index foods and their benefits for sleep, I believe that the best research
here and the most healthful approach is to stick with low-glycemic
index (low-GI) foods at dinner (and at other meals as well). Repeated
studies have made it clear that low-GI foods at dinner can improve
blood sugar reactions following breakfast the next morning and can
help the entire next day start out in a way that is better for your blood
sugar balance.
When you eat breakfast and lunch, your food needs to provide you
with the nourishment and energy to get you through the rest of the
day. When you eat dinner (unless you work a late shift, or have
responsibilities that force you to change your schedule from the
natural cycle of waking hours in the daylight and sleep hours in the
dark), you are no longer trying to gear up for your day’s activities.
Instead, you are trying to prepare for a good night’s sleep and wake
up with a refreshed start to the next day. I believe that low-GI foods
are the best way to help you accomplish this task. Green leafy
vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, and salad-type vegetables (includ-
ing lettuce, tomatoes, celery, bell peppers, radish, and cucumbers) have
the lowest GI values of any food group and can be especially good
choices here. On the don’t list, however, would be processed and
refined grain products (like breads and pastas not made from 100%
whole grains) and sugar-added foods or drinks.
The third and final don’t involves timing. You don’t want to eat your
dinner meal too close before bedtime. Your digestive tract works best
when you are upright and sleep is not a good time for your stomach
to be working in overdrive. If you keep your dinner meals in the
350-550 calorie and 10-15 grams of fat range I recommend, you
should be able to eat your dinner meal approximately 3-4 hours
before bedtime and have it work compatibly with your sleep.
As mentioned earlier, low-GI foods and moderate fat foods are good
choices when it comes to dinner. In the low-GI category, you will
want to focus on the type of vegetables described earlier: green leafy
Healthy Weight Loss — Without Dieting