Think back \u2014 did you get up to eat in the middle of the night? A Maryland doctor offers tips to balance hunger hormones and curb cravings.<\/p>\n
Think back \u2014 did you get up to eat in the middle of the night?<\/p>\n
\u201cOccasional episodes are common, but frequent wake ups really fit a pattern that means you really want to work on better meal balance, stress reduction and sleep regularity,\u201d said Dr. Kwame Akoto, an adult medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente, in Baltimore County, Maryland.<\/p>\n
He said evening meals that are high in refined carbohydrates can cause a rapid spike and crash in blood sugar, \u201cwhich will then leave you waking up hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t have the necessary balance that you would see with foods that are high in protein and high in fiber, which allows time to process the carbohydrates better, and you don\u2019t get the crashes, which then leads to the cravings,\u201d Akoto said.<\/p>\n
So, what should you do if you wake up with hunger pangs?<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore you go downstairs and raid your fridge, you really want to look to see what your body actually is asking for,\u201d Akoto said.<\/p>\n
If you have been waking up routinely at night, Akoto said that might be a cue from your brain \u2014 hunger by habit.<\/p>\n
\u201cGetting a glass of water, and just waiting a little bit to see if that hunger pang goes away or not is really important,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you truly are hungry, trying to get a small protein or low-fat snack might be helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Options include Greek yogurt, whole grain crackers with cheese, or a handful of nuts.<\/p>\n
Symptoms such as feeling shaky, sweaty or dizzy might be a problem with low blood sugar.<\/p>\n