Fattening late night snacks least of worries

(Ecns.cn)—As the new year dawns and our ambitions for our future reawaken, many are back at work and pulling off all-nighters, or at least late-nighters, and eating more snacks to soothe their overwork. However, these behaviors can do unexpected harm and should definitely be avoided, experts warn on the News Express.

The late dinner has been accused of introducing more fat into the human body, but there's a new accusation that seems more serious. Since our urinary system doesn't start its own housekeeping for 4 to 5 hours after supper, we are supposed to refrain from retiring for at least 5 hours after eating. So when we do eat late, whether snacking or dining, the risk of producing urethra stones rises significantly because the whole urinary system is "turned off" when people fall asleep and the fluids just accumulate inside the body.

Wang Xiangsheng, associate chief physician in the Urology Department of Panyu Armed Police Hospital, pointed it out that the potential health problems inherent in late night eating can escalate, for many treat themselves with heavy, salty, and even spicy foods. This kind of preference increases the quantity of sodium in your system, putting you at greater risk for forming urethra stones.

The damage does not stop there. There are plenty of other overlooked side effects of the late dinner: insomnia, for instance. Experts warn that consuming too much food too late at night makes lying down uncomfortable because it can cause heartburn or a backflow of acid and food from the stomach to your esophagus. Not surprisingly, this can keep you awake. Even though some people drop off soon after lying down, internal organs like the stomach, intestines, liver, gallbladder and pancreas are just beginning to process the food and sending related messages to the brain, which in return makes sleep shallow and fretful.

In addition to the more obvious results that any sensitive adult would notice, a string of diseases could occur in the long run, including intestinal cancer, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease.

However sensational this list may appear, making the necessary changes could also be extremely challenging. Here are several tips though we hope will help:

1) If working long hours, spare the time at around 6pm for a quick supper, then get back to work. This way, you won't eat too much later because you won't be in the mood or have the time; this little change of priority avoids the trouble associated with late eating.

2) Keep busy and stay distracted, thus keeping your mind off food. This is a tip for those who can't resist the late Night Eating Syndromes (NES) or tendency to consume a lot of snacks during the night. Don't stay inside alone in the evening; instead, hang out with friends in the hours before bedtime.

3) Don't deny yourself a snack in the evening; by suggesting you stay away from late night eating we are hoping you won't end up going on a guilty binge. What is advisable is to set out your evening snack ahead of time, eat only one snack, and stick to your sensible decision about what that snack will be; better include fruits, yogurt and nuts.