Introduction: From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, sleeping is not just a way to restore physical strength and energy, but also the best stage for the body's self-repair. To improve sleep quality, the best way is still through diet, as some nutrients in food are very helpful for sleep. However, eating before bed is a major taboo, as it can easily lead to weight gain. On the other hand, some beverages can also help with sleep and won't cause weight gain; some even have weight loss effects. So, which drinks can help with sleep and aid in weight loss before bed?
I. Honey Tea
Honey is a common nourishing product in life. Because of its warm nature and sweet taste, coupled with its extremely high nutritional value, it has always been favored by people. Honey is rich in magnesium, and its main effect is to have a sedative effect on the central nervous system of the brain, which is what people often call calming the mind. In addition, drinking a cup of honey tea before bed can also eliminate people's psychological tension and relieve stress, which is a great blessing for patients with poor sleep caused by high stress.
Another great benefit of honey tea is that it can help with weight loss. Because the fatty acids contained in honey can promote active intestinal peristalsis, and the rich vitamins and minerals have the function of regulating the stomach and intestines, which can expel toxins from the body and improve constipation. Many people worry that honey's sweetness is bad for their health. In fact, the sugars in honey are natural glucose and fructose, which do not burden the digestive system. On the contrary, they help with beauty and enhance the body's absorption of nutrients. Therefore, nutritionists highly recommend us to consume honey.
Honey and Lily Juice
II. Vinegar
If a person is in a state of tension for a long time, the body will produce a large amount of lactic acid, which will lead to tension fatigue. This kind of tension fatigue is very uncomfortable and makes it difficult to fall asleep easily. The acetic acid in vinegar can effectively inhibit the production of lactic acid in the body and at the same time accelerate the oxidation of lactic acid, thus eliminating or reducing the feeling of tension fatigue in the body. Without this feeling of fatigue, the body can fall asleep easily.
The amino acids rich in vinegar can also promote the metabolism of fat in the human body, convert excessive fat in the body into energy to be consumed, and also promote the metabolism of ingested carbohydrates and proteins, enhancing the body's fat metabolism, thus playing a good role in slimming and weight loss. If you really can't accept vinegar, drinking fruit vinegar is also an option.
III. Yogurt
When it comes to the best drinks for sleep, milk must be at the top of the list. Because milk contains two substances that can make people feel drowsy: one is tryptophan, which can promote the secretion of the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter serotonin from brain nerve cells; the other is peptides that regulate physiological functions, which make people feel comfortable all over, help relieve physical fatigue, and make people quickly enter a state of sleep. Therefore, drinking a glass of milk before bed every night can help you fall asleep quickly.
However, milk has a major drawback: the fat and protein content in milk is very high. A typical 200ml glass of milk has 108 calories, which requires 74 minutes of walking to burn off. Therefore, drinking milk can make people gain weight. Yogurt, which is obtained through fermentation, has the same effects as milk but much less heat. Moreover, yogurt is rich in probiotics, which can promote the activity of intestinal factors, thereby improving intestinal peristalsis, improving constipation, and helping with detoxification.
Homemade Plain Yogurt
IV. Red Wine
Drinking a glass of red wine before bed can help you fall asleep because melatonin, found in grapes, can aid sleep. Melatonin is a substance secreted by the pineal gland in the brain and has a close relationship with sleep. The secretion of melatonin can help the body fall asleep quickly. In addition, red wine can also help regulate the sleep cycle, improving abnormal sleep situations. Moreover, red wine contains a large amount of antioxidant components, so drinking a glass of red wine before bed also has the effect of retaining youth. Not only that, the calories in red wine are actually very low, and it can also accelerate the burning of fat throughout the body and promote intestinal peristalsis, so drinking a glass of red wine before bed has a good weight loss effect.
However, in the final analysis, it is still alcohol. Once consumed in excess, the alcohol it contains can harm the body. Therefore, medical experts say that when drinking red wine before bed, do not exceed 50ml.
Red Wine and Prawns