Squash Star Anahat Singh's Nightly Chocolate Habit Explained by Nutritionist

11:01 AM ETDeveloping

Health Desk

In Short: Anahat Singh, a squash star and recent Asian Games representative, discusses her chocolate consumption with her nutritionist, who advises on portion control and the impact on sleep and overall health.

Squash star Anahat Singh recently spoke about her nightly chocolate habit on her nutritionist's podcast, The Figuring It Out Co., after her mother initially restricted her access to the treat.

According to her nutritionist, Raj Shamani, dark chocolate can offer benefits like flavanols and minerals such as magnesium, but the type and quantity of chocolate significantly affect these benefits.

Raj explains that chocolate's nutritional profile varies greatly, with small portions of dark chocolate being quite different from highly sweetened milk or filled chocolates. She advises reducing the portion to five or four pieces.

For an athlete like Anahat Singh, a few pieces of chocolate can provide carbohydrates and calories that contribute to her overall energy intake, but individual responses to chocolate can vary, with some experiencing difficulty falling asleep or digestive issues.

Raj also notes that the caffeine and other stimulants in chocolate can interfere with sleep in sensitive individuals, making it important to consider timing and portion size, especially before bedtime.

What's confirmed

What's still developing

And then I called my nutritionist right away and said, ‘Please talk to my mom; she’s not letting me have chocolates,’ she shared candidly.
The squash player, who recently represented the country at the Asian Games and became the first Indian to win the Junior World Championships, spoke at length about her guilty pleasure on Raj Shamani’s podcast, The Figuring It Out Co.
Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
She also highlights that individual response also matters because some people can eat chocolate at night without problems while others may experience difficulty falling asleep, heartburn or digestive discomfort.
However, Raj points out that the main concern with eating chocolate immediately before sleep every night is that the “caffeine and other stimulants naturally present in cocoa can interfere with sleep in sensitive people”.
“If someone enjoys chocolate before bed and it does not affect their sleep, weight, digestion or overall diet, a small portion can generally fit into a balanced eating pattern, but it is better to choose a modest portion of good-quality dark chocolate with a higher cocoa content,” she advises.

Sources

The Indian Expresslink