Including the right foods in your dinner is crucial. What you eat at night can help keep you healthy or lead to weight gain and other health problems.
What Are the Impact of Dinner on Mind and Body?
Dinner has a direct impact on your mind and body. It’s not just about what you eat but also when you eat, which ensures your body functions properly.
What is the Importance of All Meals?
Dieticians consider breakfast the most important meal of the day since it is your first meal after a gap of 6-8 hours from your dinner. However, other meals like lunch and dinner are also important and should not be skipped. Skipping any of these meals won’t help you lose weight, as commonly believed.
What is Ayurveda’s perspective on dinner?
Ayurveda advises being cautious about what you eat at night. It is the last meal of the day, and it’s important to consume it at the right time and opt for low-fat and easily digestible foods with fewer calories.
What is the Dominance of Kapha at Night?
At the end of the day, Kapha dosha is dominant, and the food you eat should balance Kapha instead of increasing it. Read on to know what to eat at night.
What is Kapha Dosha?
Kapha dosha is an Ayurvedic mind-body element associated with earth and water. It symbolizes structure, lubrication, and stability in the mind and body. Kapha is slow, moist, cold, oily, heavy, smooth, and stable in nature.
What Foods Increase Kapha Dosha?
Certain foods should be avoided at dinner as they can imbalance Kapha dosha. Junk food, oily foods, non-vegetarian items, frozen foods, and heavy-to-digest foods like yogurt or ice cream should be avoided or consumed in limited quantities at night. Overconsumption can lead to issues like:
- Weight gain
- Cough and cold
- Nausea
- Acid reflux
- Excessive saliva in the morning
- Allergies
Wrong eating habits can lead to the buildup and accumulation of toxins in the body, causing various health complications.
What adjustments can be made for better health?
If you suffer from any of the complications mentioned above, it’s time to take proper care. Sometimes, a slight adjustment in your diet pattern can correct or improve most of these conditions. So, the next question is what kind of adjustments can improve your health.
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What are Ayurvedic Tips for Healthy Eating at Night?
Eat Healthy, Low-Carb Foods
Consume low-carb foods at night as they are easily digestible. Heavy meals at night can disrupt your sleep and make you feel sluggish the next day.
Substitute Yogurt with Buttermilk
If you enjoy eating yogurt at night, it’s time to stop. According to Ayurveda, yogurt has both sour and sweet qualities and increases Kapha dosha, which is naturally dominant at night. This imbalance can lead to excess mucus in the nasal passages.
Keep Dinner Light
Ayurveda suggests keeping dinner light to ensure a good night’s sleep. The digestive system is less active at night, making it hard to digest heavy meals. According to Ayurvedic expert Dr. Vasant Lad, “Do not eat more than what you can hold in two cupped hands. Overeating can stretch the stomach, making you feel the need for extra food, and also create toxins in the digestive system.” Ensure a 2-3 hour gap between dinner and bedtime.
Include More Protein-Rich Foods
Include lentils, green leafy vegetables, and curry leaves in your dinner. Consuming more protein and fewer carbs at night helps your digestive system function properly.
Avoid Salt After 7 PM
Avoid salt after 7 PM as it increases water retention in the body. Consuming more sodium in dinner increases the risk of high blood pressure during the night.
Add More Spices
Spices not only enhance the flavor of your food but also come with numerous health benefits. They increase body heat and help in weight loss by reducing appetite. Include more spices like cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek, and cardamom in your dinner.
Reduce Sugar Intake and Use Honey
Avoid sugar at dinner and replace it with honey. Honey not only enhances the taste but also helps in weight loss and reduces mucus.
Prefer Low-Fat Milk
If you have a habit of drinking milk before bed, opt for low-fat milk and always boil it before drinking. Boiling makes it easier to digest. You can also add a small amount of ginger or cardamom before boiling, which helps reduce mucus-producing properties.
Follow Proper Dinner Rules
Ensure that whatever you eat doesn’t make you feel heavy. Instead, your stomach should feel light, enabling you to sleep well.
Conclusion
As seen above, eating the wrong foods at night can lead to weight gain. With minimal physical activity at night, the body requires very little energy. Extra food gets stored as fat, leading to obesity or weight gain. Both ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and modern science suggest having a light dinner early in the evening. This habit will improve your metabolism and make you feel lighter and healthier.
By incorporating these tips into your routine, you can enhance your Body Health. For more detailed information on Healthy Life at wellhealthorganic.com, visit our website.