9 foods not to eat before going to bed

One should eat carefully to stay fit and fabulous, but keeping a check on your diet before going to bed needs extra attention as some food items have the tendency to disturb your sleep if consumed regularly.

Here are some food items you should avoid before going to bed:

Chocolate: Dark chocolates are considered as healthy food that contain magnesium and antioxidants, but they also contain caffeine, which could keep you awake.

Nut butter: Nut butter is a healthy source of fat. Also, it may help in losing weight but fats are slow to digest and may remain present in your stomach all night if consumed in large quantities, hence, may lead to disturbed sleep.

Chilies and spicy foods: Chilies are healthy if made with the right mix of ingredients, but they are spicy, and may end up causing heartburn, if consumed late in the night and may result in killing your sound sleep.

Greasy or fat-filled foods like pizza: Greasy, heavy, fatty foods would make your stomach overwork throughout the night, resulting in disturbed sleep and making you sluggish the next morning.

Chinese food: This is another food item that is important to avoid during night as the MSG (monosodium glutamate, flavour enhancer) found in Chinese food works in a similar manner as the caffeine would do in the body.

Milk: Though we consider milk to be a rich source of protein and calcium, it may kill your sleep if you drink it before bed because of its lactose content that can create digestive issues in many people.

Red meat and other non-veg items: Red meats and other non-veg items, if eaten in large amounts at night, will remain in your digestive system for a long time. Apart from leading to disturbed sleep, it will also lead to weight gain.

Celery: Celery acts as a diuretic, and will increase your trips to the bathroom at night.

Rice: If large amounts of rice is consumed at night, it encourages the body to store excess fat that it doesn't need and makes it harder to lose weight. It can also lead to water retention.

• Food and Dining