Practical Wellness Support for Everyday Life | Beverly Meyer | Podcast, Store, Blog

Gluten Free Paleo Wellness Blog with Podcasts, Online Store, Recipes

TwitterFacebookPinterestiTunesHome
Healthy Living Resources
Since 1985
- Paleo Mag's Top 5 Blog & Podcast -

Free Shipping Over $98
  • Clinic/Consults
    • Work With Beverly Meyer
    • New Client Forms
    • Diet and Health Center
    • 20 Healthy Living Tips
  • About
    • About Beverly
    • Contact Beverly Meyer
    • Success Stories
  • Health Articles
  • Podcast
  • Recipes
    • Anytime Entrees
    • Easy Veggies
    • On The Side
    • Snacks and Treats
  • The Diet Video
  • Online Store
    • Supplements
    • Work With Beverly Meyer
    • The Diet Video
    • FAQ’s Shipping/Returns
  • Contact

Liberate meal time w. my FREE eBook! Opt-In to my Newsletter
for once-weekly Sales, Podcasts & Blog Posts to empower your health.
10% Coupon for your first Supplement purchase!

Get the eBook and 10% Coupon Now!

Are You Eating Dinner Too Early?

Beverly Meyer, Clinical Nutritionist, MBA

Retro clock says 6 o'clock and asks if you eat dinner too early

Play

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | RSS

Are you eating dinner too early? The best time to eat dinner may change your sleep and energy.

Waking at 3 AM is a common problem. It sometimes relates to “Nocturnal Hypoglycemia”, low blood sugar during the night.

Nocturnal Hypoglycemia has several main causes:

  1. Eating too many carbohydrates, sugars, starch, alcohol and juice during the day
  2. Not eating enough protein and fat during the day (always avoid Canola, Corn and Soy Oil though)
  3. Eating too early relative to your bedtime

I’ve taught Ancestral, Primal, Paleo eating for decades – years before it was fashionable. My DVD on this, “The Diet For Human Beings”, teaches why we’re best suited to our Hunter-Gatherer diet before we began planting crops 15,000 years ago.

We didn’t eat significant amounts of grains (grass seed) before then, if any. Now our diets are based on starchy high carb wheat, corn, rice and sugar. And we’re missing the saturated fats and organ meats we evolved to eat.

Hearty Ancestral foods keep blood sugar much more stable, day AND night, as any Paleo fan will tell you.

Are You Eating Dinner Too Early?

Once you have switched to a grain-free diet of Proteins, Fats and Vegetables (with a little fruit, potato, nuts, eggs and herbs), consider the timing of meals.

The goal is stable blood sugar DAY and NIGHT.

I ask my Clients to eat on a schedule. Three or four meals a day, on time. (Note these are meals, not “snacks”, grazing, and “grabbing a handful of nuts or fruit”).

My personal schedule is 8-12-4-8. I may change a time by a half-hour or hour, but I rarely vary far.

I found long ago that I sleep better if I enjoy a main meal 2 hours before bed.

Why Are We Told to Eat Light, Eat Early?

  1. It IS wrong to gorge on a huge meal before falling into bed. Don’t do that!
  2. What if you have true reflux, rather than an intolerance to Dairy – the most common cause of mild Heartburn (along with a Hiatal Hernia which can sometimes be easily fixed by the right chiropractor)?  If you have an actual ulcer and are being treated for that, or a Hiatal Hernia that you have not yet helped with dairy-free and an educated chiropractor, then no you cannot eat within 2 hours of bed.
  3. For the rest of us?? I really don’t see that eating light, eating early is correct.

Don’t force yourself to eat a heavy meal. But if you’re eating at 5:30 and going to bed at 10, try eating a small meal at 4 and dinner at 7 or 7:30. Or even at 8 as I do if waking up too early is an issue for you.

Schedule Your Meals and Eat On Time

My first goal with new Clients is grain-free, sugar-free, getting blood sugar stable. These are huge chemical changes that affect every cell of the body. Everything feels better and works better when we are more stable.

Try the “eat every 4 hours” system I teach. That afternoon meal can be smaller than the others, but keep it a MEAL, not just fruit. And not just snacking all day.

Morning Anxiety and High Cortisol

Nocturnal Hypoglycemia is a common cause of morning anxiety and high cortisol. You may find yourself more relaxed in the morning and not so shaky and anxious.

Eat Breakfast within an hour or hour and a half of arising. I prepare my food for the week the way I describe in my free Ebook. (Subscribe to my Newsletter to get that). My food is ready to go any time of day. Print out the Ebook and keep it handy. It’s short and an excellent guide to batch cooking without recipes.

More Help for Waking Too Early

5 Sleep Tricks I Use for Waking Too Early

How and Why to Wake Without an Alarm

Systemic Formulas DREM supplement

Passion Flower to help you get back to sleep

A clock shows 6 PM and the caption asks if you're eating dinner too early

Categories: Grains & Sugars, Health Support, Lifestyle, Podcast, Sleep & Snoring Tags: Adrenals, Blood Sugar, Paleo Diet, Reflux, Sleep

Related Posts:

  • Building a Strong Lean Body If You're Tired and Overweight
    Building a Strong Lean Body If You're Tired and Overweight
  • What to Eat On Paleo | The Definitive Guide
    What to Eat On Paleo | The Definitive Guide
  • How to Test and Treat Insulin Resistant Weight Gain
    How to Test and Treat Insulin Resistant Weight Gain
MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed medical doctor and cannot advise you on medical matters. However, by studying my website you may be better able to communicate with your wellness provider. If you need medical assistance, please seek support from a qualified physician. Click here to read my full disclaimer.
AFFILIATE LINKS: There are affiliate links in some of my articles, which means I may get a small commission if you decide to purchase something after clicking on the links. I only recommend products I trust or have used so I know you'll be in good hands.
About Beverly

About Beverly

Clinical Nutritionist, blogger, podcaster, patient and health researcher.

My goal? To help you and me feel better!

In practice since 1985. Read More >

Lung Viral Support

10% Off Thru 1/31/23
RESPIRATORY VIRUS SUPPORT

ONLINE STORE

CONSULTS

HEALTH TOPICS

MY PODCASTS

EASY RECIPES

Subscribe to my Paleo Health Podcast

Testimonials

Reba

Listening to your podcasts has been extremely educational. I’m so happy I stumbled on your show. I really enjoyed your video on The Diet For Human Beings.

Niccole K.

Telling you three of the most wonderful words one can say: You were right! I am feeling so much better. The diet is really easy to follow and prepare. Thank you!

Susan B.

Your supplement store has the best products! Blog posts help explain which to consider and why. My anxiety and sleep are so much better. Thank you !

Mary Ann

Thanks to you I have made myself more aware – not just getting tests done but researching and following up – “GROW UP” – great advice. I look forward to reading your blogs.

D.C.

What you do helped save my life. Medications were destroying my Connective Tissue. Using supplements and diet let me manage my HSV. My health has finally started to improve. Thank you for all you do to help people like me.

Margie K.

Your IBS diet is helping me like no other. Really appreciate your dedication! You’ve done such a lot of work on your own health – it inspires me.  Thanks – thanks – thanks ! I never would have figured it all out!

Janie K.

I learned more in 2 hours of Consults with Beverly than the last 10 doctors I’d seen. She built a custom supplement program for me and really fine-tuned my diet. I am in awe.

Natalia

I’m really enjoying your podcasts and all the information you share. I have learned so much about what my body is telling me and about supplements.

Wendy

Your knowledge is unparalleled and you have the best podcast on wellness & nutrition. You’re so much fun to listen to and so informative! I like how you explain all the words and terms.

Copyright 2021 Beverly Meyer On Diet and Health.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. The suggestions I give in my podcasts and health articles are for learning purposes only. Please promptly consult your doctor for any medical condition.
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact Beverly Meyer
  • Blog
  • Sitemap
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy