EzraGardener.net

If your looking to get an extra edge on your weight loss or health goals you may want to try not eating after 5pm. The whole premise behind not eating after 5pm is about the changes your body starts to undergo around that time of day. Many experts agree that following this regime offers you a whole host of benefits. Although some may find this regime challenging, I have come up with a list of suggestions that can get you pass any hurdles that may come up.  As you may have guessed, I have had my own experience with this “lifestyle change” and I highly recommend it and you’ll soon see why.

Science has shown that around the time of 5pm ( give or take an hour or two before or after ) a person’s body starts to go into more immune system functions. All of the body’s energy that was being used for digestion and other processes than start to be directed towards the immune system. When food or drink is placed into the body between the times of 5pm - 7am than the body must take the energy that was intended for the immune system and utilize it for digestion. As you might have guessed when this happens one’s immune system can be compromised which can lead to easier weight gain and other health issues. I’ve come to find that the effects of eating between the times of 5pm - 7am tend to be cumulative over a period of years, however it can be reversed with the proper changes. Around the time of 7am the body is usually ready to start the digestion processes and the other processes necessary for the day so long as it has remained empty.

Not every health professional agrees with the no eating after 5pm. There are some that do however. Just try it if it feels right to you, and if it doesn’t than don’t. It’s best you find the techniques and lifestyle changes that best suit you.Here are list of benefits that come from not eating between the times of 5pm - 7am.

Better Sleep. - Your body’s natural sleep clock starts getting MUCH better after a few days of following the regime. It now understands its time for rest instead of time for food digestion and energy usage. I noticed that I would wake up feeling totally revived. It would be like I had gotten a deep rejuvenating rest.

Increased Immune Function - If you have normal health and nothing serious going on you should start to see your immune system get better and better as time goes on. I personally noticed that I wake up with a clear nose and throat in the morning.

Weight and Fat Loss- YES! You can lose weight and fat while you sleep. ( Though the results depend on your are like age and how much weight you have to lose. ) Since you’ll have no food coming in your body around that time, the body can use the fat you already have to create nutrients and substances needed for your body to heal. All that extra fat gets turned into energy for healing.

Clear Skin / Thicker Hair & Nails- Your immune system can have a big impact on your skin, hair and nails. Giving it time to do its job like this almost always leads to results. If you end up following this plan religiously you should at least see some results in all these areas. I got HUGE results. I’ve got really clear skin, and my hair is thicker. Results may be different depending on your health.

Eating more of what you like- This is another great benefit I LOVE! When you allow your immune system to do its job at night you’ll notice that you’ll be able to eat more of whatever it is you like during the day. ( So long as its not between the times of 5pm - 7am. ) I wouldn’t recommend going overboard, but you’ll actually be able to eat many of the fatting foods you cut out your list with no repercussions.

Higher Energy- Your immune system keeps your body in order and when it’s functioning properly you usually end up with higher energy levels. You’ll soon notice that when you eat food during the day that it actually gives you energy instead of slowing you down. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. I’m told that insulin levels can end up getting very balanced following this regime.

As you can see there are quite a few benefits that come with making this lifestyle change. It’s really worth making the change in my opinion. For those of you who may be concerned with how you can make it happen- I’ve come up with some answers to your questions.

Q:I get off at work at 5pm and usually end up having to eat my dinner around 7pm. What can I do now?

A:If you can’t seem to get a meal in that can be as your dinner right after work go ahead and eat at 7pm, but make sure it’s the very last thing you eat till 7am. I’ve been told that you can still get a lot of the same results anyway. A lot of people swear that 5pm is the best however, but if you really must it should be just as good in the long run.

Q:I work a night shift. How can I make these times when I’m getting up at 6pm starting my day?

A:I’ve been told that as long as you can give your body ample time to not eat anything for 10 hours than you can still achieve the same results. Its worth a try. If you seriously want to make the change than try it.

There are at least two other hurdles that can potentially show up when making this lifestyle change and that is hunger pains and slip ups.

Hunger Pain- For many dealing with this is actually a naturally side effect and usually just last a week as your body starts to adjust to the fact that your no longer feeding it between the times of 5pm - 7am. I recommend just going ahead and dealing with it. It will pass trust me. Though some people say that there are supplements out there that can help with the feeling of being full. Also, if you tend to end your day with a lot of carbs you may find those hunger pains to be even worse. Try eating more proteins at the beginning and more carbs in the morning.

Slip Ups- So you may find yourself doing well for the next two weeks as you fully embrace the lifestyle change of no food between the time of 5pm - 7am. You are ending up getting all the benefits and doing great, when one day you find yourself with some friends out at a restaurant past the time of 5pm. You say to yourself, “Its ok to do this one time. Who cares?” You then eat your meal, however- later that night when it’s time to go to bed you find yourself having a hard time falling to sleep. Why is that? Because now you have extra energy and your body just re-learned that when food comes in it’s time to wake up, not go to sleep. So just as a heads up, once you get really into this you’ll soon discover if you eat later you will stay up later.

I have had great results with following this regime, and it’s something that I have completely incorporated into my life. It really works amazingly well. You can find a lot of information on this subject if you type in google, “benefits of no eating after 5pm.” With anything I recommend, consult your doctor first if you feel your health may be compromised. I hope this information helped you out- feel free to let me know how it goes.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 5:23 pm and is filed under Health & Beauty, Weight Loss. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.