We often heard about the phrase: “Breakfast is like a king, lunch as a prince, and dinner is like a beggar.” This, in fact, establishes that our dinner should become the easiest food a day, because a couple of hours after eating, we enter the phase of inaction (sleep), which lasts 7-8 hours. On the other hand, it is said that you should eat at least 3 hours before bedtime to give your body enough time to digest food. However, this does not translate into food at 10pm, if you plan to sleep at 1 o’clock in the morning (which is not healthy in itself!) So, what is the best time for dinner? Let’s delve into …
Early dinner offers many benefits
Eating dinner at the right time can have a great impact on your health. Experts believe that they will have dinner early – from 6 to 7 pm – best for digestion, weight management and sleep quality.
Why eat early?
Early eating dinner, gives your body enough time to digest food at bedtime. Ideally, you should finish food at least 2 to 3 hours before you sleep. For example, if you are sleeping at 10 pm, try to dinner up to 7 or 8. This helps prevent problems such as acid reflux and heartburn that can happen if you are lying too fast after eating.
What happens if you eat late in the evening?
Eating late in the evening can also disrupt your body’s natural clock called a circus rhythm. If you eat late, your body thinks it should remain active, which can make it harder to fall asleep and affect how your body treats calories. Studies show that eating can improve metabolism and even help with insulin resistance, reducing the risk of diabetes.
Benefits of eating early dinner
Best digestion: Your stomach has time to split food at bedtime.
Improved sleep: Avoid discomfort and rest better at night.
Weight management: Early nutrition helps control the use of calories and can prevent weight gain.
Reduced acid reflux: less chance of gastric acid that enters the esophagus.
Increased energy: Eating early can help you feel more vigorously the next day, as your body has time to rest and repair over the night.
What if you can’t control this slot?
Many people still work between 6-7 pm and did not even start preparing for dinner at this time. Thus, this slot, though perfect for health, may not be too practical for most. In this case, try to eat dinner as soon as you can, no later than 8.30pm. This separately, prepare dinner in the morning (or at least part of it) so you don’t need a lot of evening when you return home. Also, if you can manage, you can also wear dinner to work or eat before leaving home. If you still feel hungry at night, you can have a glass of warm milk or green tea.
