When I was growing up, I remember that we would have to wait until we came home to get a snack. Food wasn’t so readily available. Nowadays, the kitchen is always open. Some schools even have snack breaks and it’s assumed that snacks are always available for children’s programs. It’s easy to eat at irregular times and not schedule time for meals.
When I had digestive issues with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), my health coach recommended I stop eating from 8 pm to 7 am. I immediately felt better and have continued with this practice to this day. Here are some benefits that will heal your digestive system:
- This gives you a chance to rest your digestive system. Once you lie down, your digestive system has a harder time doing its job.
- You will lose weight. You’ll prevent overeating because you are limiting the time you are eating. You choose the time frame that works for you.
- Your body does better with a routine and knowing when to expect food. Your hunger signals will cue you to eat if you keep to a schedule. If you eat on a regular schedule, you will notice that your body will feel hungry at regular times. This helps you with intuitive eating and building a healthier relationship with food.
In the past, I thought nothing of eating at 9 pm if I was busy, almost as an afterthought. I didn’t make nourishing myself a priority during a busy season of my life. I chose extremely difficult foods to digest on top of this, so it’s no wonder that I experienced digestive distress looking back.
Instead of thinking of this as restrictive, consider this as a way to heal your body. Eating 24 hours a day isn’t the way that your body functions best. Your digestive system needs to heal and rest, just like the rest of you.
