This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

I’m so thankful to have had this opportunity to explore my relationship with food and my body. It’s definitely not over, but I feel like I’m in a much better place than when I started. 

I have clarity which not only gives me a sense of relief but also a sense of control over what I put into my body and why.

Here are some of the science that has replaced some of my distorted thinking about eating, food, and how to use my natural instincts to guide my food choices:

“Research shows that the average person’s metabolic rate is no different during sleep than during the day. In short, your metabolism doesn’t slow down at night. Nor does your body store fat at the end of the day. Whether it’s 8 am or 8 pm, you use food for energy the same way.”

“A research paper published in Sports Medicine in 2014 showed that people who eat the majority of their carbs at dinner actually sleep better. Carb-induced, quality sleep decreases cortisol (a fat-storing hormone) and ramps up the production of your sleep hormones, serotonin, and melatonin. Restorative sleep increases fat-burning hormones—the main one being growth hormone—overnight.”

“Specific higher-carbohydrate foods (including berries and cherries) support your fat-burning metabolism while you sleep, providing your body with a steady stream of fuel throughout the night. The trick is knowing how to combine them with other evening and pre-bedtime fat-burning foods to fuel your metabolism as you sleep.”

This science also inspired me to rethink the notion that I have to “earn” my food. No, I don’t have to earn food. I don’t have to workout to “earn” food. I don’t have to be “good” or “not cheat” to  “earn food.” Food is not a reward. It’s a necessity and any program that tries to teach me this is a food philosophy that I can’t get behind.

If you want to purchase your own copy of Always Eat After 7 and figure out your relationship with food, you can do so here.