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Late Night Snacking

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
hi all. i have SIBO and IBS, as most of us do. i was told by a GI specialist that i should not eat after 8 pm because the food will just sit there and not digest.

however, since I have had this illness, i have been incredibly hungry. if i do not eat a small meal before bed, i am up at 4 dying of hunger. at the same time, eating before bed does make me feel queasy later on and i am sure it contributes to the SIBO.

does anyone have any suggestions for a healthier late night snack? if i eat just fruit, or something without substance, i will wake up hungry a few hours later. seems like a catch 22.

also, I cannot have gluten or milk......

thanks!
xoxo
 

Little Bluestem

All Good Things Must Come to an End
Messages
4,930
also, I cannot have gluten or milk......
That knocks out most of my bedtime snacks. ;)

I have read that a high glycemic carb and a little protein make a good bedtime snack.

Do oats contain gluten? If not, you could make oatmeal with almond milk.
Peanut/almond/whatever butter on gluten-free crackers.
Rice or soy protein powder blended into fruit.
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
hi all..great suggestions! the tests showed I cannot have almonds, which totally sucks because I am sure almond milk would be the only milk substitute I could stand. I would make smoothies or something. I am also not allowed bananas.

I could make a granola bar using dates, gluten free oats, peanut butter, etc. that might be an option(I have no idea if I am allowed dates or not but I eat a lot of them). I just wonder if the food will sit there and ferment and make the SIBO worse...but I don't have a choice. if I don't eat, I won't sleep

maybe I could try fruit smoothies made with rice milk. rice cakes with toppings are my breakfast these days. I also eat bread made with rice flour all the time. I wonder if I am overdosing on rice lol. (rice has arsenic or something:( ..cant win)

I have been taking digestive enzymes with food for a long time now...I don't feel like they do much.

I guess the ideal situation would be to eat at 8 pm, sleep at 10 and wake up early. but this CFS has a mind of its own.

thanks again!!
xoxoxo
 
Messages
15,786
hi all..great suggestions! the tests showed I cannot have almonds, which totally sucks because I am sure almond milk would be the only milk substitute I could stand. I would make smoothies or something. I am also not allowed bananas.
I've also seen a hazelnut milk, which might not be bad. I've been doing hemp protein shakes, which tastes okay, so maybe hemp milk is also an option. Oat milk tastes good to, though might (or might not) cause problems if you have gluten issues.
 

xchocoholic

Senior Member
Messages
2,947
Location
Florida
I have this problem too so I'm eating foods that contain natural digestive enzymes late at night. Mangoes, papaya or pineapple.
These don't feel like they're bad for my hypoglycemia at night either.

Fwiw, the best digestive enzymes I've found are by Enzymedica. The others didn't work for me. I have to take several with meals tho. Or maybe you're not taking enough of the one you have ?

I still feel best if I also eat foods that contain digestive enzymes.

Tc .. x
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
my doctor recommended Enzyme-Complet so that is what i take.

valentijn...i totally forgot about hazelnut milk and oat milk! thank you! i am going to try those pronto.

i bought help milk last week and was excited to try it in tea. i was told the taste was mild and actually, i could tolerate it if i put honey in to try to mask the grassy taste...but after a few attempts, i started kind of dreading it anyway.

i have not been able to give up tea with milk, despite the tests showing i shouldn't eat whey protein. i have tried and tried but the cravings are so strong. the only way it works is if i do not have it in the house, but since i live with my mom, that's impossible. i have only 1 cup a day usually, but even this has an affect on my gut i think.

xoxoxo
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
... i have only 1 cup a day usually, but even this has an affect on my gut i think.
xoxoxo

A cup of milk a day can give a LOT of effects. That would me me very sick! :wide-eyed:

I'd say it is worth training your taste buds to "like" some alternate milk. It does work...with time.

Sushi
 

WillowJ

คภภเє ɠรค๓թєl
Messages
4,940
Location
WA, USA
I use a rice protein mix in my shakes. I had to look around before I found one that was safe for me.
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
hi sushi. maybe not exactly a cup...less than a cup of milk...maybe 2/3 cup. also, i make sure its lactose free but its just the whey thats the problem.

i will try hazelnut milk if i can find hazelnuts
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
hi sushi. maybe not exactly a cup...less than a cup of milk...maybe 2/3 cup. also, i make sure its lactose free but its just the whey thats the problem.

i will try hazelnut milk if i can find hazelnuts

You can buy hazelnut milk at most health food stores. Thing is any amount of something that you sensitive to can set off a reaction.

Sushi
 

Aileen

Senior Member
Messages
615
Location
Canada
@Daffodil rarely, but there are the odd occasions where I can't seem to stop eating even when I am full. Then again, I am malnourished and usually don't get enough to eat, so I suppose it isn't surprising that it happens once and awhile.
 

Daffodil

Senior Member
Messages
5,875
hmm. well since i got CFS, i havent been able to stop binge eating. i read it might have something to do with hormone issues, which are affected by leaky gut. its really been alarming, how much i can eat.

when i was on IV antibiotics, i noticed my appetite was normalizing again. i have been off all antibiotics now for over a month, and i can feel this perpetual hunger returning. i had previously gained a lot of weight due to all this eating and inability to exercise.

there were times i would overeat to the point of having trouble walking and breathing. i would stand in the bathroom and try to make myself vomit but i could never accomplish it. thank God that hasn't happened in a while.
 

Aileen

Senior Member
Messages
615
Location
Canada
I always thought that when you craved food even when you weren't actually hungry, it meant you were lacking some nutrient. You were full, but your body was crying out for more food to get nutrient x.

Maybe it is the gut microbes who are putting in the food order instead! Try searching the scientific literature for "intestinal bacteria and hunger"