Published: Sun 4 Sep 2016, 6:29 PM
Last updated: Sun 4 Sep 2016, 8:50 PM
We have heard "having an early dinner" could do wonders to your health, and late-night feasts are best avoided. Now, there's corroborated evidence on the matter.
Recently, a group of cardiologists at Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey have come to the conclusion - based on a study of meal timings of more than 700 adults - that having dinner after 7pm in the evening significantly increases your blood pressure, a condition that renders you vulnerable to the risk of a heart attack.
Dinner @7pm: ?What to do?
> Carry some fruits/nuts and a light sandwich (for dinner) with you on days you may be working late
> Set an example to your kids by having dinner with them on weekends by 7pm
> If you are entertaining at home, insist on an early dinner; the partying can carry on till later
> If you haven't had time to work out in the morning, have dinner first (so you don't miss the deadline); you can exercise an hour after dinner?
> If you have late-night cravings, have a protein drink or dried figs or a smoothie
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According to media reports, a late dinner results in "non-dipper hypertension": the pressure doesn't drop, and, thereby, puts your body on "high alert".
The median time of 7pm calculated as per the finding that a two-hour gap is required by your body "unwind" between dinner time and going to bed.
But just how feasible is sticking to the 7pm dinner deadline in a place like Dubai where residents tend to work late or get stuck in traffic jams and are unable to make it home early?
Dubai-based clinical dietician and the woman behind SimplyHealthy, Mitun De Sarkar, who whole-heartedly endorses the latest findings, said: "One of the most-asked questions I face from my clients is, 'How do I have an early dinner when I'm working late most evenings - and not even home by 7.30-8?' I tell them, you don't need to be home to have dinner. Have your dinner at work, or even on the go."
The "right dinner", according to Mitun, should pack in a lot of veggies and proteins, and should be had by 6.30-7pm.
"Then, if you want to have something with the family [who should ideally be following the same 'early dinner' routine] once you get home, you can always have a light soup or a salad or some lavender tea sitting around the dinner table," Mitun added.
Banin Shahine, nutrition fitness manager of Fitness First, Middle East, said that "with the current lifestyle, it may not always be possible to have one's meals by 7pm and have a two-hour gap between dinner-time and sleeping. If that's the case, one can take small measures to help the body - such as having a light meal for dinner like a cup of yoghurt or a small salad."
Also, "avoid foods that take a long time for the body to break down such as red meat," Banin added.
Not so difficult, right? And you can always have an extended family dinner - albeit an early one - on weekends.
sushmita@khaleejtimes.com
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