If you have ever been on a weight loss journey, even for a single week, it’s highly likely that your mind would have encountered this question: Is consuming carbohydrate rich food at night good for my body? Well, this article is aimed at breaking the myth around how good or bad eating carbohydrate rich food is in general and specifically at dinner.
The thumb rule for consuming carbohydrate or any macronutrient for that matter is to have it in moderation. We must consume a good mix of all the 3 macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein and fat) that provide us with vitamins, minerals and fibers in the right proportion. In addition, importance of eating at the right time is highly understated. It is not bread or bananas that make you fat, it’s the manner you eat them. Anything that is natural and not processed is meant to work for you and not against you. Unfortunately, we overdo these macronutrients for an extended period of time and then start blaming them for our weight gain for the rest of our lives.
Let us first understand why is carbohydrate important for our body:
Complex units of Carbohydrate (Polysaccharides & Disaccharides) are broken down into its simplest unit of glucose (monosaccharaides) by chemical breakdown. Multiple enzymes in various parts of the body do this breakdown. It starts with amylase in the mouth when we chew, followed by pancreatic enzymes released to break these down in the small intestine. Once the glucose is released in the blood, pancreas secretes insulin to carry glucose to the cells, which store it to use it as fuel; Muscle and Liver store it as glycogen. Simply put, it’s the energy that we get from the carbohydrate that is used by trillions of cells within the body for various functions right from cell growth to repair. Not just this, the main source of energy for brain function is the same glucose. All of these do explain the importance of carbohydrate for our body and the following are the main reasons why we must consider a moderate portion of carbohydrate in our dinner.
- Cellular Growth & Repair: When we sleep, body requires energy for cell repair, cell regeneration, detoxification and revitalize organ and the cells get it from the carbohydrate we eat at dinner
- Manage several biological functions: Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is produced by pituitary gland in the night and is used to build muscle, burn fat, strengthen immune system, boost metabolism and to maintain blood glucose level within a normal range. All of these functions need energy that is provided by carbohydrate
- Fat burn: All the fat burn happens while we are asleep and if we do not have enough energy in the form of glucose, body attacks our muscle to draw the energy needed to break down the fat
- Good sleep: Serotonin is used by the body to synthesize melatonin, which in turn induces good sleep. Tryptophan, which is a pre-cursor to Serotonin, needs to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the brain. This activity is carried out by insulin, which is secreted when we eat carbohydrate. Serotonin is also considered to activate a good mood and hence it becomes so important.
- Keeps you feel full after the dinner: Carbohydrate regulates leptin, which is the satiety hormone and helps us feel full after dinner, helping us avoid those midnight cravings.
- Regulate Brain Function: While we sleep, our brain is still active. The main food for brain is glucose, which is required for numerous cellular functions while we sleep which it gets from the carbohydrate we eat at dinner
While these points clearly explain the need to eat carbohydrate at dinner, it still demands us to be smart while we do so.
Refer to the following indicators:
- How much to consume: Make sure you mix it up well with protein and good fat in such a way that calorie from carbohydrate is the minor contributor to overall calorie consumption.
- What type of carbohydrate to consume: Soy products, beans, grainy bread, porridge (oats) and lentils (Carbohydrates that are low in Glycemic Index)
- When to eat: The best time to have dinner is by sunset, that way we can align our body cycle to the Circadian Rhythm. Though modern lifestyle may not make this feasible, it is ideal to have dinner as close as possible to sunset.
Glycemic Index (GI) is the relative ranking of carbohydrates in the food based on what pace they are digested, absorbed and metabolized by the body and thus affect the blood glucose levels. Carbohydrates with low GI (55 or less) slowly raise the blood glucose level and hence the insulin level.
Hence, keeping these in mind, be mindful and listen to your body when it asks you to stop eating. Go ahead and eat your Roti or whatever you have grown up eating at dinner, club it with Salad and veggies, chew well and enjoy your good health!
