3 Stop Signs>>>>>

Stop Eating 3 Hours Before Bedtime

You've probably seen the suggestion of not eating anything after 7 p.m. Well this generally assumes you go to bed around 9 or 10 at night.

If you are a night owl, you may retire a little later so it may seem unrealistic to not eat anything after 7 if you don't go to bed until 12 a.m.

Generally, the rule of the thumb is to not eat anything within 3 hours of your bedtime. So if you do usually go to sleep at 1 a.m. this would mean no food intake after 10 p.m.

The reason you don't want to eat late at night is because your food may not properly digest. This can cause morning gas and stomach cramps.

Some people who complain about bloating never realize that it's from the gas and food particles left over from improper digestion. This can be avoided if you cut down the late night snacking.

Eating late at night also forces your body to use its energy on digestion,. One of the primary functions of sleep is to help you recuperate from the day. You want your body to be as relaxed as possible so you can wake up energized.

Now we all know we have to cheat at some points. It's just not realistic to believe you can refrain from eating late at night every single night. So if you must cheat, then eat something healthy like a piece of fruit or a very small handful of nuts.

Stop Emotional Eating

This is probably easier said than done for most people. If you are stressed, depressed or lacking emotional support from friends, family or loved ones you may resort to emotional eating.

This is a terrible eating habit because it causes you to eat between meals and when you're not hungry. Sometimes you may think you are a hungry but in reality you may just be lonely and are using food to comfort you and fill a void.

Stress and depression also causes an increase production of the hormone cortisol and can also add more tummy fat.

If this is a problem for you, it's important to seek help from either a professional, church members, friends or family.

One thing is for sure...stress and flat stomachs are like oil and water. They just don't mix.

Cut Down on Sodium

Sodium can cause lots of bloating and can make your tummy actually look flabbier than it really is.

Be careful...a lot of people associate sodium with foods that taste salty. This can get tricky because sodium is in all kinds of foods. Manufacturers use tons of it for preservation.

Almost all canned foods, TV dinners and those soup-to-go lunches are the worst! Have you ever read those labels? Some of them contain over half of your daily intake!

Be well and life wont just be a dream.