This is what you should have for dinner to lose weight and sleep better

• Body This is the order in which you should eat
• Myth Breakfast is not the most important meal

The key to losing weight is dinner (we always talk about healthy weight loss). What we eat in that last intake of the day and at the time we do it depends not only on how our body will use the calories we put in, but the quality of our rest that, although at first glance it seems that it does not, plays a crucial role in our relationship with food and, by extension, with the scale.

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A light but good dinner is essential for many reasons. First, obviously, to give our body the nutrients it needs to recover from the wear and tear of the day but also to guarantee us a restful rest, because, when we sleep well, all the biorhythms are altered and that cocktail of leptin, ghrelin and cortisol is activated that pushes us to 'assault' the fridge with night and treachery. Consequently, if we do not sleep what we need, not only will we be in dust the next day but all the effort to take care of ourselves will go to hell, "explains María Amaro, specialist in Nutrition.

About what time should we make that ideal dinner that will help us lose weight and fall asleep? Although we start from the basis that, with the life we lead that 'ideal scenario' does not exist, nor is it expected, the most desirable, according to Amaro, would be "dinner, at least, two hours before going to sleep, thus, we would not go to bed with a full gut and we would be able to complete the 12 hours of night fasting so recommended to reset our body. "

Javier Fernández Ligero, pharmacist and nutritionist, also emphasizes the benefits of early dinners. "It is very important, especially if we have not done during the afternoon, try to advance dinner, do it around 19:30 p.m. or 20 p.m. because, that way, it will give us time to digest before going to bed and improve the quality of our rest."

How should it be? "Our main goal should be to raise insulin levels as little as possible. This detail is especially relevant if we have spent the day sitting and subjected to a great load of stress, because that state will lead us to release a lot of cortisol and, as a result, to experience a sensation that many of us suffer at the end of the day: that of having a swollen gut, "says Fernández Ligero.

If, on the other hand, we come from doing a physical activity, it recommends including: "A serving of protein (preferably, white fish for its easy digestion) accompanied by a complete hydrate (for example, cooked potato or sweet potato), which, as it has been proven, in small portions, positively help the release of melatonin overnight. Therefore, it will favor all the recovery processes of our organism during the night. If we also want to improve its digestibility, we can cook it the day before and store it 24 hours in the fridge to eliminate its resistant starch."

THE BEST ALLY, THE EGG

In search of that "light and healthy dinner that favors relaxation, helps us rest better and, if we really need it for a health issue, lose some weight", María Amaro highlights the extraordinary value of a food that is never missing in our fridge. "The egg is the perfect ally to ensure a healthy dinner and a restful rest. In addition to being able to be consumed in multiple ways, it is a protein of high biological value with satiating properties that gives us a multitude of vitamins, good fats that very powerful antioxidant called coenzyme Q10. It helps the blood sugar level to remain stable throughout the night, regulating glucose levels."

Although, by power, "we could dine eggs in multiple modalities and 'accompaniments' (ham, vegetables, etc.) because it is more than proven that its bad reputation (it was said that it increased cholesterol levels, among other things), the idea is that, in addition to dining healthy, we make it varied and rich. "

Amaro wants to make it as easy as possible. Therefore, he recommends us "to dine on simple dishes, which do not require too much elaboration and whose preparation does not 'steal' too much time, pulling iron, steam, etc.". The stars on our dinner table should be "fish and white meat, chicken and vegetables, preferably steamed and leafy green, such as spinach or chard."

It also reminds us of the list of foods that will lend a hand to our melatonin, increasing the levels of that serotonin and tryptophan that feel so good to us. "Blue fish, cherries, walnuts, almonds and, above all, dark chocolate." And he makes us a most appetizing recommendation: "Take an ounce of chocolate before going to bed, letting it melt slowly in our mouth." Best ending for this report, impossible.

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