Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared some tips on what to eat as we age.  As it turns out, when we eat is just as important as what we eat. Who knew, right?

Sleep and rest are actually the unsung heroes of health—especially if you want to maintain weight and alleviate those aches that seem to appear out of nowhere.

I used to think skipping sleep was a sign of toughness (hello, 4-hour nights!), but science says otherwise. Sleep is where the magic happens—repair, restoration, and the flushing out of inflammation we’ve been collecting like souvenirs. Eating right before bed means your body’s busy digesting when it should be “cleaning up.”

The latest research suggests that there is significant benefit from giving our bodies a break from food, and particularly foods that disrupt our sleep.  To get started, you can cut caffeine by afternoon, eat dinner earlier, cut out your late night snack and skip spicy foods that may keep you up.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to go as extreme as intermittent fasting to see results. Let’s be honest, fasting sounds a bit dramatic. More on that in my next blog post.

If this sounds like a shift you’re ready to make (or at least curious about), reach out!

Carolyn Kontos, MS, ACC, offers Wellness & Nutrition Coaching at the JCC through her Eat Well Programs. For more information, contact Carolyn at [email protected]

Read more Whole Health Insights:

Fat – Setting the Record Straight

Protein – The Unsung Hero of Aging Well

Eat the Rainbow!

Here’s a Nutrition Tip That Can Have Immediate Impact!

How Wellness and Nutrition Coaching Can Help 

Whole Health Insights: What are These Feelings?