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We’re all guilty of a midnight snack every once in a while. And though it is true that one unhealthy snack probably won’t disrupt a diet, late night snacking is not the time to cheat.
Foods affect us differently right before bed, because we have less time to digest before our bodies go into rest mode. So if you feel a bit peckish late at night, pay close attention to what you eat – because there is one common midnight snack that can really harm your diet: chocolate.
Chocolate can be detrimental to your sleep because of its sugar and caffeine content, disrupting your metabolism and making it harder to lose weight.
Many people don’t realize that chocolate contains caffeine, but it does have a small amount of it - which is just enough to keep you up at night - especially if you find yourself eating large amounts of chocolate after dinner.
“Your body will be trying to process caffeine, sugar and fat at the same time when ideally, your nervous system should be getting into parasympathetic, aka ‘rest and digest’ mode,” naturopathic doctor Erin Stokes, ND, explained to Well + Good.
A lack of sleep can be very detrimental to your metabolism, making it harder to lose weight, even if you’re eating a healthy diet otherwise. Plus, eating sugar at night will even further the reduction in speed of your metabolism.
Next time you’re craving a snack before bed, eat something much healthier like chopped veggies or simply a cup of tea. And if you’re not sure if you’re just hungry or in the mood for something sweet, it’s best to simply skip the midnight snack altogether.
