diet

Pre-Sleeping Snacks

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Generality

The snack pre-sleep is a secondary meal that, depending on the case, can have different nutritional values; for example, it can alleviate the sense of appetite after a few hours after the last meal (dinner), guarantee muscle recovery following a workout (super compensation) or even lighten the main meals in order to ensure better digestion and greater absorption .

The snack pre-sleep is the last meal of the day and is usually consumed before sleep at night. In general, consuming many calories without the guarantee that they are metabolised CORRECTLY is a somewhat questionable habit; in fact, before sleep the organism DOES NOT need big energy-nutritional loads and the plastic requirement is sufficiently guaranteed by the main meal of the dinner. On the other hand, there are circumstances in which the use of this nutritional strategy can be quite comfortable.

Snack Pre Nanna: When and Why?

The snack for babies is quite useful in the food organization of different situations:

  1. For the sportsman : perhaps many DO NOT know that the capacity for intestinal absorption and metabolic processing are at least variable aspects. They depend on subjectivity, on the state of nutrition, on muscle fatigue, etc. However, what is certain is that the organism processes small meals more correctly rather than large binges! This is true for everyone ... and of course sportsmen are no exception. Athletes (especially cross-country skiers and half-cross-country skiers) who reach an energy expenditure of 3000-4000kcal / day are not rare; this means that, by consuming a lunch and a dinner of 30-35% of the total, these subjects should take between 1000 and 1600kcal at a time. Too many! In this case, the digestive system would hardly function properly; for example, the intestine would struggle to completely absorb the nutrients contained in the food (especially the protein amino acids). Among other things, taking for granted an optimal collection of the intestinal mucosa, the large food portions would excessively stimulate the insulin, emphasizing the adipose deposit. We also remember that "cram" the stomach excessively can cause many problems to the mucous membranes, to the sphincters of containment etc. For this reason, for HYPERcalor diets, it is advisable to disregard the general meal distribution recommendations (15% breakfast, 5% snacks, 40% lunch and 35% dinner) and choose a more suitable solution; a practical example is: 20% breakfast, 10% each of the 3 snacks (of which 1 pre-sleep), 30% lunch and 20% dinner.
  2. For the bodybuilder: generally, bodybuilders do not have such high energy demands as to require an abnormal meal breakdown. For them, in fact, snacks (including pre-sleep) play a role more similar to that of a customary diet. The only difference is the need to constantly supply a (more or less important) amount of protein to the body. In reality, it is a trick adopted more by scruple than by necessity ... but beware! Excess is always harmful to health.
  3. For the overweight person: overweight people generally consume so abundant meals (even only 2 per day!) That they cause an insulin stimulus above the normal threshold; this habit, in addition to seriously harming the health, causes the inexorable adipose deposit (of which the aforementioned hormone is intermediary). In this case, the greater distribution of meals is aimed at both eliminating the incorrect habit and moderating insulin spikes to promote weight loss. For a person used to consume 50% of the daily energy in the evening meal, reducing it significantly (therefore not more than 30-35%) would cause the premature onset of the sensation of appetite; in this case, the pre-sleep snack acquires an essential role in the tolerance of weight loss therapy supporting the management of physiological stimuli.
  4. For the obese diabetic: what is quoted in the previous paragraph applies but with a greater importance than the metabolic implication. Diabetics often suffer from reduced muscle tolerance to secreted insulin. Hyperinsulinemia promotes the conversion of carbohydrates and amino acids into fatty acids, which will then be stored in adipose tissue. In these circumstances, snacks (including pre-sleep) serve as nutritional "dosers". By providing small portions of nutrients it is possible to AVOID the peaks of glycaemia and therefore of insulin. To do this they are particularly useful: small portions of fruit, small portions of protein snacks and small portions of oilseeds (the latter being extremely beneficial but very caloric and difficult to manage).
  5. For the subject who suffers from gastric and esophageal disorders: this is a category that embraces many types of disorders, therefore what I will mention must absolutely subordinate to the recommendation of the medical specialist. We say that most of these discomforts depend on: predisposition, abuse of irritating or harmful molecules (drugs, alcohol, caffeine, etc.), incorrect distribution of meals and incorrect nutritional distribution. Basically, those who complain of heartburn, gastro-oesophageal reflux, heaviness etc. can find a great advantage in the hyper-segmentation of the daily protein ration. Proteins are the nutrients that require some digestion at the stomach level and, obviously, as the quantity increases, the need for digestive gastric juices also increases. In this regard, it is always SCONSIGLIABILE to consume food portions that are too abundant before sleep, especially if they consist of protein and fatty foods. Ultimately, by significantly reducing the importance of the dinner and inserting a small pre-sleep snack, it is possible to significantly lighten some disorders of the stomach and esophagus.

Which Snack Pre Nanna?

As the kind readers will already have understood, the choice of the snack pre-sleep varies considerably according to the nutritional need, the management of the other daily meals and the state of individual health.

In low-calorie diets, the most difficult nutritional components to be supplied in the right quantities are dietary fiber and certain mineral salts. For fiber, potassium and magnesium, the use of fruit with peel and some derivatives of whole grains can be a good choice to say the least. On the contrary, if the deficit affects calcium it is more advisable to prefer snacks belonging to the milk and derivatives group; finally, if the deficiency concerns iron, certainly small portions of meat or fish would be just as adequate.

For endurance sportsmen, the pre-sleep snack has a fundamental energy importance; in these cases, without exceeding the portions, also avoiding choosing junk foods and making sure that the intake of proteins and fats is not excessive, food management is almost completely free.

With regard to subjects who require a low energy intake, insulin calm and the contribution of essential amino acids, a lean, protein-based pre-sleep snack (thick or Greek low-fat yogurt, light cheese, egg whites, roast beef, etc.). ) fully satisfies all needs (depending on the importance of the portions).

Finally, with regard to disorders of the stomach and esophagus, the choice of a snack, if any, depends fundamentally on the TYPE of specific discomfort. For example, due to the burning induced by acid hypersecretion, it is very useful to try to moderate the SERAL protein intake (which acts as an additional stimulant during the night hours) preferring foods that do not require a considerable gastric effort. I reiterate once again that, since the disorders are very different from each other, the specific choice must be made ONLY after the medical consultation