Last Sunday, the whole of France changed the time – and your stomach didn’t escape it. Since then, it has worked to remind you that it exists, pushing you to snack all day long. How can we explain this gargantuan appetite (and above all, how can we remedy it)? Claire Trommenschlager, dietician-nutritionist, enlightens us.
Why does the time change influence our appetite
The transition to summer time is often accompanied by a slight disruption of sleep. However, these restless nights are not without consequences on the body. As Claire Trommenschlager explains, “lack of sleep disrupts hunger signals, particularly hormonal signals. It influences the regulation of leptin, the satiety hormone, and ghrelin, the hunger hormone.”
In other words, when we sleep less or less well, the balance between these two hormones changes, which can intensify the feeling of hunger. This fatigue then pushes the body to look for a quick source of energy to compensate.
“However, the most quickly assimilated energy is often sugar, which can encourage cravings for sweet products. Added to this is their comforting dimension, which explains why we turn more easily to this type of food,” underlines the expert.
To compensate for these sweet cravings, getting back into a rhythm as quickly as possible is recommended. Going to bed and getting up at fixed times would help the body to “resynchronize”. “Limit screens before sleeping and avoid
caffeine from mid-afternoon” are also two habits to favor, admits the dietitian.
Other reflexes make the difference
No high intensity activity
Another tip that works quite well: do not start a big activity at the start of the evening (extreme sport, etc.).
“”Intense” activities in the evening can disrupt sleep, as can very heavy or very fatty meals or even alcohol. We therefore favor “light” meals. This does not mean eliminating food groups, but rather choosing those that do us good such as white meats, white fish, eggs or legumes in the evening, combined with a rather raw or minimally processed source of starchy foods, as well as vegetables.” advises Claire Trommenschlager.
Be sufficiently full
All of these actions promote good sleep, and the same principles can be applied to everyday meals. The idea is to have eaten enough, without excess. “We make sure we are sufficiently satisfied with a good portion of protein, whether animal or vegetable, and a good portion of vegetables on the plate, without eliminating starchy foods,”
explains the nutritionist.
Stock up on good fats
Contrary to popular belief, (good) lipids also have their place (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.). And if a craving for something sweet arises at the end of the day, don’t hide it, but simply favor balanced combinations.
“Any sweet snack can be combined with fiber and protein. For example, if you want chocolate or a biscuit, you can combine it with a cottage cheese for the protein intake and a fruit for the fiber. You can also opt for a small handful of almonds, which will provide a little protein, a lot of lipids, a little fiber, but also chewiness, and therefore satiety. assures the expert.
Faced with the time change – and its consequences – the idea is to restore as much balance as possible to your diet, to keep small sweet pleasures, while taking the time to savor them. “And to recover as soon as possible in order to avoid the impact of fatigue on the appetite!”, concludes Claire Trommenschlager.