As the saying goes: "Eat in moderation and at the proper time." Especially for certain foods, eating at certain times, in line with the body's physiological rhythms, can be detrimental to health. So, what are the things to pay attention to for dinner?
Dinner Diet Considerations
1. People with excessive liver heat should not drink milk at night.
Drinking milk at night can exacerbate liver heat, which is not conducive to the body's nighttime detoxification. It can also cause a dry mouth and throat, leading to waking up in the middle of the night for water, which disrupts sleep. Furthermore, milk itself is an allergen, and drinking it at night can easily lead to indigestion and other issues.
2. Greasy foods should be avoided.
Greasy foods not only include fried foods but also items high in cholesterol, such as certain animal organs. Consuming these foods increases the workload on the intestines, stomach, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, and stimulates the central nervous system. People with high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol should be especially strict in avoiding them.
3. Avoid "gas-inducing foods" in the evening.
Some foods produce a large amount of gas during digestion, leading to bloating. Examples include beans, Chinese cabbage, onions, corn, and bananas. Excessive bloating not only causes gastrointestinal discomfort but also affects sleep. Therefore, such foods should also be avoided in the evening.
4. High-calcium foods at night can lead to stones.
It is not suitable to consume foods that are too high in calcium for dinner, such as dried shrimp, cartilaginous fish, etc. As the five major organs enter a rest state at night, the calcium from these foods can easily accumulate in the kidneys and urinary tract after being broken down, leading to the formation of stones.
5. Dessert after dinner is a taboo.
Many people like to have dessert after dinner, feeling that it completes the meal. However, overly sweet things can easily burden the digestive system.
On the other hand, the sugar in dessert is difficult to break down when the body is at rest, and it can be converted into fat, easily leading to obesity. Over time, this can also potentially lead to cardiovascular diseases.
6. Avoid caffeinated beverages or foods.
Many people have trouble sleeping because they drink too much coffee. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, causing breathing and heart rate to speed up and blood pressure to rise. It also reduces the secretion of melatonin, a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain that has a hypnotic effect.
A cup of coffee or tea in the morning, or a can of cola in the afternoon, might help you perk up from sleepiness. However, for some people sensitive to caffeine, even just a cup of hot cocoa in the afternoon can be enough to leave them wide-eyed and tossing and turning at midnight. Additionally, the diuretic effect of caffeine will cause you to run to the bathroom frequently in the middle of the night, making it unlikely that you will get a good night's sleep.