Mediterranean diet
The health benefits have been extensively researched and a Mediterranean diet has been shown to help in all areas of health.
Essentially, it involves a high intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains, a moderate intake of fish, a low or moderate intake of dairy products, and a low intake of meat and poultry.
It also means a high ratio of monounsaturated fats to flat saturated fats; They can be found in olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.
Vital carbohydrates
Tryptophan has a lot of competition to cross the blood-brain barrier, but including carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta, potatoes, and rice, in your diet can increase its absorption. These foods raise the hormone insulin, which aids in tryptophan absorption in several ways.
A combination of foods rich in tryptophan along with carbohydrates can provide the perfect dinner. Example dinners include sauteed turkey with white rice, salmon with white pasta and pesto, and vegetarian chili with rice or quinoa.
Ironically, white carbs are better than whole grains in supporting tryptophan transfer because they break down more quickly and insulin release is faster.
Calcium
This is a mineral necessary to convert tryptophan into melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel drowsy, and research published in the journal European Neurology has found that sleep disturbances, especially during REM, may be related to low levels of calcium. Be sure to include a good supply of calcium in your diet, with milk, yogurt, cheese, tofu, dark green leafy vegetables, beans and legumes, pumpkin, and canned fish.
Magnesium
Magnesium activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation by binding to gamma-aminobutyric receptors (GABA) responsible for calming nerve activity. By doing so, you can help prepare your body for sleep. Magnesium also regulates melatonin, which guides the sleep-wake cycles in the body. Magnesium is found in dark green leafy vegetables, seeds, beans, lentils and legumes, blue fish, whole grains, nuts, and avocados.
vitamin B6
This vitamin is involved in the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls the sleep-wake cycle. Most of us get enough vitamin B6, as it is available in many foods, but it is also easily depleted as a result of stress or excessive alcohol consumption. As you plan your sleep diet, be sure to include plenty of foods rich in vitamin B6 to keep levels high, such as legumes and lentils, liver, oily fish, poultry, bananas, soy foods, beef, lamb, and pork.
When to eat before bedtime?
It all depends on the lifestyle; how much you eat at meal times and what body weight you are trying to achieve. Eating satisfying foods rich in protein and fiber in the evening may be beneficial, because evening is when most people look for snacks in the kitchen. However, some may choose to eat lighter at night, preferring not to feel too full when they go to bed.
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