“Patients ask, ‘Why am I not losing weight if I’m barely eating?’ and then they admit they go to bed hungry,” says Dr. Emily Clark on the Wellness Today podcast.
It turns out that overnight fasting slows down metabolism by 30%, but there is a way out - cottage cheese.
Not just plain, but casein. A study by the University of Florida (2024) showed that 30 g of cottage cheese an hour before bed accelerates fat burning by 20% due to the slow absorption of protein.
But there is a nuance here. “Combining cottage cheese with fruit is a fatal mistake,” warns nutritionist Jacob Wright.
Fructose spikes insulin, stopping ketosis. Instead, add a pinch of cinnamon: Its aldehyde group increases thermogenesis, as confirmed by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .
Reddit user FitGuru89 wrote:
“I ate cottage cheese with cinnamon for two weeks and lost 4 kg, although my weight hadn’t changed before.”
What about low-fat cottage cheese? Dr. Sarah Lee of the Mayo Clinic is categorical:
"Fat is necessary for the absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Low-fat products are a waste of time."
The best choice is 5% fat cottage cheese with added flaxseed oil. Recipe from nutritionist Anna Levina : mix cottage cheese, a teaspoon of oil, turmeric and black pepper.
This combination reduces inflammation, as proven by a study in the European Journal of Nutrition .
But what about those who don't like cottage cheese? An alternative is Greek yogurt without sugar.
"The casein in yogurt is digested more slowly than whey protein," explains Professor Mark Greenberg.
However, avoid flavored versions: they often contain maltodextrin, which can cause glucose spikes.
Blogger Katya Sidorova admitted:
“I replaced my evening snack with natural yogurt with almonds - in a month I lost 3 cm from my waist.”
Author: Valeria Kisternaya