SHOULD YOU EAT RIGHT BEFORE BEDTIME?

My husband and I have a running argument. He says that he can’t sleep if he doesn’t have at least a semi-full stomach at bedtime. And for him, that’s around 11:00 pm. Recently, he’s started working until about 10:00 pm – what with his second job. So, he almost always wants to eat a meal after 10 pm and doesn't seem to mind eating a fair amount of food at that hour. I don’t like to eat late night meals. In fact, I’m prone to indigestion and insomnia when I’ve had a hefty meal anytime after 9 pm. But, as it stands, I have only two choices: eat late with my husband or eat alone in the early evening. And, even though I might some time regret it, right now, I’m eating a bedtime meal. So, I decided to read a bit about late night meals and organize my thoughts about it. Here’s what I found.

It’s common knowledge that the body uses a lot of energy to digest food at any hour. And when the body wants to enter a state of sleep, it will be stopped, at least to some degree, if there is undigested food in the stomach. So there won’t be restful sleep and not proper digestion, either. This is a distress to the body and  possibly causes nightmares.

There is also popular advice that late night meals and snacks are counterproductive to people who are trying to lose weight. The logic for this is the belief that the body converts late night calories into fat rather than using them right away as fuel. And that can be the cause of weight gain. Of course, there are others who say that if total daily calories are kept at an optimal level, eating something at night shouldn’t matter. For these people, it’s the total calories eaten and burned through one's daily activities that count more than the exact time that the food was consumed.

But the case against eating bedtime meals includes some other health effects. People with periodic indigestion, like myself, often have more symptoms if they lie down after eating. So those people certainly don’t want to eat much shortly before going to bed. Obviously, spicy or fatty foods are even more likely to be troublesome. Also those who are sensitive to caffeine should avoid coffee intake before bed. Alcohol is usually acts a sedative in small amounts. (My husband and I like to drink a cup of red wine with our last meal of the day.) But the consensus is that more than a little alcohol can cause awakening just a few hours later with problems to get back to sleep.

It comes down to choices and proportions

There’s speculation that, if a significant portion of the total daily calorie intake occurs late at night, sleep will be disturbed and often accompanied by bad dreams. An inability to return to sleep without getting up and doing other things, including eating or drinking something else, is another puzzling set of symptoms. Beyond that, it’s entirely possible that, for some people, eating at night is associated with weight gain. They may be careful about food choices during the day but lose all caution in the nighttime. For these people, having a last substantial meal several hours before bedtime helps them avoid a late night snack with a lot of unnecessary calories.

And it’s not unusual for people to look for some comfort food in the evenings, especially if they stay up late watching television or working at the computer. What certainly must to be avoided are late night meals and snacks that are difficult to digest. Those are contrary to a good night’s sleep. You know what foods I’m talking about  - what a lot of people reach for, or phone in for around midnight – chips, wings, pizza, and burgers. High sugar foods like ice cream, pie, and cake are also suspect before heading off to bed.

Foods that shouldn’t harm your sleep

So, the best advice is to have a substantial meal several hours before bedtime and that way, hopefully, you can go to bed just with nothing more than a tea or a glass of water. Of course, that doesn't work out for everybody. So, if you really feel hungry before bed, watch out for heavy, spicy or other high caloric foods. Easily digested,  low-sugar, low-calorie foods (less than a total of 350 calories) ought to be all right. 

Here are a few ideas for bedtime snacks that you won’t regret eating.

- Cereal and milk sweetened with honey. A small bowl of cereal can fill up the stomach and honey contains natural compounds that have a calming effect.

- Cottage cheese or yogurt. These are dairy products that are high in protein and calcium and not so sugary as ice cream and hot chocolate.

- Fruit. Almost all fruits are low-fat and high-fiber foods with minerals and enzymes that aid relaxation.

- A simple cup of soup or small sandwich or quesadilla (made with hummus, a thin slice of cheese and/or meat - without chips) fills up the stomach without a big load of extra calories.

So, whenever you want a late night meal or bedtime snack, think first. Ask yourself: Do I really need more food? And what should I be eating at this hour? Your answer (to yourself) should be based on whether you’ve already had your optimal caloric intake that day. It also should be based on the effect that certain foods could have on your body. So pay attention to what you eat before bedtime. That way you’ll get a good night’s sleep, and not have to worry so much about weight gain.

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WHY I’LL NEVER AGAIN BUY ANOTHER ELECTRIC COFFEE POT.

It so happens that most people have been convinced by industry and the media that the electric coffee pot is the one best way to achieve a decent tasting and healthy brew. In this post, I’m challenging that belief. Here are my reasons.

Since I’ve been an adult, I’ve gone through at least one electric coffee pot every four years. At my age, that makes for more than a dozen of these items, ranging in price from $10, a cheap filtered, drip-type when money was tight, to $40+ for electric percolators, when I had some extra coins in my pocket. The coffee that I made with these pots ranged from poor to mediocre to acceptable, depending on a range of factors. All of my electric pots broke or were short-circuited and had to be replaced in just a few years of daily use. What a senseless way to throw away money and to use up so many industrial materials and processes! Being eco-wise and earth-friendly demands more than that of us. That’s why I’ve decided that from now on, I’m going to make coffee the old-fashion way without using electric pots, plastic parts, or paper filters.

For some months, I've been making my coffee by heating water to boil in a regular saucepan and passing it through a metal strainer with a fabric strainer into a ceramic pot, one or two times – depending on the quantity of coffee needed and how tight my coffee money budget is. I reheat the coffee on the stove/ ( For just one cup I use the microwave oven.)

Now, I really like to drink coffee and drink tea as well, and almost don’t drink sodas or bottled water. But I decided a while back to limit my coffee drinking to three cups a day. More coffee than that and I’m going to have gastric symptoms or heart flutters. Also, I don’t go to fancy coffee beverage stores to buy or drink coffee more than once a month, and when I do, it's usually for social reasons – someone else is going and invites me to go along. I make coffee at home and I don’t often drink the commercially imported stuff. I hand-carry excellent Mexican coffee over the border whenever I can. That’s one of the advantages of visiting Mexico often.

Having said enough about my coffee making, I’ll do a quick review of health-related aspects of this brew. Then more about coffee preparation without using an electric coffee pot.

Coffee drinking – good or bad for you?

Is coffee drinking good for you? Well, there’s some controversy on the subject but, all-in-all, it seems that it may be healthy choice for most people. In a long-term Harvard University study that tracked the diet and lifestyle habits of thousands of adults, they found no relationship between coffee consumption and increased risk of death from any cause. Apparently, coffee drinking provides us with useful anti-oxidants, just as tea does, and in moderate use - 3 or less 6 oz. cups per day - hasn’t any serious negative effects on health for most people. And, at least, coffee is less toxic and healthier than sugary soda pop.

But coffee is more than caffeine and actually has hundreds of different compounds in it – and some might be good, neutral or bad for us. Obviously, people who have gastric problems, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol need to seriously limit their caffeine. Decaf coffee with some of the same anti-oxidant benefits is a good option for them. The fact that coffee has a slightly negative influence on calcium absorption could also be a concern. Coffee also contains a oily substance called cafestol that may increase cholesterol levels. Luckily, when you brew coffee with a paper filter, the cafestol doesn’t get through.

Old-fashioned boiled coffee

We prepare our daily java in a way that we hope captures rich aroma and gives us a boost while avoiding the heavy, bad taste of too much tannic acid. The simplest possible way to brew coffee is the old-fashioned boiled kind – no electric pot needed. All you do is put the ground beans into a pot with water, put heat underneath it, and let the water boil. The longer coffee is boiled the more "muddy" it becomes, because of the breaking down of the fibrous material of the bean. After you turn the heat off, you are left with a murky mixture of grounds and coffee that has to be strained. If you use a sauce pan, you can strain the grounds using a close-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth.

Boiled coffee is often associated with cowboys and campers out on the trail. The traditional pot is made of enameled metal and has a strainer built into the pour spout. There are two tricks to its use. First, watch the pot very carefully to take it off the fire as soon as the water starts to boil and, second, toss a few eggshells into the grounds. The eggshells help settle (congeal) the grounds, making them easier to strain and help reduce the acidity level.

And many cooks, not just cowboys and campers, praise the old-fashioned boiled coffee made with eggshell  for its richness, body, and aroma. Adding eggshell to the grounds of coffee is said to take away some of the bitter taste of over boiled coffee. Eggshell is alkaline. When the eggshell is boiled with the acid brew, it makes for a smoother taste.

Recipe for “traditional” boiled coffee

1 cup medium ground coffee
1/2 cup cold water
6 cups boiling water with two crushed, empty eggshells in a saucepan
1/2 cup cold water.

Mix the coffee with 1/2 cup cold water, add to boiling water with eggshells. Simmer with a lid for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the strength you desire. Strain with a fine-mesh strainer and/or filter the coffee into a clean serving pot. Leave the last settled, muddy half cup or so of liquid in the saucepan to be thrown out with the grounds. (Always save the grounds, crushed shells, and any unused coffee for your plants. It’s a great fertilizer.)

All this results in a rich, strong coffee, serves about 10 cups.

Note. One Mexican variation on boiled coffee (café con canela) is really good. Add pieces of two fresh cinnamon sticks, one tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa, and some sugar – to your taste - to the boiling mix. (No eggshells called for in this recipe.) Served piping hot, alone or with cream and sugar, this brew is delicious as a breakfast or after-dinner drink.

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BREAD PUDDING, AN APPALACHIAN AND SOUTHERN DESSERT THAT YOU'RE SURE TO ENJOY.

Like nearly everyone else, my husband and I sometimes crave a dessert. Of course, we feel that we should refuse to go along with that urge – at least most of the time. As we all know, excess sugar in the diet brings on problems like: weight gain, skin and hair problems, and even more serious conditions such as diabetes and lowered resistance to infections. But, from time-to-time, something a little sweet is next to irresistible. And since almost no one wants to totally abstain from desserts, what I recommend is a healthy change toward the not-so-sweet side of things. That's where bread pudding comes in.

Bread pudding is a tasty use for stale bread that has been in style for centuries. Along with bread pudding, cooks also used dry bread to make stuffing, thickeners and edible serving containers. Today, bread pudding may not be as common as it once was, but it’s never gone out of style in Appalachian and Southern states and also continues to be popular in Mexico, Great Britain, Belgium and France. For a lot of us, it's still one of our favorite comfort foods, helping us remember a time in the past when dessert was usually made from common kitchen ingredients and wastefulness was considered a terrible wrong.

In our home, we eat a lot of fruit, flavored yogurt, nuts, and granola, and that usually satisfies our dessert cravings. But when a dessert is definitely called for, usually for a holiday celebration or a special dinner with family or friends, I like to make something that's a fitting following to a good meal. Often that "something" is bread pudding. So, if you're also looking for  a dessert that's not too sweet, bread pudding is great dish that sure to please. Besides that, it gives you a use for stale bread, a situation that often occurs near the end of the week. (I usually just chop it up into coarse crumbs and freeze it. Later I make bread pudding or add it to my "almost- meatless meat-loaf". See related post below.)

The sweet alternative for leftover bread is to make old-fashioned bread pudding - not too sugary and plump with raisins with a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg, served up cold or warm out of the oven. And it can be made from any type of bread (whole wheat, white, multigrain, etc.) Homemade bread usually goes fast, but if you have any leftover, it makes really great tasting bread pudding. And, your dessert will look particularly festive if you serve it up in glass custard cups with a bit of syrup or whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon on top.

Whatever reason you have for making and serving bread pudding, you can be sure it's a truly satisfying and eco-friendly treat.

Old-fashion bread pudding recipe

Here's a version of old fashioned bread pudding that’s as close as I can get to what my mother used to make.

Ingredients

2 cups of heated milk
4 cups of dry bread, torn in pieces

1/4 cup melted butter

1/2-cup brown sugar or honey
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/3 cup seeded raisins or chopped dates
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

Instructions

- Put bread and raisins in large bowl. Heat milk and 1/4 cup melted butter in a saucepan. Pour warm mixture over bread; let stand 10 minutes.

- Stir in all remaining pudding ingredients. Pour into a greased casserole pan.

- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Notes

Added to the basic recipe, you can include any of the following: fresh fruit cut up, minced nuts, a sweet liquor added in place of all or part of the milk, or a topping of honey, maple syrup, or confectioners sugar. If you’re going to put something sugary on top of your bread pudding, cut back some on the brown sugar in pudding.

If your bread pudding tends to dry out in the oven,  place a bowl of water on another shelf while the pudding bakes. This keeps delicate foods, like this bread pudding, from burning, drying out, or curdling. Check the water level during the baking time and add more hot water as necessary.

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BIG BREAKFAST DIET – IS IT FOR REAL?

Everyone is looking for the perfect diet
Maybe half the adults in the U.S. have tried some kind of diet in an effort to shed some of their excess pounds. Unhappily, most of these diets depend on calorie restriction, and that means cutting back on total volume or eating only low-cal foods. And, basically, the large majority of us aren’t happy when we have to eat less than what we’re accustomed to. So, we try one diet and another, and too often lose only about 5 pounds which comes back quickly when we ditch our low-cal diet and start eating our customary meals. Consequently, we spend our time awaiting the new, ultimate diet that will let us lose some weight and keep it off – hopefully – forever. This page is about another fashionable diet, the so-called “Big Breakfast Diet”, and it’s one that needs to be considered.

Recently, a number of popular fitness magazines and blogs have encouraged people to lose weight by following the Big Beakfast Diet. The novel solution of this diet is a relatively high intake of calories for breakfast to be followed by 2 or 3 very small meals throughout the day. Now, nutrition science has pretty well convinced most of us that the only way to lose weight is to ingest fewer calories than those that are burned, and the big breakfast diet goes along with this kind of calorie reduction. On the other hand, it’s different from other diets in that it calls for 50% or more of daily calories to be consumed at breakfast. The idea is that the added calories, including a high load of protein, consumed at the breakfast will curb the appetite and, so it will be possible to have a drastic calorie reduction at other meals (virtual snacks) later in the day.

Does the "Big Breakfast" make sense?
Proponents of the Big Breakfast diet claim that eating a big breakfast will lead to weight loss because the big breakfast sets the metabolism higher and more calories are burned during the day, whereas added calories later in the day often never get burned and are a cause of extra body fat. But is that necessarily so?

Most nutrition science and fitness sources speak of benefits of eating breakfast because the body needs fuel in the morning. But how much fuel is enough and importantly, what is the nutritional quality of what’s eaten at that meal? The Big Breakfast Diet places an emphasis on plenty of breakfast foods - protein, carbohydrates and fat. This could be a problem when dieters are boosting their breakfast calories with fatty and sugary foods such as bread, eggs, sausages, butter and jelly. If that’s the way that calories are being added early in the day, no amount of “metabolism boosting” is likely to burn all that fuel during the day.

Then there’s a social side to this question. We know that there are people who really like to eat a big breakfast, and that others prefer a small breakfast. Some skip breakfast all together. So, the “Big Breakfast” diet may not be good or even tolerable to a lot of people. Beyond that, many people eat with others at lunch and/or dinner hours and may find it hard to restrict their calories at these times. For this group, a plan to eat big in the early morning may, in fact, be unwise. They’ll end up “eating big” at two meals and will be frustrated with their failure. Obviously, a “Big Breakfast Diet” won’t be of much help for those people.

So, what’s to be done? Probably the healthiest choice for most of us is eating a nutritious breakfast but not a a very big one. When following a calorie-restricted diet, you need to carefully select foods to ensure nutritional adequacy at every meal. Any diet based on poor food choices that's extended over time will finally be a threat to good health.

Whatever diet is chosen, weight loss will depend on a lower intake of total calories and a slightly higher intake of protein, rather than the timing of the meals. Three smaller meals, totaling 400 to 500 calories each, and light snacks to keep down hunger is a safer bet for the most of us. But, if for personal habit or for social reasons, one meal tends to add on more calories, it’s best to strongly restrict calories at the other two meals and end up with a better outcome for the whole day. Despite comforting promises made to ourselves, our plan to eat less the next day usually doesn’t work out. Too often, we face other situations that make it difficult to reduce our calory intake on the following day.

Another option: the "Not-So-Big Breakfast"
A smaller rather than bigger breakfast is probably best for the majority of us, and we need to make sound food choices at that meal, including lots of protein and fiber to help us feel full longer.(And we can do it with eating meat-based protein.) A good-sized bowl of old-fashioned oats or granola can be a great help to losing unwanted pounds because it’s nourishing and keeps you full. But, as we know, a lot of popular, packaged oat cereals, including granolas, are high in cost and not so nutritious. You can make your own lower calory granola at home without the big price tag and unnecessary oil and sugar. The following recipe is for a nutritious, homemade granola bread that has diet-sticking power and not so many calories. Unlike the trendly muffin, this hearty granola bread is high on protein and low on oils and sugars, and it still has the advantage of easy transport for eating on the run.

Recipe for a nutritious granola bread (made in the bread maker)
1 cup water, at room temperature
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 cup oats
1 cup bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. active dry yeast
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup peanuts or sunflower seeds

Add all ingredients, except raisins and nuts, to the bread maker pan, in the exact order listed and use the basic or whole wheat bread setting. Raisins and peanuts are added to the pan when the machine gives the “ping” for added ingredients.

Note: My own usual “Not-So-Big-Breakfast” consists of a small banana, a bowl of oatmeal or granola bread and just a bit of butter or honey, along with 1 soft- or hard-boiled egg. I'm not sure I should admit it, but sometimes I don't eat any breakfast.

FALL-INSPIRED RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN-OATMEAL BARS

In these posts, Grandma is committed to finding and reporting ways to cook and bake with a lot of wholesome ingredients and, as of today, with less sugar. So, here’s a fall-inspired recipe that's an example of how to make healthier bake goods. It’s lower in sugar and in fats than traditional recipes and is a great use for all that good pumpkin pulp that comes out when you carve a jack-o-lantern. This recipe makes some tasty bars that give you that seasonal pumpkin taste you’re looking for but are made with less processed sugar. You'll find that this treat is more nutritious and less rich than traditional pumpkin pie.

PUMPKIN OATMEAL BARS

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use a lightly greased or parchment paper-lined, deep baking dish, measuring 13 x 9 inches.

In a bowl, mix together:
4 cups oatmeal
2 cups of unsweetened, stewed pumpkin (baked and mashed sweet potato is a good substitute if you don’t happen to have pumpkin.)
2 TBS pumpkin pie spice
A pinch of table salt
3 TBS softened real butter or coconut butter.
1 cup stewed apples or natural applesauce (no HFCS, please)
1 cup regular table sugar or honey
½ cup unsalted, finely chopped nuts (I like walnuts, but you can use whatever you have on hand, including sunflower seeds.)
If necessary, add enough buttermilk, natural yogurt, or soymilk to form a slightly soft mixture.

Press the mixture into the baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until set. Let it cool a bit and then cut it into bars. Makes about 12 generous bars.

TRY OUT THE THREE-FOODS DIET.

Here’s some advice on how to improve your eating and lose a few pounds without going on a strict diet. It may be a big change for you, but if you’re looking for a better way of eating, you should try the “only three-foods diet”. I recommend this diet and have been following it for some time. It has helped me improve my general health and kept my weight in check. The three-foods diet has existed for many decades, perhaps for centuries, and books have been written about it. I’ll outline the basis for the diet and tell you what I know about it.

The three-foods diet is easy to follow. The main rules are that every time you eat, it must be a real meal and, in every meal, you must eat three foods. One of the foods must be a protein. (Of course, you shouldn't be eating meat, fish, or eggs at all meals - once a day is plenty, and, according to most nutritionists more than you really need.) The second food should be from the fruit or vegetable category. The third should be a grain or multi-grains. This plan allows you to eat almost all your favorite foods, so that’s a good starting point. The things that you definitely need to eliminate are sweets, alcoholic beverages, and salty foods. You may consume a little sugar, added to cereals and drinks.  Honey and maple sugar are better for you than regular table sugar.

Of course, having said that it’s simple diet, there are a few other things to remember. You must try to eat a regular portion of each of the three kinds of food in your meal -- not more, not less. In order not to overeat at any time, the meals need to be spaced out appropriately during the day – a morning, a mid day, and an early evening meal. If there is still hunger at night, and there was no overeating in the first three meals, there can be a light fourth meal. But, all meals must follow the three-food rule.

Nutritional experts emphasize that our bodies can’t digest food well when the stomach is overwhelmed with too much food or with too many different foods. The three-food rule works for you because you have no real incentive to overeat, and the food you eat is balanced. The fact that you eat sufficient protein and get a lot of fiber means that you feel full for longer. By following this diet, many people are totally cured of chronic indigestion.

Depending on your metabolism, you will probably be well satisfied with three or four meals a day. You may feel a little deprived in the first couple of weeks, but it’s mostly a psychological question. Remember to always chew the food slowly and completely. That lets the digestion start in the mouth, where it should, and gives the stomach enough time to let the brain know that it’s full.

Always use a luncheon plate instead of a big dinner plate. The smaller plate helps you serve yourself the right amount of food, and feel more satisfied when you have eaten everything on the plate. Soon, you’ll develop the habit of smaller meals and stop craving more food. You’ll feel healthier and more relaxed, knowing that you are getting a balanced diet.

All meals should be eaten at a table to avoid mindless eating. And, don't bring work or a book to the table. That also means you won’t be doing any snacking in front of the TV or eating popcorn at the movies. A lot of the calories we consume occur from mindless eating, done out of boredom. Snacking really isn’t necessary at all, if you’re having as many as 4 meals a day.

If you find you’re still getting hungry in the first week of this diet, try eliminating coffee and strong tea, as these drinks stimulate more appetite. I’ve found that on this diet, I had to eliminate coffee and have started drinking rather weak, hot tea as a replacement.

Here is a sample menu of the three-food diet for one day. It happens to be what I ate yesterday. According to an Internet calorie counter, it adds up to 1,650 calories -- so, this isn't a starvation diet. (I should also mention that during the day, I also drank about six large glasses of water, a large glass of lemonade, and several cups of unsweetened tea.)

Breakfast
Fruit - small banana and a cup of papaya
Protein – sweetened yogurt (3/4 cup)
Grain – 1 generous slice of homemade wheat bread and margarine.

Lunch
Vegetable – big bowl of homemade vegetable soup
Grain – rice (1/2 cup), added to the soup.
Protein – 1 hardboiled egg

Supper
Protein – refried beans, 2 tablespoons
Grain – 2 corn tortillas with the refried beans inside, fried with a little oil and and topped with lettuce, cilantro and onions
Fruit – 1 small apple

Later meal
Protein – one cup of milk, heated, with some honey and cinnamon
Grain – 1/2 cup white rice, served with the milk
Fruit – 2 tablespoons raisins, added to the milk and rice.

As you can see, yesterday, I ate vegetarian meals -- which is usual for me. But occasionally, I eat some meat or fish. When I do, I never eat more than one serving in a day. In general, I try to avoid all red meat, and do not eat beef in any form.

O.K., having said all this, I must add a note. I come off this diet, despite my good intentions – when I’m on vacation and during the holidays. I also backslide one day or another during the month, when I go out to a restaurant or eat in somebody else’s home or have company over. Sometimes, I also “just forget” about the three-food rule for short periods. But, I always return to this diet and feel much better for it.