From time to time, eating a late meal is OK, but you don’t want to make it a habit.

Your digestion and metabolism are most effective during the day when the sun is shining. Nibbling at night can interfere with these natural processes. Studies have shown that people forced to eat at odd times, such as night-shift workers, have higher rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and more.

Plus, eating at night takes a toll on the digestive tract and can worsen a variety of GI symptoms overnight and into the next morning. Your stomach takes about 3 hours to empty a normal size meal. If you go to bed on a full stomach, then you’re more likely to suffer from nocturnal heartburn and indigestion. Also, lots of folks with Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis complain of frequent, loose stools in the morning. Eating a smaller dinner earlier in the evening can help.

Bottom line: It’s best to avoid late night eating. Try to follow the old saying: “Eat breakfast like a king/queen, lunch like a prince/princess and dinner like a pauper.”