A practice known in Asia and Africa.
Our dinner affects the quality of our sleep. “The night is a period of cellular restructuring during which the body will not be able to metabolize foods that are too rich and too fatty, it will tend to store the excess.“, immediately warns naturopath and nutritionist Dominique Gassin. Conversely, a light meal in the evening maintains a stable blood sugar level while you sleep, which promotes quality sleep, without stress for the body..”
To smooth your blood sugar levels as much as possible and avoid blood sugar spikes, get into the habit of eating your evening meal in a bowl with only a fork or spoon as the cutlery, advises the expert. “You can add, for example, a complete pesto soup, a minestrone with white beans or cubes of tofu, a lentil soup with small vegetables, or a single dish that simmers with light proteins to promote the secretion of GABA and melatonin, two substances that facilitate relaxation and falling asleep.”
Generally speaking, using a bowl favors light dinners such as soups, broths, stir-fried vegetables and simple dishes based on small foods such as lentils or rice which fit better in the bowl than in a bowl. to a plate. Naturally, we will cook less meat because cutting it without a knife is almost impossible in a bowl. Moreover, in Asia and Africa, eating from a bowl is much more common than in Europe where the bowl is usually used to eat cereals in the morning. Increasingly popular in France, it is the trend of “buddha bowl” which owes its name to the bowl in which it is served and which recalls the plump belly of Buddha: an all-in-one dish very often vegetarian (or even vegan) which gives pride of place to fresh vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Another tip from the naturopath: only eat to 80% of your fullness and eat dinner before 8 p.m. to leave a minimum of 12 hours of nighttime fasting between the evening meal and the morning meal. “This amount of time is essential so that the digestive organs can complete their work and regenerate overnight.” she concludes.