“I see a bad moon rising . . . I see trouble on the way . . . don’t go out tonight, it’s bound to take your life, there’s a bad moon on the rise,” lyrics that tell more than a tale of the dangers of a werewolf running around the streets of London.
There is hidden danger when you eat high-calorie, nutrient-absent foods at night when the moon is out.
For most people, the biggest meal of the day is dinner.
Typically this is a high-carb meal, including a couple of alcoholic drinks and some kind bread, pasta, or rice. Along with those carbs, we have a small piece of protein, e.g., fish, chicken, or steak, followed by more carbs—a piece of cake or pie, or a dish of ice cream.
With the resulting rise in blood sugar, insulin comes rushing out to deal with the sugar, storing it in the liver and muscles, then stuffing the excess into fat cells. Worse yet, this is happening at night, when we’re winding down and getting ready for bed.
While we sleep, insulin stores the unused calories as fat around the waist, which then buries the abs. Eating lots of calories at night will make you fat – A high-carb meal will also cause the release of somatostatin, also known as a growth hormone-inhibiting hormone.
Growth hormone is secreted from the brain about an hour after falling asleep. Its function in the body is to build and repair muscle tissue, stimulate the immune system, and burn fat.
If you eat high-calorie carbs at night you increase somatostatin, shut down the production of growth hormone, and halt fat burning.
One more point here: Unlike other animals, we are not meant to eat and then sleep. We are built to eat while active in order to ensure that we burn what we eat. Therefore, we should eat frequently throughout the day while active—while the sun shines—not while sleeping . . . when the moon is out.
Burning fat isn’t as complicated as some people think it is. If you continue to eat a high-calorie dinner that is nutrient deprived, you will definitely ruin your fat-loss efforts. If you’re not storing fat while you sleep, you’re burning it—simple.
Eating carbs or high-calorie foods late will not only make you fat, it can ruin your health. As stated before, carbs cause the release of insulin—the hormone that regulates blood sugar and the storage of fat. High insulin is also a driver for cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, sleep apnea, internal inflammation, and immune dysfunction.
Pumping up your insulin before bed will also cause serious chaos with your other hormones like testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. These altered hormone levels can cause poor sleep, moodiness, night sweats, low libido, sugar cravings, impotence, cold hands and feet . . . and that’s just the start.
Simply, if you have to eat in the evening, choose green and rainbow-colored vegetables with a small piece of protein. This will have little effect on the hormones that store fat while you’re snoozing, keep down inflammation, and keep you healthy.
Lyrics by Creedence Clearwater Revival—Bad Moon Rising (Here’s a youtube video if you like Creedence.)
Thank you for breaking this down! I have been at a loss as to what is healthy to eat in the evening, and it seems like every book or article has a different idea of what is healthiest to do, but this makes sense! I am 44 years old, and have noticed a gradual increase in fat around my waistline, and have had a hard time getting it off, since I wasn’t sure what to do. I recently had a health scare, which has motivated me even more to be as healthy as possible. This is a great start! Thank you!
Toni there are different reasons for increased fat in the mid-section. Cortisol, high estrogen/low progesterone, high insulin and blood sugar can all cause belly fat. The first place to start getting rid of it is to eliminate carbs at night. Second, eat most of the your food when the sun is out now when the moon is out. Eat when your active, not when your winding down when your body is using less fuel for sleep. If you follow simple biological principles, your mid section will flatten out.
I eat a lot of popcorn at night, air popped, that i top up with flax seed oil and nutritional yeast, a bit of salt and fresh ground pepper,sometimes i add some cayenne or a splash of apple cider vinegar…its about the only grain/starch i eat. I have done that for years, and am lean, have no belly fat at all, and am 47 years old. Can i keep doing this?
There is nothing wrong with a little popcorn while watching The Avengers or The Game of Thrones. Popcorn is a high-glycemic food that will elevate your blood sugar and insulin. While this is a normal response, if you eat popcorn often and at night, you may be setting the stage for long-term problems with blood sugar, and your hormones.
I am interested to learn your view on someone who is vegan with MS.
I believe low vitamin D a big culprit for MS.
Hello, we are programmed to be omnivores. Those that choose to go vegan——completely vegan——are deprived of vital nutrients including Vitamin B12, Zinc, Iron, vitamin D, essential fatty acids and others. Studies show those who develop MS have high levels of a protein called zonulin. This compound is created by the interaction of gut bacteria and gluten. Yes gluten, a protein found in many foods that consumed through a vegan diet. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9011463/ Autoimmune issues develop from multiple factors. It has been shown that low vitamin D status was an early predictor of MS activity and progression https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24445558/ Again, there is not enough data to say low vitamin D is the cause of MS, low vitamin D is a predictor of the severity MS
Is there any type of rice considered healthy and safe?
If I go for rice, I choose brown rice, black rice, and/or wild rice, depending on what Im eating with the rice. Brown, black, wild are all loaded with fiber and antioxidants. If you eat rice, or want to, I’d suggest either of these three. Stay away from white rice is processed whereby many of its nutrients are stripped away. Hope that helps in your decisions.