What to Eat Before Bed

Most of you know of how to get proper nutrition throughout the day but what do you eat before bed? Common sense suggests that a balance of complex carbs and protein is adequate at this time but I am going to tell you more than that. I am going to tell you precisely what you should be eating and what macronutrients they should be coming from.

The meal you eat before bed is just as important as any of the other meals you consume. Opinions vary from eating anywhere from two hours to fifteen minutes before you go to bed, but what you decide will depend on personal preference. It is also very important that you don`t undereat at this time because doing so will cause you to wake up in the middle of the night feeling hungry, while unconsciencely eating things that you shouldn`t be.

Okay, well I know why the last meal of the day is important, but what should I eat at this last meal? You want to consume slow digesting foods such as fibrous carbs, casein protein, and even healthy fats. Cottage Cheese, natural peanut butter, and any type of vegetable is also perfect at this time. You can even consume complex carbs, just be careful not to eat to much of them.

Of course, you should avoid fattening and sugary foods, if you`re a bodybuilder you shouldn`t be eating these foods anyways. You also need to avoid caffeinated foods and beverage since caffeine keeps you from getting a good night`s rest. There have been no scientfic studies showing that eating before bed will cause weight gain, but be smart and don`t over do it.

The hardest part is keeping your food intake low at night. It gets boring late at night and sometimes you feel that eating is the only thing to do. Don`t! Keep yourself occupied and make sure you are in control of what is going on. Read a book , hop on the forums, there are endless options, just don`t eat things you shouldn`t be. Until next time, later.

Zach Bashore - EzineArticles Expert Author

21 years old. Check out my site for the entire collection. http://www.geocities.com/bashore69/bodybuildingarticles.html