Why is it that some of us find the need to eat very late at night? This happens to me whenever I travel, and on nights where I stay up late. I’d like to explore it for a few minutes. It’s summertime as I write this, so it may simply be very light outside, which can cause our eating to go late into the evening. There are a few other reasons that you may be prone to the extra meal in the dark:
1. You’re not getting your emotional needs met during the day. If you feel lonely, or emotionally low, it’s easy to use food to try to feel better. Some people reach for sugar, others love crackers, and many use ice cream to soothe themselves. Is there something else that you can add into your life to be sure that your non-food needs are met? Does this mean taking a yoga class, having more time with your spouse, or giving yourself an hour with a good book in the evening?
2. You might have a scarcity mindset around the amount of food you’ll have for the next couple days. Do you ever eat and eat and eat, out of fear that there may not be more food coming to you?
3. You didn’t eat enough food during the daytime. If you’ve been snacking, and eating while multi-tasking, there’s a good chance that you didn’t eat enough today. It seems to be a luxury to sit down to a large, long and enjoyable meal, but this is where satisfaction comes from. If you find that this is the case for you, it helps to take at least 40 minutes to an hour to focus on lunch. Start tomorrow.
4. You didn’t eat the right kind of food during the day. Have you ever had late night cravings for heavy foods, like fish or meat? This may be a sign that you ate too many light foods like salad, or fruit, (or puffed rice cakes), in the morning and afternoon. Your body now craves balance, and asks for something heavier. If you notice this, add a heavier food to your lunch tomorrow. Meat digests slower than other foods, so it’s best to consume it during the day, and not late in the evening.
It’s time to simply notice why your body begs for food late at night. Tomorrow morning, you have the opportunity to make changes to how you eat. It is time to feel satisfied enough to go without the midnight meal.
Ava Waits is a Nutrition Mentor and Global Nutrition Concierge™ at www.ParisianPicnics.com. She supports busy people who are often away from their kitchens, especially for long workdays and for travel. If you’d like to sample her gentle and enjoyable approach to nutrition, please visit her website for more tips, recipes and videos.
