Eating shortly before bedtime in the evening is the best recipe for weight gain and bad sleep.
It can cause serious damage to your throat and esophagus tissue.
You must have heard about gastroesophageal reflux.
It happens when the digestive juices go up in your chest and mouth and cause a burning sensation.
But there is also what is called “silent regression”, which has the same causes but not the usual symptoms.
Instead of indigestion, sufferers suffer from sore throat, chronic cough and difficulty swallowing.
Nearly 50 percent of Americans have regressed silence and are unaware of it.
The only major risk factor is, by far, the time people eat dinner.
So experts advise us not to eat our dinner later than 3 hours before going to bed.
So, if you are thinking of making a last visit to the fridge or a shelf in your kitchen before going to bed at night, it is best to avoid the following food at that moment of weakness:
Alcohol
Alcohol relaxes the valves that connect the stomach to the esophagus.
When this happens, your body cannot keep the food where it should.
Soda or soft drinks
You can’t get more acid than anything in nature.
This acid destroys the valves mentioned above.
Also, carbonate increases the pressure in your stomach.
Chocolate
Specific flavors are rich in fat.
These loosen the valves, while containing caffeine and a lesser known stimulant, called theobromine, making chocolate a triple risk.
Cheese
This is another oily food.
If you can’t resist, keep in mind that tougher cheeses, such as parmesan, have fewer symptoms of reflux.
And this is compared to the softer ones, like feta and mozzarella.
Nuts
When it comes to reflux, fat is fat, whether it is saturated or unsaturated.
So, although nuts contain healthy doses of unsaturated fats, you should avoid them before going to bed.
Cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts and peanuts are the worst, according to experts, while peanuts and almonds are not so bad.
Citrus fruits
They are also extremely acidic.
A glass of orange or green apple juice are the worst choices you can make.
Coffee
Not only is it extremely acidic, but also the caffeine it contains creates extra acids in your stomach.
If you have to drink, you should prefer decaffeinated, which has lower acid levels.
Options left:
It is suggested to consume anything that is low in fat. Good choices are bananas, a bowl of low-fat milk and low-sugar cereals.
Also chamomile is a very good choice at this time. It’s relaxing. You feel your stomach filling and calming.
