5 Health Benefits of Eating Before The Sunset

In the modern, busy lifestyle, it has become nearly a habit to have dinner late at night. Whether it is post-office engagements, parties, or night cravings, we all tend to have food shortly before nightfall. But Ayurveda and modern science alike recommend that the timing of our last meal has a large influence on the operation of our body. One of the old-fashioned practices that is being repopularised is eating before sunset. This isn't only an ancient cultural ritual; it has real health benefits with science and lifestyle research to back it up. 

Health Benefits of Eating Before The Sunset

In an exclusive interaction with the editorial team of Onlymyhealth, our expert, Dr Pooja Pillai, Consultant – Physician, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, explained why cutting off your dinner early can improve your health and overall well-being:

1. Enhances Better Digestion

Our body's digestive system functions best in the daytime when our own internal metabolic rate is at its peak. As evening approaches, the metabolism weakens. Having heavy food late in the night tends to cause bloat, indigestion, and acidity. “If you have dinner before the sun sets, you allow your body sufficient time to digest food properly so that nutrients are absorbed well. This lessens the discomfort and enables your stomach to rest throughout the night,” she shared.

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2. Encourages Healthy Weight Regulation

Evening meals tend to be stored as fat because your body doesn't require much energy during sleep. This can lead to slow weight gain. However, eating early gives your body enough time to burn calories before sleep. Early eating is also said to improve appetite control the following day, suppressing the need to snack without a reason. Merely moving your evening meal to an earlier time could be a very normal aid for weight reduction and healthy waistline maintenance.

3. Enhances Sleep Quality

Have you ever had trouble sleeping after a big late-night meal? That's because your body is occupied with digesting food rather than resting. Getting all your eating done before sundown enables digestion to finish way before bedtime, which means deeper and more refreshing sleep. Improved sleep translates to increased energy, keener concentration, and a more cheerful attitude the following day.

4. Reduces Risk of Lifestyle Diseases

Late eating and sleeping shortly afterwards raises the risk for diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. This is due to the reason that late suppers tend to lead to blood sugar spikes and cholesterol increases. Early dinner facilitates blood sugar control, increases insulin sensitivity, and lowers the total load on your heart. In the long run, this becomes a factor in stopping lifestyle diseases.

5. Synchronises with Natural Body Rhythms

Our bodies have a circadian rhythm, an internal clock that controls sleep, metabolism, and hormone secretion. As the sun comes up and goes down, our body processes are likewise programmed to be awake during the day and sleep at night. Having food before sundown keeps your meals coordinated with this natural cycle, ensuring improved hormonal balance and general health.

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Practical Tips to Eat Before Sunset

Here are a few expert-approved tips to make sure that you eat before sunset:

• Try to complete dinner by 7 pm latest.
• Early dinners are difficult if there are social or work obligations, so try a light snack at sunset and have a lighter meal later.
• Select foods that are easily digestible for dinner, soups, salads, dal, steamed vegetables, or light protein.
• Steer clear of caffeine, fried, and sugary foods in the evening for better digestion and sleep.

Bottomline

Moving your evening meal to an earlier time can be hard to get used to at first, but the health payoff is well worth it. From improved digestion and sleep to weight management and disease prevention, dining before dusk is an easy lifestyle tweak with a significant effect on your overall well-being.