones, as any environmental toxins—including pesticides—that the animal is exposed to will accumulate in the fat tissue of the animal.)
While fats have been largely vilified for their potential connection with heart disease, several types of fats have been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. Dietary fish, EPA, and DHA have all been shown to reduce coronary heart disease mortality, and fish oil has also been shown to reduce resting heart rate, lower blood triglycerides, and prevent irregular heart rhythm after a heart attack. (37, 38, 39) Even saturated fat, which has been blamed for heart disease for decades, is not the villainous artery-clogger it’s been made out to be, as I’ll discuss in detail in the next section.
Most of us were told growing up that foods like red meat, eggs, and bacon raise our cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. But is it really true? In 2015, the United States government quietly revised dietary guidelines and dropped the strict limit on cholesterol that had been in place since the 1960s because newer evidence didn’t support an association between dietary cholesterol and heart disease.
I have gone on record saying that the strict limits on saturated fat will also likely be dropped in the future. Most of the evidence linking saturated fat to heart disease has relied on epidemiological studies, which essentially take a large group of people, ask them about their dietary intake, and try to make associations with their incidence of disease. I’ve written at length about the issues with nutritional epidemiology research, including data collection, the healthy-user bias, and small changes in relative risk. To really understand the effects of saturated fat on heart disease, we need to look at the data from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses that have pooled all of the data from multiple RCTs.
A recent meta-analysis of RCTs found that low-carb diets (which tend to be high in saturated fat) have beneficial impacts on several cardiovascular disease risk markers, including: (40)
Moreover, an exhaustive review of studies involving more than 600,000 participants concluded:
Current evidence does not clearly support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of total saturated fats. (41)
While overt essential fatty acid deficiency in the United States is virtually nonexistent, many individuals have a suboptimal fatty acid profile. I’ve written before about the importance of balancing omega-6s and omega-3s, including:
While anthropological evidence suggests that our hunter–gatherer ancestors consumed omega-6 and omega-3 fats in a ratio of roughly 1 to 1, estimates of the ratio in the Standard American Diet range from an average of 10 to 1 to 20 to 1. (42)
Evidence suggests that higher omega-3 intake is associated with a reduced risk of several chronic inflammatory conditions, including coronary heart disease. Meanwhile, consumption of omega-6 PUFAs in Western countries has skyrocketed in recent decades, with the increasing use of industrial seed oils.
However, in the context of sufficient omega-3, omega-6 from whole-food sources, such as nuts, seeds, and poultry, is unlikely to be an issue. After all, we do need some omega-6, and nuts and seeds are consistently associated with improved cardiovascular and metabolic health. (43, 44)
The smoke point is the temperature at which both the nutritional integrity and the flavor of the fat or oil begin to break down. Oils that have passed their smoke point are likely to contain oxidized fats, which have been shown to damage cells and contribute to numerous inflammatory diseases. (45)
For high-heat cooking, choose fats with the highest smoke points, such as ghee, extra-light (not extra-virgin) olive oil, avocado oil, palm oil, expeller-pressed (refined) coconut oil, macadamia oil, beef tallow, and algae oil. (Algae oil is odorless and tasteless, and it’s great for cooking food at high temperatures.) Butter, extra-virgin olive oil, and extra-virgin coconut oil have relatively low smoke points and are best for lower-heat cooking or non-cooking uses (for example, putting them on previously cooked foods.)
Hopefully this comprehensive guide is helpful to you in thinking about dietary fats and has convinced you how important it is to include healthy fats in your diet. Below are my general recommendations for which fats should and should not be included in a healthy diet.
Be sure to choose pasture-raised animal fats and wild-caught seafood. Aim for 10 to 20 ounces of cold-water, fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies, or sardines, each week.
These industrial seed oils are completely devoid of nutrients and full of potentially oxidized polyunsaturated fats.
Now I’d like to hear from you. What type of healthy fats do you eat? Which fats do you avoid? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The post Healthy Fats: What You Need to Know appeared first on Chris Kresser.
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Kitchn’s Delicious Links column highlights recipes we’re excited about from the bloggers we love. Follow along every weekday as we post our favorites.
It’s always useful to have meatballs around. They freeze easily and work in any number of dinners, make-ahead lunches, and quick snacks. Plus, kids love them. And meatballs shine in any kind of preparation, from classic red sauce and spaghetti to this clever Dijon mustard gravy.
Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/
As the legend goes…
If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t eat right before bed.
The thought is that your metabolism slows down at night to prepare for sleep.
Which means if you snack before bedtime, the food resides in your stomach all night long, and unless you’re a sleepwalker, you won’t burn off your meal and your food turns to fat.
That’s why conventional wisdom advises against eating late at night.
It’s summed up in the quote, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.”
Is all this true?
Is ANY of it true?
Great questions. Should people attempting to lose weight limit their late-night eating, and is there science or studies to back this up? After all, we love science here at NF.
Today, we are tackling these questions:
Let’s begin.
To answer our question on whether a late night meal is going to stick to your gut, it’ll be helpful to explore where this advice originates.
It comes down to our circadian rhythm, which tells our bodies what time of day it is. If everything is functioning properly, during the day you will feel alert. At night, when it’s time to wind down and sleep, you’ll start to feel tired.
Think of it as an internal clock that helps prioritize bodily functions. Waking, eating, sleeping, etc.
So what’s this got to do with late night chow?
The argument goes that having food past a certain hour goes against our biological clock. Eating outside of our circadian rhythm means our metabolism might not be in proper working order. Which could lead to fat gain. That’s the gist of the argument against late night eating.
And there might be some evidence it’s true.
Experiments in mice support the hypothesis that eating late at night causes fat gain.[1] If you’re picturing a group of mice arguing over what kind of food to get delivered at midnight, I’m right there with you.[2]
One group ate during normal waking hours. The other, at night, against their normal circadian clock. Everything else remained constant, including their exercise and activity.
And all things being equal, the late night eating mice gained more weight.
These are interesting observations, but do they tell the whole story? Is all of our knowledge around late night eating advice dependent on experimentation with mice?
There are some studies on humans that do show a correlation between late night eating and weight gain.[3] And again, those eating late at night tend to gain more weight than those who don’t.[4]
However, if you’re reading Nerd Fitness, you’re smart. And you know that correlation doesn’t prove causation.
There may be a correlation between wearing a stormtrooper uniform and death, but it doesn’t mean the uniform CAUSES death.
That would be a major defect, like creating an exhaust port that leads straight to your base’s biggest weakness. Oh wait.
Outside of correlation, is there anything physiologically different about eating calories at night versus the day?
First things first. Let’s talk about your metabolism slowing down at night.
That’s generally what the advice on skipping late night meals rests on. If you eat late, when your metabolism is naturally slowing down (recall the circadian rhythm?), the food is more likely to be stored as fat instead of being burned off.
Yeah, that’s not true.[5]
Your body expends plenty of energy when you sleep!
For example, the process of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) burns quite a bit of energy because our brains are very active during this stage. This is also the stage of sleep where you dream the most. So when you are dreaming of battling a dragon or showing up to school naked, you’re burning calories. Not as much as literally battling a dragon or showing up to school naked, but enough to keep your metabolism engaged.
Also, our bodies do a lot of repair work on our cells, tissue, and muscles at night. All of which requires calories.
Plus, your body needs to do normal things too like breathing, pumping blood, keeping all of your organs functioning, and stealing the blankets from your partner.
When you factor all of this in, your metabolism only slows down about 15% during the night[6]
And even THEN, with this ‘gasp,’ 15% slowdown, it’s not enough to make you more likely to gain fat by eating later at night compared to during the day. So say the researchers at Oregon State University.[7] Granted, researchers at OSU did their studies on monkeys, but their conclusion matches other research on the subject.[8]
Now, to keep things in perspective and put us back on track.
If you look hard enough, you’ll find studies that show eating late at night actually INCREASES your overnight metabolism.[9] After all – your body needs to burn calories to process the calories you just consumed, right?
That TOO makes sense!
So if our metabolism is still running when we sleep, and calories don’t have a greater impact at night, what’s with the correlation between late night eating and weight gain in humans?
Why do people that eat at night tend to gain more weight compared to people that don’t?
So what’s causing late-night eaters to gain more weight, if it’s not a slow metabolism?
It’s actually a simple answer: eating anything between dinner and bedtime is considered an extra meal.
More meals equals more food, which equals more calories. Which could lead to more weight gain.
That’s right. People who are eating late at night are eating that meal in addition to all of their other meals. They are overeating, and thus, their body is putting on weight. The timing of the meal is irrelevant, it’s total calories consumed!
To reiterate: it’s not some physiological response to food past a certain hour that will cause weight gain. It’s just that those who eat late at night are probably eating more than those who don’t.[10]
If a late night snack helps you eat smaller meals throughout the day, great!
However, more often than not these late night snacks are just extra calories on top of the meals already eaten. Something we do mindlessly with no real intention. And this can be a recipe for disaster.
This is the real concern of late night eating: extra calories consumed. Not that our body’s metabolism slows down to hibernation levels at night. It’s that we are likely not planning on these extra calories at night.
And that’s not all.
There’s also the topic of food choices to consider. The reality is there aren’t as many healthy meal options late at night versus when the sun is out. People who eat late at night might have to depend on delivery like pizza. Or Taco Bell might be the only thing open at 3am. So it might not be the hour, but the food itself that is the concern.
These are foods that are nutritionally deficient, calorically dense, and very easy to mindlessly over consume in mass quantities.
Plus, lots of late night snacks that people eat are likely junk food. As bariatric physician Dr. Caroline Cederquist says, “At midnight, people will rarely make chicken and salad. They will eat ice cream or chips, the high-fat or high-sugar foods that our bodies store so effectively as fat.”[11] This point argues the central problem of late night eating lies with these high-calorie foods, which are easy to overeat, and don’t contain a lot of nutrition. If you eat these types of snacks consistently, weight gain could be the outcome, no matter the time of day you eat them.
This may very well explain the correlation between late night eating and fat gain. Which matches our philosophy here at Nerd Fitness, “You Can’t Outrun Your Fork” (Scope out Rule #4). It also correlates to America’s love of snacks, and America’s obesity problem: I cover this in our article on snacking.
So if you are going to eat late at night, stick to REAL food whenever possible.
Meats, vegetables, fresh fruit, etc. Stay away from processed junk food, which seems to be the real danger of eating before bed. Eating an apple with some almond butter before bed is a lot different than cookies. If you want help adjusting your snacks to REAL food, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating. That article will walk you through how to create habits on eating real, natural, nutritious food. Foods you can eat any time of day.
But let’s also be realists here, because I love junk food too. If you want to eat ice cream or have a cookie before bed, go for it! Just PLAN ahead by eating smaller portioned meals earlier in the day, and make up for it the next day by eating a significantly smaller breakfast.
If all this talk on the timing of meals and eating REAL food stresses you out, and you want to be told exactly what to do, we can help!
Our uber-popular 1-on-1 coaching program pairs you with your own Nerd Fitness Coach who will get to know YOU, your goals, and your lifestyle, and develops a plan that’s specific to not only your body, but also to your schedule and life. We take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the timing of meals and overall diet, to help busy people just like you level up their lives.
Wanna see if we are a good fit for each other? Click on the big box below to schedule a free call! We’d love to talk with you, no matter what.
I want to make one more point. After saying everything I said above, there could be some benefit to planning and restricting the time you eat during the day.
I’m a big fan of scheduled eating times and scheduled fasting times – this is a generally referred to as intermittent fasting.
It’s not a diet per se, but a diet pattern.
I personally only eat calories in an eight-hour window each a day. For example, if I start eating at noon, I’ll eat my last calorie by 8pm. This means no late night snacks for me. This time-restricted eating strategy works as a great way to limit overall caloric intake.
Here’s why: although I eat bigger meals for lunch and dinner, skipping breakfast results in the net effect of “Steve eats less overall.” No snacks, no multiple small meals throughout the day. Just two big meals to fuel my needs.
If you’re looking to lose weight, intermittent fasting could be a strategy for calorie control that works for you. Specifically, if you can’t help but eat late at night for whatever reason, then cutting out breakfast and making lunch the first meal of the day could mitigate a lot of the additional calories you consume later. Now, intermittent fasting isn’t for everybody, and it affects men and women differently, so be sure to read our Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting to get the full details. We cover the ins and outs of intermittent fasting, and how to create a practice that works for your situation.
Many NF readers have experienced success with intermittent fasting. After all, it’s one less meal to worry about. You can use the extra time to focus on what your two healthy meals should be, instead of worrying about a bunch of small meals and snacks throughout the day.
If you want to learn more about IF, and download a worksheet to help you get going, you can grab our Beginner’s Guide to Intermittent Fasting FREE when you sign-up in the box below:
I couldn’t end this article without mentioning two possible concerns on late night eating, outside of extra calories and food quality.
I want to talk about how late night eating might disrupt sleep itself.
If you’re staying up late at night to eat, you might be doing this at the expense of going to bed earlier, which could lead to sleep issues. As we cover in our article on sleep, when you’re sleep deprived and tired, your body tends to crave more food. More calories to fuel your exhausted body. And if you’re already staying up later to eat more food, you’re creating a vicious cycle.
Crapola.
As pointed out by science and thermodynamics, losing weight is about burning more calories than you consume. Being exhausted and needing more calories to get through the day makes this much more difficult.
So if you’re eating late at night, make sure that you’re still getting plenty of good shuteye. Don’t stay up all night mindlessly snacking. A well-rested nerd is a happy and healthy nerd.
Also, one last thing: there is some evidence that a late night meal might disrupt the quality of your sleep. [12] This might come back to our circadian rhythm, as a late night meal does seem to have an impact on delaying the stage of REM sleep.
This might be the real danger of late night eating.
Not that the calories will stick to your stomach, but that eating late at night might disrupt the sleepy time you are about to embark on by shifting your body’s priorities to digestion, thus throwing off your circadian rhythm as you prepare for sleep.
So forgo late night eating?
My advice: experiment on yourself. No not like that.
With your food and the timing of your food consumption.
A lot of these studies are at the early stages, and more research needs to be done to reach concrete conclusions on the health impact of the timing of our meals. So:
I always encourage self-experimentation, and that holds true for the timing of meals. If your life sucks without breakfast, EAT BREAKFAST. If you do better with a good, healthy snack before bed, EAT YOUR LATE NIGHT SNACK.
For me personally, I know that eating too much food directly before hitting the hay leads to a night of tossing and turning without any awesome dreams of me with a jetpack flying around the world.
But, to each their own.
You’re an adult (I assume).
So don’t get so caught up in studies that you ignore what your own body is telling you. Do what works for you – and if eating late at night is causing you to gain weight, cut back on the calories and see if that changes things.
One last important point:
If you can’t help yourself from eating sweets and snacks late at night, then plan for it! Eat smaller dinners and breakfasts, or have one less snack throughout the day. We don’t plan for perfection. We plan for Murphy’s law – anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
And just hoping you stop eating late night food isn’t a strategy. So instead, plan for the worst and set yourself up to succeed even when you succumb to the late night cravings!
That about does it for this article. It’s up to you to decide if late night eating works for you or should be avoided. Either way, the next time you hear someone tell you to eat dinner like a pauper, maybe take it with a grain of salt. Nod politely, and then get back to doing what’s best for you.
Now I want to hear from you!
Do you eat late at night or do you restrict your eating window?
Does a late night snack help you prepare for the next day?
Or does it disrupt your sleep?
Let me know in the comments.
Sweet (or unsweet) dreams!
Steve,
PS: ONE FINAL TIP: if you’re going to eat ice cream late at night, don’t eat it right out of the carton with a spoon. Get a scoop, put it in a bowl, and go sit down. You’ll eat half as much, and hate yourself half as much the next day.
PPS: I’ll wrap up this article by again mentioning our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. If you’re worried about losing weight, and not sure if your late night meals are helping or hurting, we can help! We’ll get to know you, your situation, and your goals, to come up with a plan! Schedule a call with our team to see if it’s a good fit for your situation!
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All photo sources can be found in this footnote right here. [13]
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/
While this may be a gross topic to even think about, it is essential that you get your mind around this. Right to the point… If you don’t close the lid of your toilet after using it you could potentially spray unfriendly bacteria all over your bathroom. No joke! A study published by the American […]
Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss
It can be surprisingly easy to lose your way in the gym. It is especially easy if you tend to train by yourself and you don’t have a coach or a trainer. I think a very valuable question that you need to ask yourself, aside from is: “Am I getting better or am I getting sweaty?”
First, some terminology: testing, training, and exercise—these are not the same thing, though sometimes they can look very similar.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
Guy Fieri might be best known for downing absurd combinations of meat, grease, and carbs on his television show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, and for the menus of his own restaurants, filled with “Donkey Sauce,” fried chicken, and portions big enough to feed a family of five, but he tells Today.com that the food he eats at home is actually not that different than what’s on anyone else’s table.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
If you have decided to start 2019 off with a healthy resolution like the trendiest diet of the moment, Whole30, you might be thinking that your favorite fast-food meals are strictly off the table. I’m here to tell you this is not the case. Thanks to Chipotle, you can still have your fast casual “cake” and eat it too. The chain has just launched new menu items tailored to Paleo, keto, and Whole30 dieters.
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
When my siblings and I used to act up in the grocery store, my mom had a very unique way of deescalating the situation. She’d force the three of us to hold hands in whatever aisle we were in and sing this, uh, special song and whatever fist fight or hair pulling had broken out would immediately dissolve into an embarrassed fit of giggles. Public humiliation for the win!
No one said bringing your kids to the grocery store was easy. With that in mind, we compiled a list of tips from some of the smartest moms we know to help you get through it. (Singing and dancing in the produce aisle not included.)
http://www.thekitchn.com/feedburnermain
At an early age, we were all brainwashed to believe that broccoli is Public Enemy Number 1, and thus became a culture facing a broccoli identity crisis at large.
Think about it: When asked in school to name a food that they dislike, kids often resort to broccoli because they think that’s what they’re supposed to say. (I know I did, even though I secretly loved it.) The cartoons that we watched on Saturday mornings all had a scene in which our favorite characters idly pushed a floret of broccoli around the plate, with a giant scowl on their face. And let’s face it — the way that most of us ate broccoli as kids didn’t do it much justice. (Stinky and steamed, am I right?)
But hear us out: Broccoli only has a bad reputation because we were raised to think it does. WE WILL STAND FOR IT NO MORE. This year, we’re placing big bets on broccoli. Why? Let me count the ways.
For now classes are 6pm and 640pm at 2840 Wildwood st in the Boise Cloggers studio.
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